A More Efficient I-Beam

Steel I-beams are designed on the basic principle that most of the stresses on a beam are at the top and the bottom. Open-web trusses and joists extend this principle much further, using only spaced diagonal members to connect the top and bottom chords. In between these two options are castellated I-beams—essentially, regular I-beams with much less material in the web. While such beams are listed as a standard shape by the British Steel Construction Institute, until recently they were not readily available in the U.S. Because they represent a more efficient use of material than conventional I-beams, castellated beams may be worth a closer look.

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