Everything You Need To Know To Find The Best engineered floor joist

In North America residential construction, wood has long been a material of choice: abundant, readily available, flexible, and easily repairable, it is less expensive than steel and concrete, and is naturally an overwhelmingly popular material.

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For some 40 years now, engineers and builders have had the choice between using traditional lumber or engineered wood for their construction. Now, in new residential buildings, more often than not, a combination of both is being used.

When it comes to floor systems, conventional wood has enjoyed a long tradition of use, created by a universal familiarity with the product as well as the amount of experienced, highly qualified workers using it.

Engineered Wood Floor Systems

Nowadays however, engineered wood floor systems are undergoing rapid market growth due to their many advantages over traditional wood. Engineered wood is more sustainable, using less trees and costs less to use per square foot. It weighs less and is easier to handle, saving time and money on construction sites. It is also stronger and more rigid in its support. Also, depending on the product you are using, you can easily adjust it on site, whether because of a deviation from the original plan or an adjustment to a non-conformity.

Types of Joists

Two types of engineered joists are most frequently used in floor systems today:

1. Wood I-Joists with dimension lumber top and bottom chords and OSB web.
2. Open web trusses with wood webbing held together with metal plates.

I-joists have major advantages in high-volume construction with standard layouts. This is because they are less expensive. Also, you can adjust their length is onsite, without an engineer&#;s approval.  However, they can&#;t attain the spans of open web trusses. They are somewhat complex to run Mechanical, Engineering, and Plumbing through. This is due to the properties of the OSB paneling. There are some pre-defined hole locations but they are very small, and any additional holes to be made must follow strict guidelines so as not to compromise support.

Open Web Trusses

Open web trusses, on the other hand, have the advantage in more complex and more rugged construction. Their spans can be much longer than I-Joists. Open web design can accommodate almost any kind of HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing configuration while allowing greater flexibility during installation. This is a time and money-saving characteristic.

They have specific lengths. You can&#;t trim them.  This is their main disadvantage when on site. To adjust the open-web trusses&#; length requires an engineer&#;s approval. Otherwise, it needs to be replaced. Either way, it requires an engineer&#;s seal. In both cases, this causes project delays. You need to add this to the open web trusses&#; already higher cost.

Metal Connectors

One more thing: the metal connector plates used in this type of engineered wood joist are sharp. They can damage electrical wiring during installation. Pull the plate hard enough and some of its teeth can come out of the wood. This could compromise structural integrity. Also, trusses exposed to rain prior to the closing of the structure can rust. Sealants are available to coat the plates and make them waterproof. They require on site application.

A Hybrid Type

So, there are advantages and disadvantages to open-web trusses and I-joists but there is also a 3rd hybrid type of joist that is gaining in popularity, which effectively combines the advantages of both.

The TRIFORCE® Open Joist

TRIFORCE® joists feature an open web design but do not use metal connector plates.  TRIFORCE® is assembled with finger joinery and waterproof heat-rated adhesive.

You can adjust their length on site because of a trimmable OSB end panel.  Joists are available in several depths and lengths and superior strength allows them to span up to 30 feet (TRIFORCE span tables).  TRIFORCE® joists can fill the bill for any type of wood frame construction.

Open joist TRIFORCE® : A Compelling Engineered Wood Floor Alternative

TRIFORCE® costs less than open web trusses yet is as strong and as rigid. It has the added benefit of being adjustable onsite. This open joist TRIFORCE® is a compelling alternative in engineered wood floor systems, well worth investigating.

Open joist TRIFORCE® combines the advantages of other engineered joists to provide peace of mind underfoot.

Triforce Open Joist

Download the Spec Guide

In North America residential construction, wood has long been a material of choice:  abundant, readily available, flexible, easily repairable, less expensive than steel and concrete and is naturally an overwhelmingly popular material.

For some 40 years now, building professionals and contractors have had the choice of using traditional lumber or engineered wood for new construction. Now, using a combination of both, is common practice in residential building construction.

When it comes to floor systems, conventional lumber has enjoyed a long tradition of use, created by a universal familiarity with the product as well as the amount of experienced, highly qualified workers using it

ENGINEERED WOOD FLOOR SYSTEMS

Nowadays however, engineered wood floor systems are undergoing rapid market growth due to their many advantages over traditional lumber. Engineered wood is more sustainable by using less trees .

It weighs less and is easier to handle, saving time and money on construction sites. It is stronger and more rigid in its design capacities.  Also, depending on the product being used, one can easily modify it on site, whether because of a deviation from the original plan or a fix to a non-conformity.

Contact us to discuss your requirements of engineered floor joist. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF JOISTS

There are two types of engineered joists that are most frequently used in floor systems. In this article, we&#;ll present the differences between those two and finally, present you with a third alternative.

1. Wood I-Joists with dimension lumber top and bottom chords and OSB web.
2. Open web trusses with wood webbing held together with metal plates.
3. TRIFORCE® a smart alternative.

THE WOOD I-JOISTS

A hallmark of engineered joists is their use of geometry to maximize structural capacity. The two most common geometric shapes configuring successful engineered floor framing components are the triangle and the &#;I&#;.

History sings praises of the &#;I&#; shape. It recognizes the strength it gave to rails carrying transcontinental trains that unified young nations and to steel beams supporting skyscrapers in developing cities. In , the construction market recognized the benefit of using the &#;I&#; shape. Soon developed was the wooden I-Joist for floor framing.

The triangle shape has been supporting loads for an even longer period of time. Having been used as a solid building concept for centuries, truss plate creator Carroll Sanford made triangulation the foundation for his invention of the open-web floor truss in the early &#;s. Because triangles equal strength, Barrette Structural Distribution chose this configuration for TRIFORCE® floor joists and also employed some of the &#;I&#; shape to maximize performance.

Wood I-joists have major advantages in high-volume construction with standard layouts. This is because they are less expensive. Also, you can adjust their length onsite, without an engineer&#;s approval.  However, they can&#;t attain the spans of open web trusses and it is more complex to run Mechanical, Engineering, and Plumbing through.

This is due to the properties of the OSB web paneling. There are allowed hole locations, but they are very small and any additional holes to be made must follow strict guidelines so as not to compromise design capacities beyond specific limits.

OPEN WEB TRUSSES

Open web trusses, on the other hand, have the advantage in more complex construction projects. Clear spans can be much longer than those of I-Joists. Open web design can accommodate almost any kind of HVAC, Electrical, and Plumbing configuration while allowing greater flexibility during installation. This is a time and money-saving characteristic.

Floor trusses

Open-web floor trusses with steel plate connections have been around since the &#;s, celebrated for their strength and easy access for MEP installation. Developed near the end of the &#;s, a new type of open-web truss from Open Joist made its debut in the engineered components world. It featured the innovation of finger-joined connections.

The main disadvantage to the original open web trusses was that they could not be trimmed to length on site. To adjust the open-web trusses&#; length requires an engineer&#;s review. Otherwise, it needs to be replaced. Either option may also require the engineer&#;s seal of approval. 

In addition, both cases could result in project delays and additional engineering costs.  This must be considered in the open web trusses&#; already higher cost.

THE USE OF METAL CONNECTORS

One more thing: the metal connector plates used in this type of engineered wood joist are sharp. They can damage electrical wiring during installation. Pull the plate hard enough and some of its teeth can come out of the wood. This could compromise structural integrity.

Also, steel truss plates exposed to rain prior to the closing of the structure can rust. Sealants are available to coat the plates which will act as a water-repellant however, this requires on site application which adds time and money.

A HYBRID TYPE OF JOIST : DISCOVER TRIFORCE®

So, there are advantages and disadvantages to open-web trusses and I-joists but there is also a 3rd hybrid type of joist that is gaining in popularity, which effectively combines the advantages of both.

The TRIFORCE® Open Joist

TRIFORCE® joists feature an open web design but do not use metal connector plates.  TRIFORCE® is assembled with finger joinery and waterproof heat-rated adhesive. You can adjust their length on site because of a trimmable OSB end panel. 

Joists are available in several depths and lengths and superior strength allows them to span up to 30 feet (ref. TRIFORCE span tables).  TRIFORCE® joists can fit the bill for any type of wood frame construction and complies with ASTM D criteria.

Offering a unique Lifetime Warranty, TRIFORCE® joists are individually tested to ensure that only proven components are shipped to a job site. As a result, every TRIFORCE® open joist can be installed with confidence!

OPEN JOIST TRIFORCE® : A COMPELLING ENGINEERED WOOD FLOOR JOIST ALTERNATIVE

TRIFORCE® joists costs less than open web trusses yet are as strong and as rigid and have the added benefit of being adjustable onsite. The open joist TRIFORCE®  is a compelling alternative in engineered wood floor systems and well worth investigating!

Triforce&#;s open web design will also help speed up plumbing, electrical and HVAC system installations. Produced in a state-of-the-art robotic manufacturing facility, TRIFORCE® joists combine the advantages of other engineered joists as well as provide peace of mind underfoot.

Our experienced engineers are available for questions.  They&#;ll make recommendations so you can get the most out of your product. They&#;ve developed a wide range of detailed documents for specific applications required in the field.

Find out more about open joist Triforce® by downloading our spec guide.

Triforce Open Joist

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Download the Spec Guide