what beam size do I need for this patio roof cover of 38′Wide and 19′span 2X12 rafters with 2′ overhang

Question by clemaube: what beam size do I need for this patio roof cover of 38′Wide and 19′span 2X12 rafters with 2′ overhang
This Question is really more for a structural engeneer. 2006 I.R.CODE 43#ground snow load,30# roof snow load & 105mph Exposure C. Seismic design category B. Table R301.2(1)-climatic & Geographic Design Criteria. Elevation 5618ft. Patio roof attached to house on one end and on a beam at the other end. Almost flat roof only 1.5′/12 pitch. In the center of beam area I need to span the Posts 26 ft Apart. So what size beam will I need. Can go 5.5″ wide or maybe even 7.5″ wide so the beam is not so high. Its about 8′off the ground. 2X12 douglas fir @ 16″on center rafters span 19ft with 2ft overhang on one end only, because the other end is attached to a ledger bolted onto the house wall. The roofing is corrugated polycarbonate sheets. Thank You in advance. Question is from Clem .

Best answer:

Answer by tinkertailorcandlestickmaker
If it is a job for a structural engineer, maybe you should pay one to do it. Considering that your patio is as big as my house, I don’t have a lot of sympathy for being cheap. Also with wind and seismic loads you need more than just a beam size, there are bracing and anchorage issues to consider.
If you are just looking for a rough idea of what it will look like, before you have a professional engineer design it, I think that a W12x19 steel beam (about 12″ high, 4″ wide, 19lb/ft, ) or a 5-1/8″ x 18″ Glue-lam will be roughly in the ballpark, but I didn’t put much effort into this, so don’t use it for actual construction

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