Landing & Placing Loads

Open web steel joists have much less carrying capacity than solid web structural elements. During construction, loads placed on steel joists must have their weight distributed so as not to exceed the strength of any one joist. Except for metal decking, as described in a previous section, no loads are allowed to be placed on any joists until all bridging is installed and anchored and all joist-bearing ends are attached. During the bridging process, however, bundles of bridging are hoisted up to the work area for attachment. The weight of one of these bundles must not exceed 1,000 pounds. It must be placed on at least three steel joists that are secured at one end. The edge of the bundle must be within one foot of the secured end to avoid exerting unnecessary pressure on the unsecured end and causing possible structural collapse.

To learn more about Construction Steel Erection visit our Construction Steel Erection Safety Online Training web page.