A Steel Joist Is A Beautiful Thing. Why Not Treat It Right?
“The design of open web steel joists is based on concentric loading. Asymmetrical loading can reduce joist strength.”
– Steel Joist Institute
Treating a steel joist right requires loading joists in accordance with their design criteria.
Loads must be applied to both chord angles without creating a torsional moment. With that fact in mind, Chicago Clamp Company has designed and tested their Tube Framing Clamp System.
Loads must be applied to both chord angles without creating a torsional moment. With that fact in mind, Chicago Clamp Company has designed and tested their Tube Framing Clamp System.
- The clamp’s strength and stiffness transfer the load vertically to the center of the joist’s top chord in download and transfer symmetrically during uplift.
- Testing was performed using rocker end-attachments to avoid reliance on torsional strength of the joist chord.
- Clamping to joists avoids possible detrimental effects of welding to joists that are under stress due to loading.
- Clamping has the economic benefits of reducing labor costs, reducing installation mistakes, and reducing job delays (associated with locating and sizing curbs and openings prior to steel joist installation).
Fall protection test using rockers
Test with hydraulic ram
Electronic data acquisition