Replies

1. 
   DaveRicheson | Feb 10, 2010 06:02am | #1

   Look into engineered floor trusses. They can be designed to safely meet you needs.

   I've not used TJI, but do know they are engineered product. I think they are a stamped product, and have very specific properties.

   DIYing an engineered product wouldn't get past an inspector around my area.

1. 
   Scott | Feb 10, 2010 11:43pm | #2

   >>>DIYing an engineered product wouldn't get past an inspector around my area.

   Ditto.

   (Anyone remember Ditto?)

2. 
   DaveRicheson | Feb 11, 2010 05:56am | #3

   Just to add to my first comment.

   My house also has a 2" cantilever of the first floor over the back framed wall of a walkout basement. Each floor truss is marked for the bearing point of the cantilever. All of the trusses were made after the manufacturer came out and made field measurements of the basment framing.

   The fellow that designed the trusses and I went through the prints and highlited areas that have higher than normal loads, as well as flooring types throughout the house. This allowed him to design them to avoid me having future problems with tile,stone, or hardwood floors.

   I chose floor trusses over TJIs because they allow me to run all my forced air duct work inside the trusses, through chases that are designed around my HVAC contractors plan. Same thing for plumbing. The open webs and preplanning means I won't have a bunch of tradesmen hacking up TJIs.

3. 
   Jeff_Clarke | Feb 11, 2010 07:52am | #4

   The real bottom line is that you don't have the equipment to assemble I-joists the way they do at the factory and the osb that you can get probably isn't structurally-rated the same way the osb web in I-joists is. You would be running a relatively high risk of failure at the web/flange intersections, I think.

4. 
   BossHog | Feb 11, 2010 08:01am | #5

   I think trying to DIY structural materials is nucking futz.

   Can you imagine how much it will cost to fix if you screw them up?

1. 
   wane | Feb 12, 2010 08:50am | #6

   oh ya .. WHAT BOSS HOG SAYS!!

5. 
   Daeran J Gall | Oct 21, 2010 12:33pm | #7

   If you made a box joist, two panels of osb with a 2 x 4 h and screws, you would have a very strong component. The issue would be screws breaking under flex, use some glue as well. And you would have something very strong that would exceed the strength of an I joint.

   Don't try making an I joint, you will never be able to equal the spec of engineered product.

   I am intending to do something similar. should be able to drill small holes for some routing of electrical lines and plumbing. 

   However to put a house on this without testing means no code. 

   If you find anything out on this let me know...

6. 
   C1802362 | Oct 21, 2010 11:30pm | #8

   been there, done that

   I made 25 16' I-beams 20 years ago for an outbuilding I constructed. Its easy, and if you use a good quality glue, they'll hold as well as the store-bought items. The biggest caution is to ensure the dado you cut in the stringers is just enough bigger than the web thickness to have a tight fit. Clamp the I-beam in lots of places while its drying and you should be good to go. The other thing to watch for is to biscuit or strap across the stringers (or fully on both sides of the web) where the stringers meet

   Oh, by the way, I'm an engineer, and I proved the structural strength to my local inspector by driving a pickup onto an 8 foot span test piece

   Art

1. 
   bobs49 | Nov 06, 2014 08:59am | #12

   Building Your Own Beams

   Art, I agree. In 1995 I enclosed a patio. The homeowner wanted the existing exterior wall removed to open up the kitchen into the new room. The span was 15 feet. It was a 2 story with brick on the 2nd floor. I framed a wall beside the existing wall and then removed the existing wall downstairs. I shimmed the first 2x6 down from the center to the ends by 1/2 inch to create a crown. I fastened it to the bottom of the 2x12 joist. Using Franklin Tightbond glue, I nailed 11 more 2x6's under the first one one to wind up with a 5 1/2 x 18 inch beam. I has been there for 19 years with no noticable sag and no cracked sheetrock. I knew a guy that built a monster beam by building a  24 inch 2x4 floor truss and applying 2 layers of 3/4 cdx on each side of it with no problems.

7. 
   Amish Electrician | Oct 22, 2010 06:17pm | #9

   I note that the OP claims to be in Israel, and my reply is based upon that detaIl. I would not offer the same answer to someone in the USA.

   First off, I have some familiarity with your area. Everyone here needs to know that materials and methods are completely different 'over there.'

   That's not necessarily a bad thing; it's just that I strongly urge you to alter your plans to conform to local customs. If nothing else, it makes things easier for everyone involved.

   This question also illustrates the contribution competent professionals - architects, engineers, etc. - can make to a project.

   Otherwise, you need to visit  http://www.apawood.org  and download the various specs that they have for TJI's. Included is a publication describing the various performance criteria; you'll need that info so you can test your assemblies and satisfy everyone that your products comply.

8. 
   Amish Electrician | Oct 23, 2010 12:42pm | #10

   Another pair of notes to all:

   "Nagar" is Hebrew for 'carpenter.' Nothing else. I used to be 'nagar' to a kibbutz some years back.

   Second, just about everything has been brought to Israel at least once. That does not mean that the product is available commercially, or that the local inspectors will understand it. Indeed, there is a very strong bias in favor of using locally produced items;  imports can be subject to 'luxury taxes' and other duties that have the effect of tripling the cost. Likewise, the Israeli economy is very much a centrally planned economy; not just anyone can decide to make and market something.  (For example, I know one factory that makes 'coatings' because someone else has the monopoly on making 'paint.')

   Building something out of wood framing members is swimming against the local tide, where there is a strong preference for 'stone' (masonry) construction. From this I infer the OP wants something that can be assembled very fast - perhaps even overnight, using pre-fab components. Again, this is a quirk in the local legal system, where permit rules are considerably different once the roof is put on. Trust me on these things; any detailed discussion would be beyond the scope of this forum.

9. 
   renosteinke | Oct 23, 2010 05:33pm | #11

   E10, Put a cork in it!

   OK, fine, steel is wonderful. So is ravioli ... but the OP didn't ask for a recipe. He wants to know about TJI's - and not debate other alternatives.

   You're not contributing - you're advertyising. Buy space like everyone else.