Steel joist erection guide by Structural Beam’s expert — explore and give us a call for a free estimate!

Steel Joists Erection For Floors And Roof That Last

Structural stability of the floors, roof, and ceiling of your house depends on how well the steel joists erection is done.  High quality joist erection requires expertise and experience, by doing it with a reputable company like Structural Beam, your success is assured. Get in touch today, call  +1 773-917-8998 for a free consultation.

It’s joist time!

Well done, almost there! When the joist time comes, it means your construction project is at least halfway done. The floors and the roof signal that framing is nearly done, and time is coming for flooring and roofing. Properly done steel joists erection assures that the floors, the ceiling and the roof will serve long and well.

Wait, why steel and not wood?

Right. Why, indeed? Why use steel joists, if you could go green and get some wood joists? And which one is stronger, wood or steel joist?

The strength comparison

In construction, dimensions and weight matter a lot, so, when comparing structural members for strength, the load-bearing capacity and weight/strength ratio of structural members are considered. And this way, steel joists always win. The weight/strength ratio of steel joists is much better than that of wooden joists, full stop. So, using steel joists makes the building both lighter, and stronger.

What is greener, timber, or steel?

It is going against a common intuition, but we did our research. The steel is greener than wood. About 93 percent of structural steel products in the U.S. are made of recycled steel and don’t require a tree to be cut to produce it. Think about it, the Green certificates wouldn’t be issued to support structural steel-based construction, was it not green. I trust they did their research, too.

Serving longer, standing stronger

The steel joists won’t be needing a costly replacement any time soon. In fact, steel joists, if protected properly, can serve you virtually forever with near-zero maintenance costs. So, steel beats the wood this way, too. Ok, back to the winners! Let’s consider the types of steel joists for three main applications.

The floor

• Steel floor joists are used for floor support in the house or a commercial building or as a part of a steel deck. They are generally of three types:
• RSJ or rolled steel joists, made of hot-rolled structural steel beams of different sections (mostly I and H beams)
• HSS-based, made of cold-formed structural steel products like rectangular or square section HSS
• steel bar joists, which are actually simple trusses made of two parallel chords and connecting webs

The job of the floor joists is to support the dead load of the floors and the live load of the furniture, appliances, and inhabitants of the house.

All of these have to be fabricated in the structural steel fabrications shop, along with girders, the supporting beams that joists will rest upon.  All of these arrive at the erection site ready for immediate installation.

• The ceiling

The ceiling steel joists are usually either hot-rolled joists, often of I or C-section, or cold-formed lightweight products with profiles of various shapes. Their job is to support the dead load of the insulation and of the ceiling’s interior finish. The ceiling steel joists are as well readied in the fabricator’s workshop.

• The roof

The roof joists are there to support the weight of the roof, and, in some cases, the ceiling too. Depending on the type of roof, the following types of joists can be used :

• RSJ or rolled steel joists of various sections
• open web joists
• custom-built steel joists for special architectural solutions
• HSS-based cold-formed steel joists

As you could see, there’s a variety of steel joists used for different applications. But, there are common operations involved in joist erection and joist installation processes.

• Steel joists and the girders are delivered from the fabricator’s shop to the erection/installation site and carefully stored along with erection equipment and all the tools necessary
• Steel joists are then lifted in bundles by the crane and are fastened to the girders by bolts or connected by welding

For the steel bar joists erection, the process is essentially the same, but more often than not they are bolted to the steel frame or anchoring bolts, pre-installed in the walls.

There are many criteria for choosing your steel joist erection specialist, but all of them fit into a simple definition of “reputable one-stop structural steel solutions providing company, located in your area”, and here’s why:

• Local really helps with logistics and costs reduction
• One-stop means that you can get supplies, fabrication, and erection in one place, for your peace of mind and your project’s smooth flow
• Reputable, and that’s the biggest here. Reputable means an experienced company with many successfully completed projects (btw, have you seen our portfolio?) to show. It also means “having a reputation that’s hard to earn and easy to lose”, and that’s why paying attention to details and taking care of both the project and the client.

If you and your project are located in Chicago, Il., we suggest you consider using our services. Structural Beam is a local, Chicago Il. based, one-stop structural steel solutions company near you.  We’ve got many successful projects under our belt, and we’ll be happy to hear from you. Call us today at  +1 773-917-8998, we’ll be happy to assist you with any part of your project!

Frequently Asked Questions

How far can a steel joist span?

A deep steel joist can span up to 40 feet. That’s more than enough for most of the residential applications.

What is rolled steel joist used for?

The rolled steel joist is a universal soldier of sorts and can be used for flooring, roofing, and for ceiling support, as well.

Are steel joists galvanized?

Yes, some definitely are, and they are available in various thicknesses of galvanization, as well. Galvanization helps to protect steel joists from the water, thus preventing corrosion. Galvanized steel joists are an excellent product and can serve for a very long time.