Beam Span Quick-Reference

Clear span

Face-to-face clear distance — feet or metric.

Member type

≈ 12.0–14.4 in

Suggested depth (rule of thumb)

Steel beam · 24' span

Depth (metric)≈ 30–37 cm

Span-to-depth ratioL/20 – L/24

Span24.0 ft

Assumptions & notes

Using a span-to-depth ratio of L/20–L/24 for a steel beam.
Preliminary depth only — confirm with span tables or an engineer (not a code check).