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Difference between Joist and Beam
Joists and Beams are the structural members used to frame the buildings. Steel has been used extensively as a common building material in various structures for decades. The steel design involves operational planning of the system in addition to the purpose it’s meant for, proportioning of structural members to carry the loads and the consideration of erection at the site.
In the end, the structure should be economical and easy to erect, and any such structural effect can easily be achieved in steel. The structural members here play a vital role in choosing the structural system of a building; joists and beams act as such structural members with differences between the both of them.
What is a Joist?
A Joist is a horizontal structural member that runs across an open space or a building and is supported by a beam. Several small beams together may make a joist. The function of a joist is primarily the same as that of a beam, except that wall framings, beams, and foundations support joists. They usually run between the walls to support the ceiling or the floor. They are used to transfer the dead load of the subfloor and floor finishes and the live load of people and furnishings to beams, headers, and foundation walls.
Joists act as the skeleton of the building that supports the load the floor is built to bear, and they are technically like beams, but they span relatively short distances compared to beams and are made of steel or wood.
Joists do not have any standard size used for ceiling or industrial buildings, but most average homes use ceiling joists on a broad size of 2-by-6 inches that can go up to 2-by-12 inches.
Types of Joists
There are four primary types of a joist, they are −
Floor joists - Floor joists are horizontal framing components underneath the floor. A floor joist supports the floor of a home.
Deck joists - Deck joists usually provide a frame for the deck surface and ensure it does not buckle under the floor.
Ceiling joists - These are horizontal elements that span throughout the ceiling and transfer the load of the ceiling to the studs.
Rim joists - These joists support joists at the opposite ends of the central beam and help prevent them from warping.
What is a Beam?
A beam is the main load-bearing structural element in a roof. They are the most common structural members that are typically horizontal. However, they can have any orientation and are prominent horizontal members carrying the floor loads from the walls, floors, or roofs to the column or foundation walls. The floor joists may indirectly rest on the beams, and even the walls and columns often sit on the floors.
The primary function of the beam is to provide a straight, level surface, which is even with the top of the mudsill and will support the floor joist system between the foundation walls. Beams are usually made of wood and steel, but they are also engineered wood these days. The term beam is generally substituted with the word girder in residential construction works.
Difference between Joist and Beam
The following table highlights the major differences between Joists and Beams −
Characteristics | Joist | Beam |
|---|---|---|
Roofing | Roof joists are horizontal structural
elements that subsequently transfer
loads to vertical members. These
roofing joists usually connect
opposing walls and support the
ceiling below or the floor above. | A roof beam is usually a loadbearing
member that supports
the floor or the roof above, and
at the same time, it adds
integrity to the walls. |
Uses | Joists combine several smaller
beams that run parallel and support
horizontal structures such as floors,
decks, or ceilings. They have a high
strength-to-weight ratio, making
them a preferred choice of material
in building long spans and multistory
buildings. | Beams are generally horizontal,
load-bearing structural
members that bridge an area
with columns and posts around
it and protect the structural
integrity of both residential and
industrial buildings. They are
used almost everywhere, from
walls to roofs, ceilings to floors,
and decks to garages. |
Terminology | Joists are small beams that run
across an open space, arranged in a
parallel series to support the ceiling
or the floor. Their primary function
is the same as that of a beam,
except they are like the skeleton of
a building that spans horizontally
between the buildings’ foundations
or the walls. | The beam is one of the most
common structural members
used in construction or building
works to carry the floor loads
from floors, walls, or roofs to
columns or foundation walls.
They are usually horizontal but
can have any orientation that
better serves the purpose. |
Conclusion
In conclusion, although both joists and beams are horizontal structural members used to frame buildings and protect the structural integrity of the walls. While both these terms can be used interchangeably, beams are the main load-bearing structural elements of a roof, and joists usually span between two beams.
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