Please help with garage header question

[Farrellbg]

Good forum, guys! Going to help son build a garage: 32 x 26, 8' walls 16" OC,
24" OC truss rafters on 1 course of block with 16 x 7, 8 x 7, and 30" service door in front (Service door can't go on either side). Plan to build 2x6 portal walls. Building inspector wants a full 32' header across front. The header would be double 2x12 (4 pcs) sandwiched on 1/2" plywood with joints staggered so neither is above an OH door. Is this practical? We can get plenty of manpower to set the header. Footings and slab are in and block to go in soon.
Would appreciate any advice.
Thanks
Farrell

[Richard A Hetzel]

It all depends on which way the roof will be framed. If the roof load comes down on the wall with all the doors, a double 2x12 header will probably not make it for the 16-foot opening. You'll probably have to use an thick and deep LVL or two laminated thinner deep LVL's. You can get them in 32-foot lengths, so you won't have joints in them. I suspect that if the building inspector is exercised about the header, that it will be carrying roof load. Get some professional help to design the header; perhaps, through your lumber supplier, the manufacturer of the LVLs can help you with engineering.

[Don_P]

I'd use a 32' LVL built up. I don't think a double 2x12 will work on that 16' door in your winters.

Edit, I see Richard beat me to it... what he said :)

[Farrellbg]

Sorry- I forgot to mention that the garage will be built in Faribault which is southern MN, 50 miles south of Mpls-St Paul. Their winters are typically quite a bit kinder than up here.
The table used in their bldg code is IRC Table R502.5(1) and based on snow load of 50 psf with dead load of 10 psf. For a non-load bearing gable wall a
header of (2) 2x12 is recommended for garage door spans of up to 18'.
I found engineered wood beams (1 3/4x 11 7/8) are available from a building supply store by special order in lengths up to 32' for about $3.50/ft so a pair would be about $200.
Farrell

[Farrellbg]

Sorry- I forgot to mention that the garage will be built in Faribault which is southern MN, 50 miles south of Mpls-St Paul. Their winters are typically quite a bit kinder than up here.
The table used in their bldg code is IRC Table R502.5(1) and based on snow load of 50 psf with dead load of 10 psf. For a non-load bearing gable wall a
header of (2) 2x12 is recommended for garage door spans of up to 18'.
I found engineered wood beams (1 3/4x 11 7/8) are available from a building supply store by special order in lengths up to 32' for about $3.50/ft so a pair would be about $200.
Farrell

[Richard A Hetzel]

Those are a better bet, because they can be continuous, and they can carry quite a bit more load than sawn lumber...about halfway between wood and steel.

[Colt Hero]

Down here in the Southeast, they used to use 2x12's, but they sagged a lot. Now, all you see is double 1.75 LVL's, 16" deep used for garage door headers. In fact, they use 16" deep LVLs universally throughout the house wherever they're needed (bonus room floors, headers on openings, etc.)

[Farrellbg]

Thanks for the responses; we got her built over the past 12 days .
We built with 9' walls and used 2 32' LVLs 11 7/8 x 1 3/4 with 1/2" plywood between on front 2x6 portal walls with the bracing required by the new IRC building code. We flushed the wall behind the beam with trimmed-down 2x8s above 2x6s and attached the hurricane straps through these into the LVLs and down to the studs. Had about 10 strong guys to lift the header so that was no problem. She's rock solid and building inspector liked it in the framing inspection.

Thanks again
Farrell