Science of Simple Spans of Floor Joists

This is simply an EXCELLENT summary for the layman, who is not a structural engineer. Thanks so much!

Simple, clear and well structured. Each relevant section is presented and can thus be further researched. Thank you.

Fair play that was extremely well presented and explained. I’m in the UK and, although, we have our own building regs, this made complete sense. Well done! 👍🙂🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

Ben you did a great job explaining that hidden life of a joist...thanks dude

VERY WELL done! I didn’t learn much by way of practice (observation and mimicry have made sure all my DIY projects have been safe and compliant); but, now I understand WHY many requirements are what they are, and WHY certain practices seem ‘right’ and others seem ‘wrong’. In particular, I have a much better appreciation of the role of joist hangers and blocking. THANKS!

During the pandemic there has been a significant increase in DIY'ers. So, your presentation is very much appreciated. I just had a brief discussion with a structural engineer this past week. I have since been researching more and more about forces on trusses and joists. All this is to help with an extension project and attic conversion in the future, after the supply chain issue and lumber prices hopefully will decline. Thank you. I also really appreciate the images and drawings. The more the merrier because visual presentations add so much more clarity and depth to any presentation, and yours was really important💯👍🇨🇦

This is a great video. No nonsense and very well explained. Thank you very much 👍

Good stuff: I really liked your explanation of joists wanting to lay flat in the middle of a span and how that ties in to blocking reduces deflection. I've always heard that blocking doesn't make a floor "stronger", while experience has taught me that midspan blocking makes it "better" Your video clarified my thinking on this. Thanks!

Thank you for putting this together Ben. I’m in the process of building a torsion box for a CNC table, and your presentation helped me with a few terms and concepts. :)

Straight forward to the point. No stupid commentary. Also, the formulas are a plus. 👍

So much info jam packed in this video. Gonna have to throw it on repeat. Great work!

Interesting information. I learned a few things today. Thank you for taking the time to share and teach.

WOW THANK YOU. I recently bought my first house and have been working on repairing the sag in the middle of the floor. I've been sistering a bunch of the joists with new wood and its taking me a lifetime due to the incredible amount of work. Also I wasn't sure if I was taking the best approach from an engineering stand point and this helps a lot. I'm going to to utilize these bridge blocks to significantly reduce the amount of work I will need to successfully complete my DIY job. Thanks again for this knowledge, it's very valuable to me

Allowable deflection. I used to design I-joist floors in their beginning. Most people thought I-joists were designed to span super far, but the fact is, they were designed to be super predictable. I always designed floors to over perform, because most home owners expected better performance. Most home owners would be surprised to know, at the time, 9 1/2" I-joist DID NOT out perform 2x10s in a simple span. As a designer, I was always thankful that 'unacceptable deflection' was a long way from failure.

Thank you. This explained a lot of questions I had about why stick frames are built the way they are.

Lots of good info here! I'm building my own barndominium and I'm at the joist stage. I appreciate it

As an engineer, I think codes are really cool. They take a lot of research and experience and produce simple guides.

So good, rebuilding a deck inside a warehouse, you put all my worries to rest. Thank you

Well done sir, I had thought that what you explained was common sense until I became involved in a rebuilding project. The carpenter didn’t understand the superior strength of the 100 year old true dimensional hardwood joists, the contractor disputed the interior walls as supporting walls. I am showing them this lecture to support my positions, although today’s professionals only want to work with new materials.

I have so much appreciation for this presentation I love this practical application of science!