Q. 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. Is it ...

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 ...

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 ...

In this article we will continue to look at building structural systems. Last month we discussed concrete, which is one of the most basic building construction components. To review, concrete is a ...

The idea of strengthening a steel beam with carbon fiber is not new. Approaches have ranged from coating corroded steel i-beams with carbon fiber and epoxy to a patent by Boeing where carbon fiber ...

New research shows steel I- and T-sections inside concrete beams can offset shear loss from web openings—enhancing safety in ...

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.