My company recently had to
remove and replace a set of
existing solid-sawn 8x8-
inch carrying beams as part
of a larger kitchen and dining room
remodeling project. The posts that supported
the original beams near midspan
i n t e r f e r e d
with the new
design, so the
clear span of approximately 21 feet called
for fairly substantial structural members.
We had used a steel beam at one end of
the room to support floor and roof loads
over a large open archway we created
leading into the new kitchen. But the carrying
beams we had to replace were in
the middle of the room (see Figure 1). It
was impractical to work