Structural Span Chart: Joists, Beams and Slabs
Compare typical span ranges and structural depths for lumber, I-joists, CLT, glulam, steel and concrete systems when choosing a structure.
- Rule-of-thumb economical spans for wood, timber, steel and concrete
- Filter the systems that reach a target span
- Approximate structural depth at that span
- For early design only, not a substitute for engineering
How to use
- Enter the span you need. The chart shows each structural system’s typical span range, and Qualify counts the systems that reach it.
- Select a system in the list to see its span range, type and approximate structural depth at your span.
- The ranges are rules of thumb for early design and system selection. Size real members with an engineer or the applicable span tables.
- Length fields accept the same entries as the Feet and Inches Calculator: 9' 6, 7 3/4", 2743mm or 3m + 6'. A plain number means inches, or millimeters when the Units panel is set to metric.
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