Joists (topic)

Joists are prefabricated members consisting of a top chord, a bottom chord, and diagonal bars. Joists are often used as intermediate members for floors and roofs on commercial buildings. They are light weight, strong, and often more economical than using a rolled section. They are generally purchased from a manufacturer who specializes in joist fabrication.

• Unique characteristics of joists
• Section sizes
• Joist shape file specifications

Also see :

• Joist Review window

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Unique characteristics of joists :

• Joists can connect to beams or columns. This capability to make connnections to other members requires basic section size information from the Job's local shape file, and it also requires that you locate work points for joists in a way that closely models how those joists will be erected. It does not require complete modeling information from the joist manufacturer.
• Since the appearance of joists varies from manufacturer to manufacturer, SDS2 programs offer various ways to represent joists. These representations are primarily controlled by the " Panel display method " that is selected on the Joist Review window.
• Joists cannot be automatically detailed.
• Joist connections consist of tee, angle or plate seats on columns or field bolting/welding to beams. These are detailed on the supporting column or beam.
• Although joists cannot be automatically detailed, you can generate what amounts to a bill of material for joists. This is done by generating a Joist Report . The Joist Report includes information about all joists in your model. You can use this information to order the joists from the manufacturer.

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Section sizes :

• Naming convention: nominal_depth+joist_type+chord_number (joist_type = K or LH or DLH or G).
• Example: 14K1 signifies a K type joist that is 14 inches deep and has a chord type of 1.
• Note: Joists can be added to a shape file (in a full-featured SDS2 program ) using a entirely different naming convention than that described above.

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Joist shape file specifications :

d = depth TCg = top chord gage BCs = bottom chord setback t = filler thickness Sl = shoe length Sd = shoe depth Sg = shoe gage

• Other shape file specifications: " Nominal Depth ," " Structural Properties ," " Cross-sectional area ." " Joist Type " can be ' K ' ' LH ' ' DLH ' or ' G ' (joist girder) -- see Joist Connection Settings .

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