Joist Connection Failure Messages
Introduction: You can find one of the below-listed error messages on the Joist Review window after connection design has failed a connection on at least one end of the joist. Understanding these messages can help you to diagnose why the connection failed and what steps the user of a full-featured SDS2 program needs to take to repair the problem. For more information, see: failed connections (a topic).
Beam flange too narrow for min joist bearing: This applies to a joist-to-beam flange connection.
For such a connection the flange width must be greater than or equal to the minimum bearing or field clearance (F/2 >= B + C, where F = half the flange width from shape file; B = minimum bearing from shape file; C = field clearance from non-standard field clearance in Setup).
Flush framed joist connection only valid for Vulcraft joists: This end connection failure message is emitted when the joist end's " Input connection type " is ' Flush framed shear ' or ' Flush framed clip ' and ' Vulcraft ' is not the " Joist manufacturer ."
The user of a full-featured SDS2 program can clear the failure message and get a flush framed connection by setting the " Joist manufacturer " to ' Vulcraft ' in setup. Possibly, the user may have to first add the manufacturer to the Job in the Joist Manufacturer Manager in setup.
Alternatively, the user may be able "
Force " the flush framed connection. Doing so will not clear this fail message, but it should get a connection.
Flush framed joist elevation not at supporting beam top of steel: This end connection failure message can apply to a joist-to-beam connection when the joist end's " Input connection type " is ' Flush framed shear ' or ' Flush framed clip '.
The message indicates the end of the joist is not properly aligned with the supporting beam's top flange.
To fix the problem, the user of a full-featured SDS2 program can enter an appropriate " Top of joist " elevation on the joist end. For a joist framing to a non-sloping beam, the joist's top-of-joist elevation should match the beam's " End elevation " (either end).
Frames to a Model Complete member: This applies when the member this joist frames to has its " Model complete date " set.
You will get a yellow " Frames to ... " banner like the following even if there is no connection failure. This banner describes the framing situation, but does not necessarily pertain to connection design.
| Frames to a Model Complete member |
In addition to the above banner, you may (but will not necessarily) get a red banner like the following, which indicates a connection failure due to connection design not being permitted to modify the main material of the model-complete member. This can happen, for example, if this joist was added, or its connection was changed, after the framed-to member's " Model complete date " was set.
Frames to a Model Complete member The user of a full-featured SDS2 program can "
| framing situation | likely cause |
| joist to column | The supporting column has its " Model complete date " set. |
| joist to joist | The supporting beam has its " Model complete date " set. |
Invalid material type for this member: You get this message when connection design cannot generate a connection on this joist because the " Section Size " is not joist material .
To get a connection, the user of a full-featured SDS2 program needs to change the joists's " Section Size " to a joist material .
Joist and opposite beam connections interfere: This applies when connection design determines that designing a ' Seated joist ' connection on a joist framing to a column web would interfere with the connection on the beam framing to the opposite side of the column web.
As a result of connection design failing the connection, the " System designed connection " is a ' Plain end '.
Joist bearing bolts will not fit on beam flange: This connection failure message applies when a joist bears on a beam's top flange.
For a joist bearing on the top flange of a beam, connection design puts holes on the beam flange when ' Bearing ' has been selected as the " Input connection type " for the joist and ' Bolted ' has been selected as the " Chord to support ."
C onnection design uses the joist " Top chord gage " specified in the local shape file and the choice made to " Wide flange beams, alternative gage for joist connections " or " Channel beams, alternative gage for joist connections " in Joist Connection Settings to determine the placement of the holes. If the beam web or the edge of the beam flange is too close to where the holes would be placed, the holes are not generated, and you get this message.
To repair this situation so that the holes are generated, the user of a full-featured SDS2 program may have to Move/Stretch the joist (or Erase then Add it again) so that its work point on the offending end is at a different location. This error message is most likely to occur in skewed framing situations.
Joist bot. chord extension hits seat stiffener: This applies to a joist-to-column connection.
Possible ways to get a ' System ' connection are to remove the bottom chord extension or change the " Section Size " of the joist.
Joist bottom extension stabilizer won't fit in supporting beam web: This end connection failure message can apply when the joist end's " Input connection type " is ' Flush framed shear ' or ' Flush framed clip ' or ' Bearing ' and the option to " Extend bottom chord " is checked and the " Stabilizing material " is ' Plate ' or ' Angle '.
This failure message indicates that the joist is deeper than the beam, making it impossible to weld the stablizing material to the beam's web.
If the user of a full-featured SDS2 program sets the " Stabilizing material " to ' None ', that will clear the failure message but leave the joist without a bottom chord connection.
Locked bolt edge distance not within required min/max values: This failure message is difficult to reproduce since it is a catch-all message that will only be generated if a more specific connection failure message has not been generated to account for a connection failure. It may apply to any connection that is bolted. There is no easy-to-state rule that defines exactly what minimum and maximum edge distance values are acceptable since such requirements are based on the connection type, hole type, bolt diameter, bolt type, design code and other factors.
If the user of a full-featured SDS2 program gets this failure message, that user may be able to unlock (
) the edge distance so that the program is able to calculate an acceptable edge distance. Or the user may need to unlock (
) if the user enters different values to those fields.
Locked bolt spacing not within required min/max values: This failure message is difficult to reproduce since it is a catch-all message that will only be generated if a more specific connection failure message has not been generated to account for a connection failure. It may apply to any connection that is bolted. There is no easy-to-state rule that defines exactly what minimum and maximum bolt spacing values are acceptable since such spacing requirements are based on the connection type, hole type, bolt diameter, bolt type, design code and other factors.
If the user of a full-featured SDS2 program gets this failure message, that user may be able to unlock (
Locked connection has too many constraints: This is a catch-all failure message that may apply to various connection types or framing situations or loading conditions. It indicates a problem with user-entered values made to connection design locks . Connection design may have failed the connection because the locked ( ) settings prevented the program from designing a connection of sufficient capacity to stand up to the governing load. Or it may be that locked settings introduced math errors or physical inconsistencies that connection design is unable to solve.
Fixing this problem in a full-featured SDS2 program may be as simple as correcting a user-entered value that is inconsistent with related, interdependent values that are also locked. Or the user may have to unlock (
If, on the other hand, the user insists that the connection be designed around the user-entered values, and that user therefore does not want to remove any locks, the user might try lifting other constraints, such as user-applied setbacks. The user also may be able to get the desired connection by lowering the governing load.
Maximum joist bearing length exceeded: This applies when a joist bears on a beam's top flange.
If ' Bolted ' has been selected as the " Chord to support " for a joist bearing on a beam flange, holes are generated only if the distance from the work point to the edge of the beam flange is less than the " Maximum bearing " entered in the local shape file . If holes are not generated for this reason, you get this connection failure message.
To repair this situation so that the holes are generated, the user of a full-featured SDS2 program may be able to Move/Stretch the joist (or Erase it then Add it again) so that its work point is at a different location.
Mis-matched joist/support elevations: This connection failure message indicates that the " Input elevation " entered for this end of the joist creates material interference or a gap between the joist's top chord and the supporting beam's top flange.
To fix this problem, the user of a full-featured SDS2 program can change the joist's " Input elevation " and " Top of joist " elevation on the offending end(s). The input elevation of a joist bearing on a beam should be the supporting beam's top flange elevation at the line of joist intersection since it is at that line of intersection where the joist bears on the beam.
For a joist to a non-sloping beam, the beam's " End elevation " (either end) should be entered as the joist's " Input elevation ."
For a joist to a sloping beam, if you have a construction line where the joist intersects the sloping beam, you could use the INCM point locator and reference the Z coordinate reported in the X-Y-Z display to discover the required " Input elevation ."
Shear or knife plates clash with bottom extension plate/angle: This end connection failure message can apply when the joist end's " Input connection type " is ' Flush framed shear ' and -- in " 
Connection specifications " -- " Extend bottom chord " is checked and " Stabilizing material " is set to ' Angle ' or ' Plate '.
Connection design emits this failure message instead of generating the bottom cord stabilizing material. Typically, the flush framed shear connection will still be designed and shown in the model.
The fail message may be the result of " Extend size to " in "
If the shear plate is too deep because it has too many rows of bolts, that user of might be able to fix the clash by lowering the joist end "
Setting " Stabilizing material " to ' None ' or unchecking "
Extend bottom chord " is another way for that user to clear the fail message.
Suitable plate thickness not found: This message applies to connection plates when the box is checked for " Use miscellaneous plates list " on the Joist Review window. It indicates that connection design has determined that a plate of a particular thickness is required for the connection, but such a plate (or a slightly thicker plate) is not on the " Plates " list in Standard Fabricator Connections.
To get a ' System ' connection, the user of a full-featured SDS2 program needs to add a suitable plate to the " Plates " list. Or you can uncheck the box for " Use miscellaneous plates list ." Or you can remove all entries from the " Plates " list.
User top chord setback less than minimum required: This end connection failure message can apply when the joist end's " Input connection type " is ' Flush framed shear ' or ' Flush framed clip ' or ' Auto standard ' or ' User defined ' and , in the " Setbacks and extension " leaf on the Joist Review window, a user-entered value is the " 
Setback " for the " Top chord ."
The failure message indicates that the entered setback is too small. As a result, the joist top chord may clash with the supporting beam's top flange. If connection material were generated, that connection material (clip angle or shear plate) might also clash with the top chord.
To clear this failure message and get a connection, the user of a full-featured SDS2 program can try setting the top chord setback to "