Attaching a wood bearer to a metal post at an angle

Hi there,

I have had a patio built recently out of steel. It has 90 x 90 metal posts. I am using these to attach the bearers of the deck I am going to be building underneath. I am not sure what would be the best way to attach the wood bearer to the metal posts when they are at an angle.

When they are at 90 degrees I will be using joist hangers for each end of the bearers. But for a specialised angle I am thinking of either Option A or B in terms of attaching these to the posts(see attached pic). Not sure what type of screws would be best if I did go with Option A.

Option B seems like a lot more work but allows me to use a joist hanger for the bearer which could be more supportive in terms of load rather than two screws like in Option A.

Any thoughts on this one?

Thanks for any opinions...

Pryda's Split Joist Hangers will be your friend http://www.pryda.com.au/catalog.php?sectionid=20&type=Hangers%20and%20Truss%20Boots&conn=JHS if you can find them!!

Failing that...I'd be welding some plates on the post and bolting the bearers up to them.

Because neither option a nor (especially) option be are going to be very good solutions. Although option a could be improved using an L bracket under the bearer.

Another type here if you don't need to go in the corner:
http://www.pryda.com.au/catalog.php?sectionid=20&type=Hangers%20and%20Truss%20Boots&conn=LFSL

Why don't you just cut a vee out of the bottom of a standard hangar? You could easily bend the flanges.

Put a blob of concrete around the steel post and sit bearer end on it.

In most cases the strength of the 90 x 90 steel columns they use for pergola roofs are not sufficient to carry floor loads as well. Just a guess but it is probably only 2 mm wall.

ring the pergola people to check.

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In most cases the strength of the 90 x 90 steel columns they use for pergola roofs are not sufficient to carry floor loads as well. Just a guess but it is probably only 2 mm wall.

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I hope that's not true because part of my house, and all of my neighbour's house, are resting on 90x90x2mm Duragal piers!

HI silent,

But do the piers extend up to hold a roof ?? I'd be a bit concerned about 2 mm steel trying to hold a load fixed to the side - but maybe I worry too much LOL

I still think a blob of concrete under the end of the bearer is easiest!

gday WA_decker

here is an option if you can obtain some angle & aren't inclined to weld even though you'll need to do a bit of cutting...

90x90x6 EA cut as shown with the backspan the full width of the column & then bolted x 3 to the post - be sure to go through the entire column & onto the other side and use good-sized washers. this will spread the load from the angle onto both walls of the column.

the screw into the underside of the bearer would need to be at least 50 from the end of the bearer to avoid splitting, and the hole in the angle should be slightly larger that the screw's shaft, to allow for a bit of movement.

scuse my dodgy paint markup - now, how do i attach a file...

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But do the piers extend up to hold a roof ??

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Well, as a matter of fact they do. I have Duragal posts which hold up the verandah floors and roofs all the way around the house.

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Originally Posted by Dirty Doogie

HI silent,

But do the piers extend up to hold a roof ?? I'd be a bit concerned about 2 mm steel trying to hold a load fixed to the side - but maybe I worry too much LOL

I still think a blob of concrete under the end of the bearer is easiest!

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Unipiers are only 65x65x2 or 75x75x2.5 and they can be designed to carry floor and roof loads. The separate adjustable capping piece is fixed into the sides just using tek screws, the number being dependent on the load.
There's a pdf with specs there that you can download.

Hi john - looks like I do worry too much LOL!

Well I was still worried about fixing a side load on 2 mm wall shs - this is why -

a little while ago I was working on a building site and sat on a 3.5 metre length of 90mm x 2mm shs lying between 2 sawhorses to eat my lunch. (I didnt know it was thin wall shs at the time)

One of the guys yells out "dont sit on that!!! You F@#$head!"

My weight (about 100kgs) had deflected the shs about 15 mm over 3.5 metre length. I was amazed. The steel guy ran around swearing and denigrating me and the shs .

This morning I was doing some work prac on a site ( I'm doing the work prac as part getting a Builders liscence) so I asked the architect about side load fixing on thin wall shs.

He pulled out an engineering manual ( by Lysart ) showing the connection required.

Assuming the existing shs is the correct size and grade for the new load --
The side load has to be transfered to 2 parallel walls of the SHS using a bracket and a back plate on the other side of the shs. The combined bolthole diameters have to be a max 30% of the width of the face being fixed to, but 6 mm max dia tek screws recommended (????). Although in this case you would have to use bolts to transfer the load.

So the design suggested by BynK seems to be the right direction with the addition of a small piece of plate on the back face of the column.

You learn stuff everyday

I still think it is easier for WA to simply put another little concrete pad under the end of the bearer/joist though.

Doog

The Duragal flooring system includes a verandah sleeve, which slides over the 90x90. It's about 4mm thick and has two welded lugs top and bottom to take a 150mm bearer. There's also a version with four lugs for 90 degree junctions. These are what you use to fix side loads for verandah or split-level floors. Otherwise, the bearer sits directly on top and there is an assortment of brackets to attach them, including the screw-up adjustable one.

At the top of the post, you notch out the post to take the 150mm beam and either weld or bolt - but the weight in that case is directly on top of the post, rather than hanging off the side.

Interestingly, the bearers are also 2mm - 150x50. They are very strong on edge but bow easily on the flat as you would expect.

If this was a Duragal job, there is a 45 degree plate that is designed for fixing hip joists that could be used for this. For timber, I don't know. I reckon I'd be inclined to do the whole thing with steel - birdmouth the bearer and weld it to the post.

I'm just checking out all the uni pier and steel flooring design charts - I was considering using a steel floor for my next project - a Warwick cottage renovation due to start when I sell this place.

The number of design warnings is a bit perturbing - dont use steel subfloor with treated pine decking - dont let copper touch it, set tek screws in one action etc etc.

Silent - I can't find any of those specialist brackets on the Bluescope site yet - but it seems they are designed to do the transfer of load to parrallel sides of the post. Such highly engineered stuff! Did you mention that your subfloor is made from it? if so - are there any problems??

Doog

Here's what you need: http://www.onesteel.com/productspecs.asp?specID=3087

I've got one section of sub floor held up with it because it was too high for brick piers. Bearers and joists are all Hyspan LVL. The verandahs and decks are all framed with Duragal. The guy up the hill from me has the whole subfloor made from Duragal, including bearers and joists. No problems thus far. We welded ours but the guy up the hill has tek screwed everything according to the Onesteel guidelines.

One thing that you need to be aware of, they don't recommend Duragal within a couple of kms of the coast, so if you're on the beach, it's no good for you.

Thanx silent - I was looking at the wrong steelmaker lol!