What are Joists for?
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A “joist” is an open web structural member that directly supports the roof or mezzanine
sheet loads using hot-rolled or cold-formed steel elements and is designed as a simply
supported member. Joist are used for construction industry in warehouses, shopping
malls, schools and steel buildings.
Some advantages we can mention are:
- Its weight vs. load capacity ratio makes it more economical and competitive.
- Due to its nature as a prefabricated product, its costs and installation are more accessible.
- Its shape allows for the page of installations and its easy fastening
Joist types:
They are classified by their design methodology, depending on their length:
- K: With depths of 10” to 30” in 2” increments and clear spans up to 60 ft (18.28 m).
- LH: With depths of 18” to 48” for spans up to 96 ft (29.26 m).
- DLH: With depths of 52” to 120” for spans up to 240 ft (73.15 m).
- Girder: With depths of 20” to 120” for spans up to 120 ft (36.57 m).
In Mexico the use of joist has become a widely used option in steel buildings as a secondary element (instead of C or Z poles) in order to resolve wide spans that are commonly around 39 ft to 65 ft and allows users a better and free arrangement between columns, optimizing their production lines or racks layout.