Standard Joists and Girders

The key components of your structural steel building system

The teamwork at New Millennium is something we’re truly proud of, and it shows in our world-class joist line production.

Engineered to reduce costs and project timelines

Standard steel joists and joist girders are crucial, tried-and-true components for roofing and flooring systems. Our joists and girders are engineered and manufactured to Steel Joist Institute specifications.

Steel joists and joist girders serve as primary framing members with simple spans to support concentrated loads for roofs and floors. The open-web design of steel joists and joist girders introduces a range of cost and performance advantages, especially for multi-story construction applications. Steel joists and girders enable easier and faster erection. Reduced project weight with seamless integration of mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) systems.

Parallel Chard Joist, Single-Pitched Top Chord Joist, Double-Pitched Top Chord Joist
Standard Steel Joists with MEP in warehouse

K-Series steel joists

  • Depths from 10 to 30 inches and spans from 20 to 60 feet.
  • Max span length is equal to twice the depth in inches. For example, a 20-inch-deep joist has a maximum span of 40 feet
  • Top chords are designed to withstand axial force and local bending between panel points due to uniform loads
  • Available as single- or double-pitched

LH-Series (long span) steel joists

  • Depths from 18 to 48 inches and spans from 18 to 96 feet
  • Types include parallel chord, single pitch, double pitch, and underslung- or bottom-chord bearing
  • Available as single- or double-pitched

DLH-Series (deep long span) steel joists

  • Depths of 52 to 120 inches and spans from 90 to 240 feet
  • Capable of supporting uniform loads up to 1,750 pounds per linear foot (plf)
  • Types include parallel chord, single pitch, double pitch, and underslung- or bottom-chord bearing
  • Available as single- or double-pitched

Joist girders carry heavier, concentrated loads and transfer them to columns or major supports.

  • Depths from 20 to 120 inches and spans from 20 to 120 feet
  • Available as single- or double-pitched
  • G – The most common girder configuration, G allows for girder web openings to be adjacent to each joist location
  • VG – This configuration allows for girder web openings to occur between each joist space
  • BG – This configuration is typically utilized when girder depth (in) to joist spacing (in) ratio is 0.8 or greater
Joist Girder Point Configuration Diagram

Alternative specification method

How do standard steel joists meet project performance requirements with total load (TL), live load (LL), and special load (SP) requirements?

An alternate method of specifying standard K-Series, LH-Series, or DLH-Series joists is by providing the designation in a load/load sequence. TL is the total load in pounds per linear foot, and LL is the governing live load (Lr, L, S, R) in plf. Also, standard joists can be specified for SP. The SP load designation can be utilized to refer to a loading schedule or diagram.

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