Subject: Span lengths

From: [email-masked] (Steve Rimar)
Date: Sat, 29 Mar 97 23:57:16 EST

What is the max span lengths for a 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12?
Thanks for all replies.

STEVE RIMAR
 
             [email-masked]

         all comments are my own
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From: "James W. Baker" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 13:15:43 -0500

> What is the max span lengths for a 2x4, 2x6, 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12?

Your request is too open ended.  What's the application and/or required
live and dead load ratings?  What O.C. spacing are you considering? 
What's the sheathing or decking size/thickness that will be applied? 
What wood are you planning on using?

Since there are a lot of options your best bet is to check out a
carpentry/framing book from the library so you weigh weigh the
advantages of the different methods.

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From: [email-masked] (Luigi Zanasi)
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 22:16:28 GMT

>What wood are you planning on using?

James forgot: "What grade of wood are you planning on using?" ;-) Same
application, load rating, spacing and wood species will have different
maximum spans depending on the grade of the wood.

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From: Colin Montoya-Lewis <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 31 Mar 1997 20:50:50 -0700

> advantages of the different methods.

This is good advice.  I would only add that after you've used books to
examine different options, make sure and check your local code before
you get too involved.
-Colin

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From: "Bear" <[email-masked]>
Date: 1 Apr 1997 06:17:01 GMT

Steve,

As far as I'm concerned, the definitive book on designing with
structural timbers is "SIMPLIFIED DESIGN OF STRUCTURAL
TIMBER", by Harry Parker, M.S., published by John Wiley & Sons.

Bear

Steve Rimar <[email-masked]> wrote in article
<[email-masked]>...

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From: [email-masked] (Garrett Lambert)
Date: Tue, 01 Apr 1997 09:14:07 GMT

They vary according to the code for where you live, and the intended
load factor. Get a copy of your local building code book - bookstore
or library. It should give you all this information and a great deal
more.  

On Sat, 29 Mar 97 23:57:16 EST, [email-masked] (Steve Rimar)