Ridge Beam

[archimedes]

Is it possible to get a ridge beam that spans the entire 30' length of the 20 X 30 cottage?  Or do you need to break it up with a support post somewhere in the mid-point?

[Native_NM]

If you got the bucks, they got a beam...here is just one article:

http://www.apawood.org/level_b.cfm?content=prd_glu_bui_ridgebeams

They hightlight one project with a 65' long ridge beam here.

[PEG688]

 No problem getting the  beam , PSL , LVL ,  are  other  options, along with a Glulam , a  real wood  beam that long might be a problem to find, mill, deliver and keep from twisting.

 Lifting it into position will be tricky unless as crane can be used to place it.

[davidj]

Our 30' ridge beam in our 20x30 is an 18" x 6.75" glulam.  It only spans 19' or so (there's a post by the loft), but it's rated for 100psf snow load.  For a 30psf roof load it'd probably span more like 30'.  I think it was about $500, + something like $260 for the crane.  It weighed about 1/3 ton.

(Obviously you need engineering to work out the exact size - this is just a rough guide to what you might need).

[Don_P]

We set a double 24"x 28' LVL a couple of weeks ago supporting about 17' of tributary width (a ridgebeam typically supports 1/2 the building width down the center, the walls support 1/4 of the load on each side) 10psf dead load 25 psf live load. This was not a ridge so we only had to lift it 12' off the floor. Did it with 2 towers of scaffold with a locust 6x6 between them using strap, chain and come along... 325 lbs per beam.

[archimedes]

Thanks for the helpful replies.

DavidJ;  I had your build in the back of my mind when I asked this question.  Loved your build.

[rwanders]

my ridge beam is a 6x16x36' glulam------most yards deliver these beams with a crane truck----if your framing is ready when they arrive, I have never had to pay extra for them to set one in place.   

[archimedes]

my ridge beam is a 6x16x36' glulam------most yards deliver these beams with a crane truck----if your framing is ready when they arrive, I have never had to pay extra for them to set one in place.   

Wow,  that's a big piece of wood. 

Even with a crane,  how many people did it take to put that in place?

[PEG688]

Even with a crane,  how many people did it take to put that in place?

You could get by with three, crane operator and one man on each end to guide the beam down into the saddles you's have pre-built to receive the beam.

  One more guy would be nice to run the tag line from the beam to guide it, the beam, to the guys in place on the staging that guide the beam into the pockets / saddles on the ends. 

[rwanders]

It was done with three as noted above-----but you do have to have the saddles ready. If you do, it is actually one of the easiest framing tasks.