Material Concrete

load
Span
Moment
Allowable Deflection
Sigma-max
E
Density
Safety Factor
Allowable Sigma
b
mm

50
60
70
80
90
100
110
120
130
140
150
160
170
180
190
200
400

0.8 kN/m
3.6 m
1.296 kNm

0.8 N/mm
3600 mm
1.296 Nmm

10
7
30000
2200

10 mm
7 N/mm2
30000 N/mm2
2200

mm
MPa
MPa
kg/m3

4 - brittle failure mode = high safety factor

1.75 MPa
choice
h-strength h stiffness
Volume
Mass
mm

298.1
272.1
251.9
235.7
222.2
210.8
201.0
192.4
184.9
178.2
172.1
166.6
161.7
157.1
152.9
149.1
105.4

mm

m3

65.4
61.6
58.5
55.9
53.8
51.9
50.3
48.9
47.6
46.4
45.4
44.4
43.5
42.7
41.9
41.2
32.7

298
272
252
236
222
211
201
192
185
178
172
167
162
157
153
149
105

0.0537
0.0588
0.0635
0.0679
0.0720
0.0759
0.0796
0.0831
0.0865
0.0898
0.0929
0.0960
0.0989
0.1018
0.1046
0.1073
0.1518

kg

118.1
129.3
139.7
149.3
158.4
166.9
175.1
182.9
190.4
197.5
204.5
211.2
217.7
224.0
230.1
236.1
333.9

Comments
- low tensile strength governs all practical designs
- very high mass makes building difficult
- 400 wide beam = continuous slab -- may be the simplest design!
-tensile failure is generally unacceptable and hence NONE of these designs is practical
-lots of width to attach decking

Selfweight
N/mm
0.322
0.352
0.381
0.407
0.432
0.455
0.477
0.498
0.519
0.538
0.557
0.575
0.593
0.610
0.627
0.643
0.910

Material Nylon
load
Span
Moment
Allowable Deflection
Sigma-max
E
Density

0.8 kN/m
3.6 m
1.296 kNm

0.8 N/mm
3600 mm
1.296 Nmm

10
70
3000
1150

10 mm
70 N/mm2
3000 N/mm2
1150

Safety Factor
Allowable Sigma
b

mm
MPa
MPa
kg/m3

2.5
28 MPa
choice
Volume

h-strength h stiffness

mm

4
6
8
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
400

mm

263
215
186
167
136
118
105
96
89
83
79
75
71
68
65
63
61
26

mm

327.1
285.7
259.6
241.0
210.5
191.3
177.6
167.1
158.7
151.8
146.0
140.9
136.5
132.6
129.1
126.0
123.1
70.5

327
286
260
241
211
191
178
167
159
152
146
141
137
133
129
126
123
70

Mass

m3

kg

0.0047
0.0062
0.0075
0.0087
0.0114
0.0138
0.0160
0.0180
0.0200
0.0219
0.0236
0.0254
0.0270
0.0286
0.0302
0.0317
0.0332
0.1015

5.42
7.10
8.60
9.98
13.07
15.84
18.38
20.75
23.00
25.14
27.19
29.17
31.09
32.94
34.75
36.51
38.23
116.69

Comments
- low stiffness governs all practical designs.
-plastic beams 6 mm wide are likely impractical
-lack of stiffness is a challenge -- possible but problematic
-temperature effects and creep as well as cost and sustainability are problems
- attachment of deck a challenge for thinner beams
- slab material would be heavy and expensive but also remarkably thick

Selfweight
N/mm
0.015
0.019
0.023
0.027
0.036
0.043
0.050
0.057
0.063
0.069
0.074
0.079
0.085
0.090
0.095
0.099
0.104
0.318

Material Steel
load
Span
Moment
Allowable Deflection
Sigma-max
E
Density
Safety Factor
Allowable Sigma
b

0.8 kN/m
3.6 m
1.296 kNm
10
300
200000
7680

mm
MPa
MPa
kg/m3

0.8 N/mm
3600 mm
1.296 Nmm
10 mm
300 N/mm2
200000 N/mm2
7680

2
150 MPa
choice
Volume

h-strength h stiffness

mm

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
400

mm

228
161
131
114
102
93
86
80
76
72
69
66
63
61
59
57
11

mm

128.0
101.6
88.8
80.7
74.9
70.5
66.9
64.0
61.6
59.4
57.6
55.9
54.5
53.1
51.9
50.8
17.4

m3

228
161
131
114
102
93
86
80
76
72
69
66
63
61
59
57
17

0.0008
0.0012
0.0014
0.0016
0.0018
0.0020
0.0022
0.0023
0.0025
0.0026
0.0027
0.0028
0.0030
0.0031
0.0032
0.0033
0.0250

Mass
kg

6.30
8.90
10.90
12.59
14.08
15.42
16.66
17.80
18.89
19.91
20.88
21.81
22.70
23.55
24.38
25.18
192.20

Selfweight
N/mm
0.017
0.024
0.030
0.034
0.038
0.042
0.045
0.049
0.051
0.054
0.057
0.059
0.062
0.064
0.066
0.069
0.524

Comments
- tensile strength governs all practical designs because steel is very stiff
- mass is acceptable for the narrower beams
- 400 wide beam = continuous slab -- would be VERY heavy and expensive
-the thinner designs are pracitical but buckling, crumpling and corrosion are a problem
- 1 or 2 mm will likely not work because of buckling -- need to shape the beam to prevent this
- how to attach decking material?

Material Wood
load
Span
Moment
Allowable Deflection
Sigma-max
E
Density

0.8 kN/m
3.6 m
1.296 kNm

0.8 N/mm
3600 mm
1.296 Nmm

10
60
13000
500

10 mm
60 N/mm2
13000 N/mm2
500

Safety Factor
Allowable Sigma

mm
MPa
MPa
kg/m3

3
20 MPa

h-strength

h stiffness

mm

mm

mm

5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
90
95
100
400

278.9
197.2
161.0
139.4
124.7
113.8
105.4
98.6
93.0
88.2
84.1
80.5
77.3
74.5
72.0
69.7
67.6
65.7
64.0
62.4
31.2

choice
Volume
m3

186.2
147.8
129.1
117.3
108.9
102.5
97.4
93.1
89.5
86.4
83.7
81.3
79.2
77.3
75.5
73.9
72.4
71.1
69.8
68.6
43.2

279
197
161
139
125
114
105
99
93
88
84
81
79
77
76
74
72
71
70
69
43

0.0050
0.0071
0.0087
0.0100
0.0112
0.0123
0.0133
0.0142
0.0151
0.0159
0.0166
0.0176
0.0185
0.0195
0.0204
0.0213
0.0222
0.0230
0.0239
0.0247
0.0622

Mass
kg

2.51
3.55
4.35
5.02
5.61
6.15
6.64
7.10
7.53
7.94
8.32
8.79
9.27
9.74
10.19
10.64
11.08
11.51
11.94
12.35
31.12

Comments
- tensile strength governs narrow beams and stiffness governs wide and shallow beams
- lightweight solution for all but wide (over 70 mm) beams
- 400 wide beam = continuous slab -- heavy and expensive but cheaper and lighter than other solutions), and perh
-the thinner designs are technically possible but buckling, crumpling and decay are a problem
-minimum 20 mm or shape as I beam, 30 to 50 mm preferred for practical reasons

Selfweight
N/mm
0.007
0.010
0.012
0.014
0.015
0.017
0.018
0.019
0.021
0.022
0.023
0.024
0.025
0.027
0.028
0.029
0.030
0.031
0.033
0.034
0.085

er than other solutions), and perhaps possible in some cases