New Page

New Page 1

shpslogo.jpg (6992 bytes)

Types of Girders

1-2. Types of Girders

A girder is a large horizontal member used to support joists or beams. A girder is made of several beams nailed together with 16d (sixteen penny) common nails, solid wood, steel, reinforced concrete, or a combination of these materials. Girders carry a very large proportion of the weight of a building. They must be well-designed, rigid, and properly supported at the foundation walls and on the columns. Girders must be installed so that they support the joists properly. The ends of the wood girders should be at least 4 inches on the posts.

a. Built-up Girder. The built-up girder is commonly used in house construction. It is generally made of three boards nailed together with 16d common nails. Figure 1-7 shows a built-up girder, walls, joists, and columns.

Figure 1-7. Built-up girder

A shows two outside masonry walls.
B shows the built-up girder.
C shows the floor joists.
D shows the support columns that support the girder.

b. Girder with Ledger Board. Use a girder with a ledger board when vertical space is limited and where more headroom is needed (see Figure 1-8 ).

Figure 1-8. Girder with ledger board

c. Joist Hangers. A girder with joist hangers is used where there is little headroom or where the joists must carry an extremely heavy load (see Figure 1-9 ).

Figure 1-9. Joist hangers

Curriculum design: David L. Heiserman
Publisher: SweetHaven Publishing Services