Floor system with stell joists having openings with edge reinforcements and method

Abstract

A steel joist member for use in supporting floor structures giving great strength and convenience and improved acoustical performance having a web defining side edges and an axis, a flange on at least one side edge, openings through said web at spaced intervals therealong, having rounded ends and parallel linear sides, portions of said web displaced from said opening remaining attached integrally to the web by bend lines formed on the linear sides of the opening along axes parallel to the web axis, and forming reinforcing channels alongside the opposite sides of the opening. Also disclosed is a composite joist member made up of two such members joined together back to back with their openings in registration creating an H shape or an I shape. Also disclosed is a rim member for supporting the composite joists to form a floor structure. Also disclosed is a method of making such a floor joist member. Also disclosed is a floor panel system wherein floor panels can be prefabricated in a factory and transported to a construction site ready for installation in a building.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The invention relates to a floor system having steel joists and rim members supporting the joists, the joists and rim members being formed with openings, and having edge reinforcements formed around the openings. In particular the openings in the joists are formed with linear reinforcement channel formations along opposite sides of the openings, which are formed with bends at respective first and second angles with respect to the plane of the joist. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Steel joists of a wide variety have been proposed for erecting floor structures. [0003] Usually such joists are used to replace wooden joists. Metal joists having solid webs have been used but interfere with the space between the floor and the ceiling beneath. Such joists usually were formed as a C-section, ie there was a central web, and the opposite side edges of the web were formed into edge flanges. Several such bends were sometime incorporated in an effort to get great...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0035] The invention also provides a composite joist member formed of two steel joists as described being attached back to back to one another to form a composite joist member. In this embodiment because the shape of the openings is symmetrical and identical, composite joists can be made simply by placing two joists back to back with their openings in registration with one another. Such composite joists have great strength, while still permitting the passing of services.

Problems solved by technology

Metal joists having solid webs have been used but interfere with the space between the floor and the ceiling beneath.

However because the openings in the metal joists were of these specialized generally triangular or trapezoidal shapes, the services, in many cases conduits of substantial diameter, could not fit through the openings.

It was not possible for the builder to cut away any of the diagonal struts to provide larger openings for services, since this would drastically reduce the strength of the joists.

Another problem arose in that the triangular openings were formed with edge flanges around their perimeter.

Where these edge flanges extended around an angular corner of the opening there was a tendency for the sheet metal to crack.

Another problem arose in cutting these joists to length.

However due to the alternating orientation of the openings, this requirement resulted in cutting off end portions of joists equal in length to the space occupied by two of the openings, in many cases.

It has now been surprisingly found that the use of the specialized triangular or trapezoidal shapes of these joist openings, is unnecessary.

It has now been found that this was incorrect.

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