Attaching steel beams to timber posts

[timbercrack]

Looking for some advice on attaching a steel I beam to a wood post. My barn build will be using 13 foot oak 6x6 posts. Steel I beams will be 10 or 12 inches tall and attached to the side of the posts at about 10 feet off the ground, with the remainder of the post above the I beam to provide a 2-3 foot knee wall for the bottom of the rafters to rest on.

Would notching the post to receive the end of the steel beam be an option? Don't know if that would take away from the integrity of the post since the roof system would be resting on it.

I'm not clever enough to post pics, so hope I painted a good enough picture with my description above...

[Don P]

What is the I beam supporting? Or, what is the reason for dropping it. Typically a beam should have lateral support fairly often along its length, usually this is the floor or roof supporting it in that direction to keep it from popping out of plane under load.

[timbercrack]

Mainly the I beam is so that I can clear span 22 foot wide area in my barn without the need for a post in the middle. I'm limited to 17 foot lumber on my TK 1600. I may wind up doing a small loft area on top of the I beams and that is the reason for dropping it to the side of the post...to allow for some more head room after I add an 8/12 pitch roof using 2x8s that I've milled out of red oak on my TK.

[Don P]

At just 2 or 3 feet down I'd be tempted to weld a bracket that caps over the top of the post, hangs down and supports the beam. Side loading a tallish, smallish post can invite buckling where if you can load the post concentrically it is better.

[Oliver05262]

I don't know how to draw what I can picture in my mind, but could you cut the post and set the beam on top of the post, and sister the cut off piece to the lower post with bolts? Put a piece of wide angle iron as a shelf under the sister and another on top of the I-Beam,bolted to the stub and welded or bolted to the top flange to keep the beam from rolling?

[Don P]

I like it, even better if there can be 2 posts sistered.


 

[Woodpecker52]

I agree with don P, just add another brace to bottom post and make sure both posts secured together.

[timbercrack]

Thanks for the ideas. Don P, that's the way to go. Ill sister onto my posts to support the beams. It's a trade off for inner width of the barn, but the I beams need proper support at the ends. 

[Don P]

I was just agreeing with Oliver  . Do make sure you check the distances between lateral bracing points on the steel if you don't put in the loft immediately. I'm pretty sure I have that in the steel manual here if needed.