Empirical design of beams

A beam is a structural member that spans horizontally between supports and resists gravity load. The most important functional requirement for a beam is the length of the span, while the most important structural attribute of a beam is its depth. Once the depth and the material of a beam are determined, the remaining characteristics, such as width, connection details, support details, splices, and connections, can be found, largely with reference to the depth of the beam and with reference to standard practice. Rules for the determination of the width of beams are given in this chapter, while rules for the connections to a beam are given in Chapter 9.