Garage for bike - steel profile size for 6 meter span

[relz]

Hi,

I'm sick of my bike getting wet and dirty in the winter and cooked in the desert sun in the summer, while parked in my outdoor parking space. So I've decided it's time to put up some lightweight roofing over the parking space.
I'm going with a lightweight polycarbonate material, called Suntuf, which is produced and sold locally.

My parking space already has three walls, so all I'll be needing is to put steel rectangle tubes from side to side, on which the roofing will rest.


I've never worked with steel before, and I really don't know what size I should be using for this job. A 6 meter span, is pretty long. I want to choose the correct profile, so that on one hand it's strong enough to support it's own weight without sagging (the lightweight of the Suntuf is negligible), but on the other hand not over massive/heavy.

Do you have any experience with construction from metal?
What size would you recommend?

I'm currently considering the more massive 10cm x 5cm profile, or the smaller 6cm x 4cm (both aprox. 2mm thickness). But I'm really just guessing here....

Any help is much appreciated.

 

[flipper]

I'd have thought that whatever size you would want a support half way across.

 

[relz]

I'd have thought that whatever size you would want a support half way across.

I'm trying to avoid a centre support, to keep the space nice and open.
Obviously a centre support will enable much thinner steel.

 

[emptyoh9]

Have you ever heard of Unistrut? LItLibrary I use it a lot at work for various projects (not sure on cost) but you can get brackets and fittings for it. Not sure how well it would work at 6m.
Are you planning to have a front on this garage or are you just putting up a roof leaving the front open?
With the unistrut you can bolt the channel onto the wall (not sure about that stone tbh) then have up-rights bolted to the floor....loads of options.
Just make sure its well put together as that roof will be like a huge sail if you get heavy winds, also consider where the rain water is going to go...

 

[stevecbr]

If you did that in the UK no doubt some dickhead would just jump over the railings and either walk or fall through your roof! You may want the stronger steel to allow for this to happen

 

[Triple Trouble]

I believe Birdy is ur man for the answers to this question.

 

[relz]

If you did that in the UK no doubt some dickhead would just the railings and either walk or fall through your roof! You may want the stronger steel to allow for this to happen

lol

Yes, I've decided to go with the stonger steel for similar reasons. It's best to be on the safe side....
I hope to pick up the material tomorrow morning, and work on it Friday morning (Friday is our day off here).

I'll post a pic, if it comes to something

 

[relz]

So, I really had fun welding for the first time. Although I'm still very far from professional level, I started to getting the hang of it after a few hours.

This morning I finished all the cutting and welding work, next step is to add the roofing.

Thanks for all the tips and advice!

 

[flydnb]

So, I really had fun welding for the first time. Although I'm still very far from professional level, I started to getting the hang of it after a few hours.

This morning I finished all the cutting and welding work, next step is to add the roofing.

Thanks for all the tips and advice!

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looking good relz.

 

[relz]

To sum up this thread, here are a few pics of the finished product. It already proved itself in yesterday's downpour
I'm quite satisfied with the result, considering it's my first time welding.









Now that I've cleaned it up a bit, I see that there's definitely room for another bike or two... it's just a pity that they cost you an arm and leg over here

 

[flydnb]

looks brilliant relz good work sir.