Flitch Beam

A flitch beam (or flitched beam) is a composite beam used in the construction of houses, decks, and other wood-frame structures, the flitch beam is made of a vertical steel plate sandwiched between two wood beams, the three layers being held together with bolts.

This is commonly known as a steel flitch beam, further layers of wood and metal can be used to create an excellent strong beam.

Why We Prefer Flitch Beam:

Lighter: Structures made purely from wood are lighter than those that have a steel plate which allows easy construction and quick installation.

Cheaper: The products are made from less costly wood as it can save you money on labor costs because they require a smaller staff to put together in a short period of time.

Short time to produce: Only frames manufactured from handcrafted wood will take quick work from our skilled carpenters which implies that the product might be prepared in a short time.

In return, you will be able to purchase more quickly resulting in the installation being completed sooner.

More efficient: Frames made with traditional joining techniques are made more efficiently with attention to detail resulting in a cleaner finish.

It also helps in brings about a faster, simpler installation that will not be achieved with a flitch beam.

Traditional Design: Fully wood planks have an extensive reputation as a classical design offering an authentic charm to your property that cannot be achieved with any other type of beam.

Sustainably Sour: Whenever you choose to purchase oak or wooden products, you may be certain that the wooden is coming from a sustainable source.

For every tree used as products, three more are planted as a substitute which preserves products to be sustainable for the longer term and implies that we will provide high-quality oak and timber frames for the next coming years.

Advantages of the flitch beam:

1. Flitch beams are much stronger than wood alone.
2. This beam requires much less depth than wood beams of identical strength.
3. They are much lighter than steel beams of identical size.
4. They will still be positioned in the rest of the wood structure.
5. These beams can also be made from existing in-situ joists or beams allowing easy renovation.

Disadvantages of flitch beam:

1. Due to the high cost of labor, the use of this type of beam has declined greatly.
2. The initiation of high-strength engineered lumber that uses modern adhesives and low-cost wood fiber has made the system largely out-of-date.
3. Engineered wood is cut lengthwise and installed similar to saw wood.
4. Flitch beams are required for shop construction or field bolting.
5. This is coupled with an enormously increased self-weight of the beam at 11.4 pounds (5.2 kg) for engineered wood to 25.2 pounds (11.4 kg) reduces the feasibility of the system.

Also read: Grade Beam, Spandrel Beam & Cantilever beam

Conclusion:

The flitch beam is made from the steel plate between two wooden beams, three layers held together with bolts.