Bearing & Fastening Requirements

Bearing Requirements:

Unless indicated otherwise by OPEN JOIST engineering, minimum bearing length of 1-1/2” is required to support each end of an OPEN JOIST floor truss. (This requirement does not apply to the attachment of the joist at the marriage wall rim if an end-nail detail option is chosen.)

OPEN JOIST is a bottom-chord-bearing product that must be supported by the truss’ bottom chord. In a typical modular home set, the bottom chords of the OPEN JOIST floor trusses rest on a sill plate on the outside foundation wall while the other ends of the trusses are supported by hangers, a ledger or by engineered end-nail details at the marriage wall rim/beam. The 1-1/2” minimum bearing is required for hanger and ledger installation.

Fastening:

• Module Set: When boxes are set on foundations, OPEN JOIST floor trusses and module rim must be fastened to the sill plate according to local building codes.
• Strongback Bridging: Follow OPEN JOIST strongback installation details.
• Hangers: Follow hanger manufacturers’ nailing instructions.
• Gussets: OPEN JOIST engineered drawings specify nailing schedules for attachment of gussets to trusses for cantilever and point load conditions.
• Adhesives: Engineered drawings will specify adhesive requirements where needed for attachment of gussets, etc. Using adhesives in addition to fasteners when installing decking will improve floor system performance.
• Screws: Wood screws of sufficient strength may be substituted for nails when fastening OPEN JOIST.
• Decking: Follow APA recommendations for fastening decking to OPEN JOIST floor trusses and rim members.