Headers & Beams : Allowable Load Tables
The Southern Forest Products Association provides allowable load tables for headers and beams to assist architects, engineers, contractors and other professionals engaged in designing and building residential and commercial structures in selecting the proper size of header or beam for the job.
The header and beam tables provided below have been computed using allowable stress design and standard engineering design equations for simple span beams with uniformly distributed gravity loads. Uplift loads caused by wind have not been considered, nor have concentrated loads. As a reminder, users must determine the load in pounds per lineal foot the header or beam is required to carry.
Values in these tables have been limited to the minimum number calculated for the following four design parameters:
- Bending (flexure)
- Deflection
- Compression perpendicular-to-grain
- Shear parallel-to-grain (horizontal shear)
These tables provide allowable floor loads (CD =1.0) and allowable roof loads (CD =1.15 and CD =1.25) for Southern Pine dimension lumber and Southern Pine glued laminated timber are detailed below.
The tables below also may be used to calculate allowable live loads based on different deflection limits. For example, to determine allowable live loads for a deflection limit of /360 in the Allowable Roof Load Tables (Tables 27-38), multiply the tabulated live-load (LL) values by the ratio of 240/360 = 0.67. The result must not exceed the corresponding total-load value for the same clear opening and product.
For each application, a PDF download is available. Also see Assumptions for Table Development. Refer to SFPA’s publication Southern Pine Headers & Beams (download in Publications) that includes all size selection tables.
| Table Number | Grade | Total Load Deflection Limit | Live Load Deflection Limit | Load Duration Factor, CD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allowable Floor Loads (plf) | ||||
| 21 | No.1 | 240 | 240 | 1.00 |
| 22 | No.2 | 240 | 240 | 1.00 |
| 23 | No.3 | 240 | 240 | 1.00 |
| 24 | 24F-1.7E | 240 | 240 | 1.00 |
| 25 | 24F-1.7E | 240 | 240 | 1.00 |
| 26 | 24F-1.8E | 240 | 240 | 1.00 |
| Download a PDF, Tables 21 - 26 | ||||
| Allowable Roof Loads (plf) | ||||
| 27 | No.1 | 180 | 240 | 1.15 |
| 28 | No.2 | 180 | 240 | 1.15 |
| 29 | No.3 | 180 | 240 | 1.15 |
| 30 | 24F-1.7E | 180 | 240 | 1.15 |
| 31 | 24F-1.7E | 180 | 240 | 1.15 |
| 32 | 24F-1.8E | 180 | 240 | 1.15 |
| Download a PDF, Tables 27 - 32 | ||||
| 33 | No.1 | 180 | 240 | 1.25 |
| 34 | No.2 | 180 | 240 | 1.25 |
| 35 | No.3 | 180 | 240 | 1.25 |
| 36 | 24F-1.7E | 180 | 240 | 1.25 |
| 37 | 24F-1.7E | 180 | 240 | 1.25 |
| 38 | 24F-1.8E | 180 | 240 | 1.25 |
| Download a PDF, Tables 33 - 38 | ||||
The Southern Forest Products Association does not develop design values for either lumber or glued laminated timber. Accordingly, SFPA does not warrant the design values on which these tables are based, and assumes no liability for damage caused or contributed to by the use of such design values.
In addition, SFPA and its members have no knowledge of the loads, spans, materials used, quality of workmanship, professional competence of the users, and other factors involved in specifying headers or beams for any given project; and accordingly, cannot, and do not, represent or warrant the performance in use of headers or beams incorporated into any particular construction project, and disclaim liability for injury or damage caused by the failure of a header or beam in use.
