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
