DEAR TIM: I’m getting ready to build a large room addition that needs a beam to support the floor joists. I’ve been told that a wood beam will work, but I’ve always seen steel I-beams in other houses.

Q: My house plan calls for steel beams that will support the floor joists and even parts of a brick wall. Can I substitute wood beams for steel? Is a steel I-beam hard to handle on the job site? Do ...

A 3,000-pound steel I-beam pulled from the World Trade Center debris almost 23 years ago after the Sept. 11 terrorist attack and later gifted to Poudre Fire Authority has found its final resting place ...

At first glance, an I-beam looks flimsy compared to a solid chunk of steel — but its geometry is what makes it powerful. Most of the strength in a beam comes from how far the material is placed from ...

Q: I’m building a new home and visited the job site a few days ago. I was aghast at a possible defect in my foundation. Parts of the concrete foundation are suspended in midair. The walls are only ...

Welcome back to the "Behold the Beam" series of articles. In part three (Firehouse®, September 2010) of the series, we discussed the first five of the 13 common types of beams that firefighters can ...

Many renovated buildings replace wood and masonry structural elements with steel. The replacement of heavy wooden roof and floor joists with the lighter steel open-web bar-truss joists is a common ...

LANCASTER — Super-heated steel has a smell, an distinct mixture of sweat, carbon, iron, oil and heat. It rolls off the metal and permeates the air. The scent isn't offensive, but rather harkens to ...