Practical Engineering: Attaching Steel Beams and Columns

by Stuart Jacobson, S.E., P.E. Steel I-beams are a practical solution for beams and headers carrying heavy loads. Even with the advent of engineered lumber beams, steel is still a good choice: It’s stronger, lighter, and typically less expensive than engineered lumber beams. The main problem for home builders is how to integrate the steel into the wood frame. In many cases, builders will go to great lengths to attach a steel I-beam to a wood post using scabbed-on wood blocking when it would be simpler — and stronger — to use a steel post and the kind of steel-to-steel connections common in commercial construction. In this article I’ll explain the right and wrong ways to attach steel