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Steel Goal Post Frames
A beam with a column at each end, used where there is nothing either side of the opening to carry the load down.
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Send us your engineer’s drawings and we’ll work out quantities and price the steel and the processing together — cut, drilled and finished to your specification, delivered direct to site.
When you need one
A beam over an opening has to land on something that can take its end reaction and carry it to the foundations. Usually that is the masonry either side. On a full-width rear opening, a side return, or a corner that has been opened up, there is often no masonry left at one or both ends — and that is when a goal post is the answer.
The frame replaces the missing support with steel: a beam across the top and a column at each end, bolted together and standing on base plates that spread the load into the foundation or padstone below. It is the most common fabricated assembly in domestic building work.
What a goal post is made of
The horizontal member is a universal beam sized for the span and load like any other opening beam. The columns are normally universal columns rather than beams — a UC section is squarer and much better suited to carrying load vertically, where a UB is optimised for bending about one axis. The two are not interchangeable, and a drawing calling for a column means a column.
The joints are the whole point of the assembly. Beam and columns are connected with welded end plates or cleats and bolted through, to details specified by the engineer. Base plates at the foot spread the column load into whatever it stands on. Get the connections right and the frame behaves as one structure; get them wrong and it is three separate pieces of steel.
Why it is ordered as a set
A goal post is not three items on a list. The members have to match the connection details, the holes have to line up, and the plates have to be welded on before anything reaches site — welding a frame together in a finished room is slow, expensive and disruptive.
Send the fabrication or connection drawings and we will price the frame as an assembly, fabricated and delivered ready to bolt together. If all you have so far is the structural calculations and member sizes, say so when you enquire: the connections usually need detailing before anything can be made, and it is much cheaper to find that out before the order than after.
Typical sizes for this job
Beam sections commonly specified for the horizontal member of a domestic goal post frame. The columns are normally universal columns, sized separately.
| Size | Weight | Indicative Span | Typically Used For |
|---|---|---|---|
| 203 x 133 x 25 | 25 kg/m | 3.8–4.5m | Narrower openings, single-storey load |
| 254 x 146 x 31 | 31 kg/m | 4.5–5.2m | Mid-width rear openings |
| 254 x 146 x 43 | 43 kg/m | 5–5.8m | Heavier loads where depth is restricted |
| 305 x 165 x 40 | 40 kg/m | 5.5–6.5m | Full-width rear openings |
| 305 x 165 x 46 | 46 kg/m | 5.8–6.8m | Wide spans where deflection governs |
| 356 x 171 x 45 | 45 kg/m | 6.5–7.5m | The widest domestic openings |
What else the steel will need
Most beams need more than cutting to length before they reach site. All of it is arranged on the same order:
- Welded cleats, end plates and connections
- Drilling, notching and holes
- Painting, priming and intumescent coating
- All processing and fabrication services
Related jobs
- Steel Beams for Rear and Side Extensions
- Steel Beams for Removing a Load-Bearing Wall
- All project types
Common questions
What is a goal post frame?
A beam with a column at each end, bolted together into one assembly. It is used where an opening has no masonry at one or both ends to carry the beam’s load down to the foundations.
Are the columns the same as the beam?
Normally not. Columns are usually universal columns, which are squarer in section and better suited to vertical load. Universal beams are optimised for bending. A drawing specifying a column means a column.
Can you supply the frame ready to install?
Yes — fabricated to your engineer’s connection details, with plates welded on and holes drilled, delivered as a set to bolt together on site.
What do you need to quote a goal post?
The fabrication or connection drawings ideally. Member sizes alone are usually not enough, because the connections have to be detailed before anything can be made.
Ready for a price?
Send your drawings or a cutting list and we’ll come back with quantities and a price. Large and small orders both welcome.
We supply structural steel across London, the South and the Midlands, delivered direct to site. Information on this page is general guidance; the specification for your project must come from your structural engineer.
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