Handling and Erection and Steel Joists and Girders contains a thorough coverage of handling and erection procedures, including definitions of the various products, and a description of the preparing, tagging and loading of the joists at the manufacturer's plant. It also contains sections dealing with attachments to the joists, inspection and repair at the job site.

From the Foreword
This technical digest is another addition to the series of Steel Joist Institute technical publications designed to give the reader information regarding the application and usage of steel joists and joist girders.

Technical Digest No 9 concerns itself with the proper handling and erection procedures to be employed in the field to make certain that these products are not damaged, that they perform as specified, and, above all, to ensure the safety of the erectors.

This and other SJI Technical Digests serve to highlight specific areas of design and/or application for the benefit of architects, building inspectors, building officials, designers, engineers, erectors, students, and others.

Excerpt from the Introduction
Today, steel joists and joist girders are widely used products primarily in commercial, industrial and institutional buildings. However, until this technical digest was first published in 1987, no definitive handbook on their handling and erection had been written. Since the original publication date, there have been numerous changes and innovations in the use of steel joists. Among these changes have been the introduction of new or expanded joist products, innovations in building materials and systems, changes in design philosophy, and the adoption of new building codes and federal regulations. Therefore, for these reasons, the Steel Joist Institute determined that an extensive revision to this Technical Digest No 9 was required.

If a joist manufacturer is asked, "How good are your products?" the answer almost certainly would be: "Only as good as their installation." A joist manufacturer can design and build joist products with remarkable intrinsic strength, but whether or not these products can deliver this strength is largely dependent on how well they are handled from the time they leave the manufacturing facility until they are permanently installed in the field.

The purpose of this digest is to present a clear and concise guide for the safe installation of open web steel joists and joist girders. Though it is not possible to include every conceivable joist application or field condition that could be encountered, the reader should come away with a basic knowledge of open web steel joists and joist girders and a general understanding of the SJI recommended safe practices for handling, storing and erecting these products.

One of the most important aspects of safe erection of joist products is proper bridging. Bridging is a component of the steel joist system that braces the joists against unanticipated horizontal movement during erection as well as during the placing of construction loads. A lateral displacement of the joist may mean that the construction load caused the joist to distort, roll over, or shift from its intended position resulting in both the ironworkers and joists failing. Much attention will be given to this critical component. Additionally, as a result of changes in code provisions and design requirements, bridging may be an integral part of the initial as well as final structural system.

This digest does not attempt to address all hazards that may be present in a particular construction environment. Pre-job planning and development of site-specific plans that identify hazards are very important. The implementation of site-specific plans that identify hazards are very important. The implementation of systems and procedures to eliminate those hazards completes this process. Contained in the technical digest is a discussion of several different types of systems used to protect employees, but regardless of the type selected it should be designed by a qualified person and employees should be trained in the proper use of the system.

Contents
Acknowledgement. Foreword. Table of Contents. Background and Introduction. Chapter 1: Products. Chapter 2: Pre-Erection Meeting. Chapter 3: Loading and Shipping. Chapter 4: Receiving, Unloading and Storing. Chapter 5: Erecting Joist Products. Chapter 6: Field Inspection. Chapter 7: Panelized Erection. Chapter 8: Bridging. Chapter 9: Miscellaneous Topics - Common Field Issues. Chapter 10: Do's and Don'ts. References. Appendix A: Standard Hand Signals for Controlling Crane Operators. Appendix B: Standard Specifications for Open Web Steel Joists K-Series. Appendix C: Standard Specifications for Longspan Steel Joists, L-H Series and Deep Longspan Steel Joists, DLH Series. Appendix D: Standard Specifications for Joist Girders.