Existing steel bar joist splice
Existing steel bar joist splice
(OP)
I am working on a school rehabilitation project that has roughly 50 steel bar joist ends that are severely rusted and must be repaired. The joists are 8" deep, spaced at 2'-6" o.c. and consist of a double angle top chord made from 2x2x3/16 angles, a 1/2" diameter bent rod for the web, and two 1/2" diameter rods for the bottom chord. There is significant loss of section at the exterior end of the top chord due to corrosion, delamination, and rust jacking. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to repair the damaged end? I'm thinking about removing a 3' section of roof to expose the joist ends, temporarily shore the joists, remove the corroded end section of the top chord and web diagonal, and weld new, similar material to the joist ends. This seems difficult, but perhaps it is cheaper than completely replacing the joists or installing new joists between the existing ones. Any suggestions or advice will be greatly appreciated.





RE: Existing steel bar joist splice
Would it be possible to add steel beams between the joists for less cost than repairing the existing joists? You might want to discuss this with a local steel erector. There is a potential problem of supporting the deck where it splices over a joist.
RE: Existing steel bar joist splice
I would not consider trying to repair the end of these joists in kind, although you could talk to a joist manufacturer about the possibility. Bar joists are a commodity, not really something you work on in the field.
Can you install new joists between the old ones? May have to get them fabricated with slightly less deep ends to get them in, but then if the old ends are badly corroded, the expansion has probably created a bit of extra space on the bad end at least.
RE: Existing steel bar joist splice