Joist tie used in structural decking systems and method of installing

Abstract

A joist tie may be designed to increase the strength of the joist tie and reduce the thickness of the joist tie, in order to provide the desired strength and the ability to make connections that operatively couple structural decking, the joist tie, and joists together using a single connector in one or more locations. The joist tie may be strengthened through the use of one or more ribs and/or one or more flanges. The one or more ribs may be formed to fit within one or more cavities within adjacent joists located in series. As such, the shape of the joist tie may be dimensioned in order to allow the joist tie to be placed on a first joist and a second joist without having to be attached until after assembly of the structural decking on top of the joist tie and joists.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A structural decking system, comprising:
 one or more support members;   a first joist having first opposing ends and at least one first joist seat, the first joist seat comprising a first chord having a first cavity, wherein a first proximal end of the first joist is operatively coupled to a first support member;   a second joist having second opposing ends and at least one second joist seat, the second joist seat comprising a second chord having a second cavity, wherein a second proximal end of the second joist is operatively coupled to the first support member in series with the first proximal end;   a joist tie comprising a tie web having one or more ribs, wherein the one or more ribs have a width less than the first cavity opening of the first cavity and the second cavity opening of the second cavity, wherein a first portion of the one or more ribs of the joist tie is located within the first cavity of the first joist seat and a second portion of the one or more ribs of the joist tie is located within the second cavity of the second joist seat;   one or more decking panels extending over the joist tie and a portion of the first joist and the second joist;   one or more connectors operatively coupling the joist tie to the first joist and the second joist; and   wherein the joist tie minimizes any rise in the one or more decking panels at the location of the joist tie to a tie web thickness of the joist tie.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connectors comprise:
 one or more fasteners, wherein the one or more fasteners operatively couple the one or more decking panels, the joist tie, and the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist by extending through the one or more decking panels, the tie web, and the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connectors comprise:
 one or more welds that operatively couple the joist tie to the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist before installing the one or more decking panels over the joist tie.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tie web comprises a single rib, wherein the joist tie further comprises:
 one or more tie flanges operatively coupled to the tie web.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the one or more tie flanges comprise a first tie flange operatively coupled to the tie web and a second tie flange operatively coupled to the tie web, wherein the first tie flange, the tie web, and the second tie flange form a tie cavity having a tie width that is greater than a joist width of the first joist seat of the first joist and the second joist seat of the second joist. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more tie flanges comprise a third tie flange operatively coupled to the first tie flange, and a fourth tie flange operatively coupled to the second tie flange, and wherein the third tie flange and the fourth tie flange are operatively coupled to the one or more support members. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the first tie flange and the second tie flange are substantially perpendicular with the tie web, and wherein the third tie flange and the fourth tie flange are substantially perpendicular with the first tie flange and the second tie flange. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more ribs comprise a single rib extending a length of the joist tie, wherein the first portion of the single rib of the joist tie is located within the first cavity of the first joist seat and the second portion of the single rib of the joist tie is located within the second cavity of the second joist seat. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more ribs comprise two or more ribs extending over at least a portion of a length of the joist tie, wherein the first portion of the two or more ribs comprises a first rib that is located within the first cavity of the first joist seat, and wherein the second portion of the two or more ribs comprises a second rib that is located within the second cavity of the second joist seat. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more ribs have a height that is greater than the tie web thickness of the tie web. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tie web thickness of the tie web ranges from 0.15 to 0.25 inches, inclusive, wherein the rise in the one or more decking panels at the location of the joist tie is less than or equal to 0.25 inches. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first chord is a first upper chord, and wherein the second chord is a second upper chord, wherein the first joist seat is formed from the first upper chord and a first lower seat chord, and wherein the second joist seat is formed from the second upper chord and a second lower seat chord. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first chord is a first upper seat chord, and wherein the second chord is a second upper seat chord, wherein the first joist seat is formed from the first upper seat chord and a first lower seat chord, and wherein the second joist seat is formed from the second upper seat chord and a second lower seat chord. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first cavity of the first chord or the second cavity of the second chord comprise two angles operatively coupled to each other, wherein the two angles form the first cavity or the second cavity. 
     
     
         15 . A joist tie comprising:
 a tie web;   a first tie flange operatively coupled to the tie web;   a second tie flange operatively coupled to the tie web; and   one or more ribs in the tie web;   wherein the joist tie is configured to be operatively coupled to a first proximal end of a first joist having first opposing ends and at least one first joist seat, the first joist seat comprising a first chord having a first cavity, wherein the first proximal end of the first joist is operatively coupled to a first support member;   wherein the joist tie is configured to be operatively coupled to second proximal end of a second joist having second opposing ends and at least one second joist seat, the second joist seat comprising a second chord having a second cavity, wherein a second proximal end of the second joist is operatively coupled to the first support member in series with the first proximal end of the first joist;   wherein the one or more ribs have a width less than the first cavity opening of the first cavity and the second cavity opening of the second cavity, wherein a first portion of the one or more ribs of the joist tie is located within the first cavity of the first joist seat and a second portion of the one or more ribs of the joist tie is located within the second cavity of the second joist seat;   wherein the joist tie is configured to allow for operatively coupling the joist tie to the first proximal end of the first joist and the second proximal end of the second joist using one or more connectors to minimize any rise in one or more decking panels at the location of the joist tie to a tie web thickness of the joist tie.   
     
     
         16 . The joist tie of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connectors comprise:
 one or more fasteners, wherein the one or more fasteners operatively couple the one or more decking panels, the joist tie, and the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist by extending through the one or more decking panels, the tie web, and the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist.   
     
     
         17 . The joist tie of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more connectors comprise:
 one or more welds that operatively couple the joist tie to the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist before installing the one or more decking panels over the joist tie.   
     
     
         18 . A method of assembling a structural decking system, the method comprising:
 assembling a first joist to one or more support members, wherein the first joist comprises first opposing ends and at least one first joist seat, the first joist seat comprising a first chord having a first cavity, wherein a first proximal end of the first joist is operatively coupled to a first support member;   assembling a second joist to the one or more support members, wherein the second joist comprises second opposing ends and at least one second joist seat, the second joist seat comprising a second chord having a second cavity, wherein a second proximal end of the second joist is operatively coupled to the first support member in series with the first proximal end of the first joist;   assembling a joist tie to the first joist and the second joist, wherein the joist tie comprises a tie web having one or more ribs, wherein the one or more ribs have a width less than the first cavity opening of the first cavity and the second cavity opening of the second cavity, wherein a first portion of the one or more ribs of the joist tie is located within the first cavity of the first joist seat and a second portion of the one or more ribs of the joist tie is located within the second cavity of the second joist seat;   assembling one or more decking panels over the joist tie and the first joist and the second joist; and   assembling one or more connectors to operatively couple the joist tie to the first joist and the second joist;   wherein the joist tie minimizes any rise in the one or more decking panels at the location of the joist tie to a tie web thickness of the joist tie.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more connectors comprise one or more fasteners, and wherein assembling the one or more connectors comprises assembling the one or more fasteners to operatively couple the one or more decking panels, the joist tie, and the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist by extending through the one or more decking panels, the tie web, and the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more connectors comprise one or more welds one or more welds, and wherein assembling the one or more connectors comprises welding to operatively couple the joist tie to the first proximal end of the first joist or the second proximal end of the second joist before installing the one or more decking panels over the joist tic.