What Are My Options for Connecting Steel Beams?

When two steel beams meet, they need a connection that transfers load from one to the other safely. The connection type matters because it affects what forces are transferred, what fabrication work is needed, and how the beam can be installed on site.

There are four main connection types used in domestic structural steel work. Your PorthouseDean drawings will indicate which applies to each junction in your project.

1. Flexible End Plate (Shear Connection)

A flexible end plate is a steel plate welded to the end of a beam. When installed, the plate bolts to the web of the supporting beam or column. This is the most common connection type for beams framing into the side of another beam at the same level.

It transfers shear force only — there is no moment (rotational force) transferred across the joint. This makes it simpler to calculate and fabricate than a moment connection.

An important practical note: this connection means the beam cannot simply be rested on top of the supporting beam during erection — it must be bolted in position. Builders should be aware of this when planning the installation sequence.

2. Beam Sitting on Top of Another Beam (Cap Plate or Direct Bearing)

Where one beam sits on top of another rather than connecting into its side, the connection is made via a cap plate or direct bearing detail. The upper beam rests on the lower beam’s top flange, connected by bolts.

This connection is easier to install — the upper beam can be lifted and sat in place temporarily before final bolting. It is used where a beams-at-different-levels arrangement is acceptable, such as in loft conversions where the floor void allows for varying beam depths.

3. Beam Suspended from Another Beam

Where a secondary beam must hang below the primary, a bracket or hanger detail is used. The secondary beam’s end plate is bolted to the underside or lower portion of the primary beam’s web. This accommodates situations where the primary and secondary beams cannot be at the same soffit level.

4. Goalpost Frame (Moment Connection)

Where two columns support a beam and the whole frame needs to resist lateral forces — as in a large wall removal where the frame provides the building’s wind stability — a moment connection is used between the beam ends and the columns. This is a full goalpost frame connection with a stiffened end plate and a specific bolt pattern.

The moment connection transfers both shear and bending moment, which is why the connections are more substantial than a simple flexible end plate.

Getting the Right Connection Specified

PorthouseDean specifies the appropriate connection type for each beam junction in your project as part of the structural calculations package. Your fabricator then works to the details shown, and submits fabrication drawings for engineer approval before manufacturing. Get a quote to have your connections designed.