Patent Publication Number: US-2002005022-A1

Title: Sheet material attachment system

Description:
[0001] Continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/273,381, filed Mar. 22, 1999, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/884,717, filed Jun. 30, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,036. 
    
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002] 1. Field of Invention  
       [0003] The invention relates generally to building construction and more particularly floor joist systems and systems for the attachment of sheet material (e.g., subflooring, and ceiling and wall panels) in building construction, especially in residential construction.  
       [0004] 2. Background Art  
       [0005] Floor joists used in residential and some smaller commercial building construction are typically made of wooden 2 inch by 10 inch planks or beams of engineered wood having an I shaped cross section with a 2 inch wide flange and a 10 inch height which extend longitudinally between opposite side walls of a house or its foundation, resting on the top surfaces thereof, providing support for the floor of each individual building story. In residential construction, the subfloor adjacent the joists is usually ¾ inch thick wood plyboard or wooden particle board. Generally, wooden joists are limited in their length or span to about 14 or 16 feet, at which point they must be supported from beneath, usually by an intermediate load bearing wall or a girder (or header) extending in directions perpendicular to the joists, the girder itself perhaps partially supported by a support post or column and/or the side walls between which the girder extends. The girder may be comprised of a plurality of 2 inch by 12 inch planks disposed side by side to provide additional thickness or may be an engineered wood beam or steel I beam. Other types of joists and/or girders used in larger commercial buildings, which often have poured concrete floors, include steel or iron I beams which have integrated flanges and webs or which are assembled from components, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 669,639 (Hessel et al.), 4,151,694 (Sriberg et al.) and 3,800,490 (Conte). Concrete floors and metal joist systems are not generally used for residential construction due to the higher costs involved and their not being readily adapted to conventional housing designs.  
       [0006] A plurality of parallel floor joists laid out across the area bounded by the supporting side walls provides a series of generally coplanar surfaces to which the subfloor is attached, usually by adhesives and nails or screws. The attachment of the subfloor to the topmost surfaces of the joists prevents the joists from moving, although it is common to provide braces therebetween to stabilize them. The joists and girders are oriented so as to expose their maximum bending moments against the loading of the above floor; this normally entails setting the joists on the side walls in an upright manner upon one of their shorter rectangular sides or their I beam flanges, the opposite short rectangular side or I beam flange abutting the lower surface of the supported floor. A pocket or recess provided in the girder bearing side wall provides a surface upon which the girder rests, the surface disposed a distance below the top of the side wall somewhat equivalent to the height of the girder. This arrangement allows the bottommost surface of the joist to rest on the top surface of the side wall and the girder. Disposing the girder as such and disposing the joists thereupon, however, compromises the ceiling height of the below room at least partially or otherwise forces the floor of the above room to be higher. Furthermore, the below room ceiling height may be further compromised, at least locally, by pipes, wiring or ventilation ducts routed below the girder.  
       [0007] Joists are usually transversely spaced in a parallel fashion at a fixed distance from each other in accordance with the weight bearing characteristics of the materials used and the designed building load requirements. Typically, in residential construction, wooden joists of either the plank or engineered beam variety are spaced 16 inches on center. Wooden plank and engineered wood floor joists are maintained in their upright positions, i.e., kept from falling over, and their spacing relative to one another by lateral braces which do not interface the lower surface of the floor or support or help distribute its weight. Steel I beam type floor joists such as used in commercial building construction may likewise be maintained in position by braces interconnected with the webs thereof, although the wide bottom flange of most steel I beams is sufficient to prevent its inadvertently falling over.  
       [0008] Wooden floor joists of the plank or engineered beam variety are generally limited to 14 or 16 foot spans between supports and 16 inch on center spacing relative to one another, requiring many joists and supporting girders be provided in a house of conventional size and design. Joists thus comprise an appreciable portion of the cost of required building material, particularly if the more expensive engineered wood beams are used. As a further result, wooden plank or engineered beam floor joist systems are rather expensive in terms of labor because of the quantity of joists required to be installed. Moreover, wooden plank joists may be irregular, undesirably having crowns, or cupping, sagging or bowing. Often, significant effort and cost are required to correct these conditions during construction, or to correct their effects after the building is completed. Engineered wood beam joists resolve many of these issues, but are rather more expensive than plank joists and have no appreciably greater load bearing capability.  
       [0009] Wooden planks, being lumber, are considered to be commodities, and thus their cost is greatly influenced by fluctuating market prices, which can make estimating future building costs more difficult. Engineered wood beams, comprised to a great extent of wood chips and more labor intensive to produce, are not so readily influenced, although they are generally more expensive.  
       [0010] There is a need for a floor joist system which is relatively stronger and less labor intensive than previous systems employing wooden plank or engineered wood beam joists, provides a consistently flat flooring surface, more efficiently uses vertical space, and is not greatly influenced by commodity market price fluctuations. Further, there is a need for a floor joist system to which subflooring is quickly attached with customary fastening means, such as, for example, by nails, particularly nails which are driven through the flooring and into the floor joists pneumatically.  
       [0011] In providing such a floor joist system, there is a need to accommodate the quick and easy attachment of traditional ceiling panel materials to the overhead structure provided by that floor joist system. Typically, ceiling panels, which may be, for example, prefabricated plaster wall board, abuttingly underlie the bottom edges or flanges of conventional wooden plank or engineered beam floor joists, respectively, and are attached thereto by means of screws driven through the wall board and into the plank or engineered beam. It is therefore desirable that a ceiling panel attachment system be provided by which conventional methods, tools and fasteners may continue to be used in attaching the ceiling panels to the overhead structure.  
       [0012] Wall panels, both interior and exterior, are conventionally nailed or screwed, as appropriate, into vertically-oriented, longitudinal wooden studs, usually of 2 inch by 4 inch or 6 inch size and spaced 16 inches on center. Like wooden plank floor joists, wooden studs are considered to be commodities, and thus their cost is greatly influenced by fluctuating market prices. Typical interior wall panels include plaster wall board or sheets of wooden paneling; exterior wall panels typically include wooden plyboard or particle board later covered by siding. Under some circumstances, for example where a high load must be carried by a wall or it is preferable to have fewer studs, it may be desirable to use steel I beam studs in lieu of the conventional arrangement of two inch by four inch or six inch wooden studs. In such circumstances, it is preferable to attach the wall panels to the steel studs in a conventional manner. Thus, a wall panel attachment system which facilitates the attachment of interior or exterior wall panels to walls including steel I beam studs, using conventional methods, tools and fasteners, and which is not greatly influenced by commodity market prices, is desirable.  
       [0013] Further, it is well-known to support overhead beams, girders or floor joists with support columns or pillars extending between the floor and ceiling or other overhead structure of the below room (e.g., the basement), in which the columns or pillars are located. Often, these columns or pillars are in the form of steel I beams. Often, too, it is desirable to enclose them using wall panel material, thereby providing the room with a more finished appearance. A system for easily and quickly attaching wall panel material to I beam columns or pillars, using conventional tools and fasteners, would also be desirable.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0014] The present invention provides a floor joist system preferably made of commercially available heavy gauge steel and having girders and interconnected joists which may have an I shaped cross section. The I beam girders are preferably castellated, providing a high bending moment and large web openings, and have vertical slots formed in their web sections. The girders extend between opposing side walls of a building or the foundation thereof, the ends of the girders supported by the side walls. Much stronger than wooden plank or engineered wood beam girders of comparable height, castellated beam girders may span greater distances without requiring intermediate underlying support between outside walls, thus requiring relatively fewer intermediate support columns. In accordance with the present invention, steel I beam joists having tongues formed and extending from the web sections thereof are disposed perpendicularly and equidistantly along each side of a girder, the tongues of each equidistant pair of joists extending into a common vertical slot formed in the girder web and overlapping each other therein. These overlapping pairs of tongues may be interconnected using compliant pins on each side of the girder web or otherwise retained in overlapping relation to each other to maintain their position during assembly of the floor joist system. The interconnection of joists and cross beams continues in this manner to provide a complete floor joist system across the area to be floored. The subfloor is secured to the upper surface of the upper girder and joist flanges by, for example, adhesives and/or drill point screws.  
       [0015] The I beam joists of the present invention provide much greater bending resistance than wooden plank or engineered wood beam joists, and thus may be longer and spaced farther apart. In conventional residential construction of a given design using a ¾ inch subfloor, 8 inch tall I beam joists according to the present invention may span 20 feet between the side wall and/or the girders and be spaced 24 inches on center, compared to 14 to 16 foot spans and 16 inch on center spacing required of wooden 2 inch by 10 inch plank joists or 10 inch tall engineered wood beams. The joists of the present invention may be spaced 32 inches on center where a less common ⅞ inch thick subfloor is used. Moreover, the I beam joists of the present invention do not exhibit irregularities such as crowns, cupping, sagging or bowing, as are common in wooden plank joists and which often require time consuming correction during construction or may cause undesirable related effects thereafter.  
       [0016] The steel joists and girders of the inventive floor joist system may be made completely of recyclable material and are themselves completely recyclable. Furthermore, the joists and girders of the present invention will not support a flame, providing a further advantage over wooden floor joist systems.  
       [0017] The girders and joists of the present invention have coplanar upper flange surfaces, thus the load of the floor is directly supported along two directions rather than only one, thereby providing a firmer floor with its weight better distributed among its supporting members. A further advantage of the inventive floor joist system is that the height of the joist is contained within the height required for the girder and large openings are provided in the girder web which extend well below the bottom-most surface of the joist to better accommodate the routing of pipes, wiring, ventilation ducts and so forth above the bottom-most surface of the girders. Thus, the present invention provides a more vertically compact floor joist system than can be achieved by stacking the joists upon the girders, as previous floor joist systems require, thus allowing comparatively greater ceiling heights in rooms above or below the joists.  
       [0018] Normally, assembly of the floor joist system of the present invention would require only the simplest of hand tools for installation, including bending the compliant interconnecting pin and, in some cases, for drilling and/or bolting the spliced ends of abutting girders together. Furthermore, compared to wooden plank joists, the components of the inventive joist system are not so greatly influenced by commodity market prices and thus provide for more easily estimated construction costs.  
       [0019] The present invention provides a floor joist system comprising at least one girder having an upper flange surface and a web with vertical slots located therein, the girder supported at opposite ends, a plurality of joists having an upper flange surface and at least one tongue, two of the joist tongues being inserted into each girder slot from opposite sides of the girder web to form an overlapping relationship therein, each joist supported at opposite ends, the upper flange surfaces of the girder and joists being coplanar, and flooring attached to the girder and joist upper flange surfaces.  
       [0020] Another embodiment of the present invention provides a floor joist system which may be installed using conventional carpenters&#39; tools for attaching the subflooring to the joists and girders, and which may or may not include the above-described inventive aspects. Such conventional tools may include pneumatic nail guns, the use of which is expected to further reduce the installation labor cost, as well as the cost of the attaching fasteners. Viz., the present invention also provides a floor joist system including at least one girder having an upper surface and a plurality of joists interconnected with the girder, each joist also having an upper surface, the upper surfaces of the girder and the joist being substantially coplanar. A plurality of individual flooring attachment elements are attached to the upper surfaces of the girder and joists. The flooring attachment elements have a hardness which is less than the hardness of both the girder and the joists, and are substantially incompressible to provide firm support to the overlying subfloor and fix the distance between the opposed surfaces of the subfloor and girder and joists. Flooring is supported by the upper surfaces of the girder and joists through their respective flooring attachment elements, and the flooring is attached to the flooring attachment elements.  
       [0021] In accordance with the present invention, subflooring, roof decking, or wall or ceiling panels may be respectively attached to metal I beam floor joists, studs or overhead structures using conventional methods, tools and fasteners. One embodiment of a sheet material attachment system in accordance with the present invention also provides a means for encasing I beam columns or pillars with wall panel materials to provide the room in which they are located with a more finished appearance.  
       [0022] The present invention provides a sheet material attachment system including at least one longitudinal beam having a web, and at least one flange having first and second opposite sides, the web extending from the flange second side. A sheet material attachment element overlies the flange first side, the sheet material attachment element having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the flange. The sheet material attachment element is attached to the beam by a fastener, the fastener being substantially U-shaped and having a first leg which engages a side of the sheet material attachment element and a second leg which engages the flange second side. The system also includes a piece of sheet material being anchored to the sheet material attachment element.  
       [0023] The sheet material attachment elements are also substantially incompressible, and therefore provide firm support for the overlying sheet material anchored thereto, and fix the distance between the opposed surfaces of the sheet material and the beam.  
       [0024] The present invention also provides a ceiling panel attachment system including a plurality of nonvertical beams each having a lower surface, the beam lower surfaces being substantially coplanar. A plurality of individual ceiling panel attachment elements is attached to the beam lower surfaces, the ceiling panel attachment elements having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the beam lower surfaces. At least one ceiling panel is suspended from the beams through their respective ceiling panel attachment elements, the ceiling panel being anchored to the ceiling attachment elements.  
       [0025] The present invention also provides a wall panel attachment system including a least one nonhorizontal beam having a surface, at least one wall panel attachment element attached to the beam surface, the wall panel attachment element having a hardness which is less than the hardness of the beam surface, and at least one wall panel supported by the beam through its wall panel attachment element, the wall panel being anchored to the wall panel attachment element. The beam may be a wall stud or a column. 
     
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
     [0026] The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and the invention itself will be better understood by reference to the following description of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:  
     [0027]FIG. 1 is an exploded view from below illustrating the interconnection of a pair of opposed joists to a girder according to a first embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0028]FIG. 2 is a perspective view from below of the assembled joists and girder of FIG. 1;  
     [0029] FIGS.  3 A- 3 C are fragmentary sectional side views of the assembled girder and joist along line  3 - 3  of FIG. 2, showing the installation sequence of the interconnecting pin of one embodiment of the present invention;  
     [0030]FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevation showing a splice connecting two abutting girder ends;  
     [0031]FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view from below of a floor joist system according to the first embodiment of the present invention and the supported floor;  
     [0032]FIG. 6A is a fragmentary sectional side view of the floor joist system according to the first embodiment of the present invention along line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5, showing a supporting side wall and intermediate column;  
     [0033]FIG. 6B is a fragmentary sectional side view of the floor joist system of FIG. 6A, taken along a line parallel to and to the right of line  6 - 6  of FIG. 5;  
     [0034]FIG. 7A is a perspective view from above of a joist according to a first embodiment of the present invention and its supporting side wall, showing one method of anchoring the joist end to the side wall;  
     [0035]FIG. 7B is a perspective view from above showing an alternative to the method of anchoring the joist end to the side wall shown in FIG. 7A;  
     [0036]FIG. 8 is a sectional view along line  8 - 8  of FIG. 6B;  
     [0037]FIG. 9 is a plan view of the floor joist system according to the first embodiment of the present invention, showing a portion of the floor;  
     [0038]FIG. 10 is a sectional end view of a floor joist according to a second embodiment of the present invention, showing flooring attached thereto;  
     [0039]FIG. 11A is a plan view of a U-shaped fastener for use with the floor joist of FIG. 10;  
     [0040]FIG. 11B is a side view of the fastener of FIG. 11A;  
     [0041]FIG. 11C is a perspective view of the fastener of FIG. 11A;  
     [0042]FIG. 12 is a fragmentary perspective view from below of a floor joist system according to the second embodiment of the present invention and the supported floor;  
     [0043]FIG. 13A is a fragmentary sectional side view of the floor joist system according to the second embodiment of the present invention along line  13 - 13  of FIG. 12, showing a supporting side wall and intermediate column;  
     [0044]FIG. 13B is a fragmentary sectional side view of the floor joist system of FIG. 13A, taken along a line parallel to and to the right of line  13 - 13  of FIG. 12;  
     [0045]FIG. 14 is a perspective view from above of a joist according to a second embodiment of the present invention and its supporting side wall, showing one method of anchoring the joist end to the side wall;  
     [0046]FIG. 15 is a fragmentary perspective view from below of a ceiling panel attachment system according to a third embodiment of the present invention, shown as part of a floor joist system according to a second embodiment of the present invention, or as part of a roof support system;  
     [0047]FIG. 16 is a sectional view of the ceiling panel attachment system of FIG. 15 along line  16 - 16 ;  
     [0048]FIG. 17 is a sectional vertical view of a first wall panel attachment system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention; and  
     [0049]FIG. 18 is a sectional vertical view of a second wall panel attachment system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention.  
     [0050] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. Although the drawings represent embodiments of the present invention, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated in order to better illustrate and explain the present invention. The exemplifications set out herein are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
     [0051] The embodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed in the following detailed description. Rather, the embodiments are chosen and described so that others skilled in the art may utilize its teachings.  
     [0052] Referring now to the drawings and particularly to FIG. 1, a floor joist system according to a first embodiment of the present invention provides girder  20  which may be in the form of a castellated I beam having web  22  and upper and lower flanges  28  and  30 , respectively. Web  22  is formed of upper and lower web portions  24  and  26 , respectively, which, when joined at a plurality of welded joints  34 , provide a plurality of large openings  32 . Located between adjacent openings  32  and repetitively spaced at, for example, 24 inch increments along upper web portion  24  are formed vertical slots  36 , which are cut through the web material. The dimensions and location of slots  36  will be further described below. Upper flange  28  has upper surface  29  and lower flange  30  has lower surface  31 . In an embodiment of a floor joist system according to the present invention which is adapted to residential construction of ordinary type, the distance between surfaces  29  and  31  is approximately 12 inches. An example of a castellated beam of this approximate dimension, and into which slots  36  may be formed, is produced by Castellite and designated CB1215.  
     [0053]FIG. 1 further shows that girder  20  is intersected by I beam joists  38 , each of which comprises web  40  and upper and lower flanges  42  and  44 , respectively. Upper flange  42  has upper surface  43  and lower flange  44  has lower surface  45 . The distance between surfaces  29  and  31  of girder  20  is substantially greater that the distance between surfaces  43  and  45  of joist  38 . In an embodiment of a floor joist system according to the present invention which is adapted to residential construction of ordinary type, the distance between surfaces  43  and  45  is approximately 8 inches. Formed and extending from web  40  at each end of joist  38  is tongue  46  having a height substantially that of web  40  and equivalent thickness. Slot  36  is sized to slideably receive tongues  46  of two joists  38  in an easily yet closely fitting manner, tongues  46  entering slot  36  from opposite sides of girder web  22  and overlapping therein.  
     [0054] As shown, four holes  48  arranged as two pairs of vertically aligned holes may be provided in each tongue  46 . As tongues  46  of opposing joists are overlapped through slot  36 , the leading pair of vertically aligned holes  48  in one tongue becomes superimposed on the trailing pair of holes  48  in the adjacent tongue, the leading pair and trailing pair of holes  48  in a given tongue located on opposite sides of girder web  22 . Joist upper flange  42  may be cut away farther along web  40  than is joist lower flange  44  by a distance of approximately one half the width of girder upper flange  28  less one half the thickness of web upper portion  24 , the resulting edge of flanges  42  and  44  lying in planes substantially perpendicular to web  40 , such that joist tongue  46  is inserted into slot  36  until the edge of joist lower flange  44  abuts girder web  22  and the edge of joist upper flange  42  abuts the side of girder upper flange  28 . By this means tongues  46  may be extended a consistent distance into slot  36 , thereby aligning holes  48  in each.  
     [0055] As shown, pin  50  may be of circular cross section and formed from a rod of compliant metal, such as aluminum or soft steel. Pin  50  is configured to provide central portion  52  having a length matching the distance between vertically aligned holes  48 , from which extend perpendicularly thereto and in the same direction short leg  54  and long leg  56 , best seen in FIG. 3A. Referring in sequence to FIGS.  3 A- 3 C, pin  50  is inserted through aligned holes  48  on each side of girder web  22  such than central portion  52  lies alongside one of tongues  46 , with short leg  54  and long leg  56  extending through aligned holes  48  (FIG. 3B). Short leg  54  and long leg  56  are bent towards each other using an appropriate, common tool such as a hammer. Pin  50  hence prevents relative movement of opposing joists  38  and positively interconnects them with girder  20 , ensuring joists  38  do not come out of position during assembly of the floor joist system. Attachment of the subfloor to the upper flange surfaces of joists  38  and girder  20 , discussed below, will permanently maintain the position of each joist. The use of pin  50  is but one way of maintaining the position of the joists during assembly; other suitable means are contemplated as being within the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that interconnecting joists  38  by the use of pins  50  or other suitable means is not a necessary aspect of practicing the present invention. Interconnecting the joist tongues with pins as discussed above serves primarily to ensure joists  38  do not fall out of engagement with girder  20  during assembly of the floor joist system, providing an extra measure of safety for the workers. Once joists  38  have been fitted into an anchored girder and are themselves anchored to the sidewall of the building or foundation, or fitted between adjacent, anchored girders, they would be restrained from such accidental disengagement despite a lack of pins  50 .  
     [0056] The ends of joists  38  which do not overlappingly engage another joist within girder slot  36  are supported by side walls  62  of the building or its foundation, depending upon whether multiples stories are accommodated, and are spaced therealong equidistantly, and maintain a perpendicular relationship between joist  38  and girder  20 . Side walls  62  may form a perimeter around the building or its foundation. Below lower joist flange  44 , and attached to top surface  61  of foundation side walls  62 , is mud sill  74 . Mud sill  74  extends along the inner perimeter of side wall top  61  is attached thereto in a known way, such as by nuts  78  threaded onto bolts  80  which are embedded in wall  62 , are spaced at specified distances along top  61 , and extend vertically through a hole in mud sill  74 , as shown in FIG. 7A. Mud sill  74  may be a plurality of common 2 inch by 4 inch or 6 inch board or, where a 6 inch tall joist  38  is used with a 12 inch tall girder  20 , a 4 inch by 4 inch wooden beam. As shown in FIGS.  6 A- 7 B, rim joists  76 , which may be a plurality of 2 inch by 10 inch boards, may extend around the perimeter of the building wall or foundation and are attached to mud sill  74  by nails or screws (not shown), closing off the uppermost interior of the below room from the exterior of the building.  
     [0057] The ends of joists  38  supported by side wall  62  rest atop mud sill  74  and may be prevented from moving therealong by being bolted to rim joist  76  through angled brackets  82 , as shown in FIG. 7A or, alternatively, by disposing blocks  84  between adjacent joists  38 , as shown in FIG. 7B, the ends of blocks  84  abutting webs  40  of the joists. Blocks  84  are disposed above mud sill  74  and prevent movement of joists  38  therealong by at least one of blocks being fastened to wall  62  by bolt  80   a , which extends through aligned holes in mud sill  74  and block  84 . Nut  78  and bolt  80   a  hold fastened block  84  in place; the other blocks are restrained from moving longitudinally by joist webs  40 . Blocks  84  may also be further secured by being nailed to mud sill  74 . It is preferable that the end of joist  38  which rests upon mud sill  74  do so upon its lower flange  44 . Therefore, joists  38  which extend between side wall  62  and girder  20  may be preformed with tongue  46  at only one end thereof, and joists  38  which extend between adjacent girders  20  may be preformed with tongues  46  at both ends thereof. Alternatively, one joist design having tongue  46  at each end may be used, with tongue  46  cut off of the end of the joist which is supported by side wall  62  as required. As seen in FIGS. 6A, 6B and  8 , pockets  65  formed in adjacent side walls  62  support the ends of girder  20 , the pockets providing a supporting surface  63  disposed below the top  61  of side wall  62  to accommodate the greater depth of girder  20  vis-a-vis joist  38 , thus keeping girder upper flange surface  29  and joist upper flange surface  43  at a common level. The distance from the top of mud sill  74  to supporting pocket surface  63  is therefore equivalent to the difference in height between girder  20  and joist  38 . Slot  36  is also vertically positioned such that when girder  20  and joist  38  are assembled, girder upper flange surface  29  and joist upper flange surface  43  lie in a common plane. As best seen in FIG. 8, web  22  of girder  20  is sandwiched between ends of the board comprising mud sill  74 . Abutting the ends of mud sill  74  boards against web  22  further stabilizes girder  20  against falling over and, where pocket  65  is substantially wider than lower girder flange  30 , positively positions girder  20  transversely.  
     [0058] Where the above-described floor joist system embodiment is adapted to residential construction, the 8 inch high I-beam joists  38  spaced 32 inches on center may extend up to approximately 20 feet. In this case, therefore, pockets  65  provided in side walls  62  for girders  20  may be spaced at approximately 20 foot intervals from the adjacent side walls which support an end of a joist  38 . To simplify assembly where joists  38  are to be fitted between two girders  20 , the tongues  46  at the commonly oriented joist ends should be engaged into their mating slots  36  in the first girder before the second girder is moved into its final position. Girders  20  adapted to such use as described above may span up to approximately 18 feet between side walls or intermediate support columns  64  (FIG. 6A). Abutting or adjacently aligned girders  20  may be joined as shown in FIG. 4, where the adjacent ends of girders  20  have a series of splice holes  66 , which may be preformed at both or only one end of each girder  20  or which may be drilled or otherwise formed in situ during construction. Splice plates  68 , preferably formed of plate steel and having two sets of holes  70  arranged to match holes  66 , are disposed on both sides of webs  22  of the adjacent girders  20  and fastened together through holes  66 ,  70  with bolts  72  and nuts (not shown). Support column  64  should be placed beneath a spliced girder joint to ensure the integrity of the floor joist system.  
     [0059] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, subfloor  58  is applied to the upper surfaces of the inventive joist system. Subfloor  58  may be wooden plyboard or wooden particle board, as discussed above, or may comprise corrugated sheets of steel upon which concrete is poured. Generally, the latter type of floor is used in larger commercial building construction and may require girders  20  and joists  38  of somewhat larger size than described above, although such construction is to be considered within the scope of the present invention. Subfloor  58  is applied to this floor joist system embodiment in commonly known ways. Generally, adhesive is first applied to upper flange surfaces  29  and  43  of girders  20  and joists  38 , respectively, and the subfloor is then laid. Rather than using nails, however, drill point screws (not shown) are driven through the subfloor and into surfaces  29  and  43 . Attachment of subfloor  58  to girders  20  and joists  38  permanently restricts movement of these beams. FIG. 9 shows an assembled floor joist system according to one embodiment of the present invention. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the above-described floor joist system may also be adapted to support a roof having decking comprised of sheet material similar to that used for subflooring  58 . In such case, the joists serve as roof rafters.  
     [0060] Referring now to FIG. 10, there is shown a second embodiment of the present invention by which customary fastening means, rather than drill point screws, may be used for attaching flooring to the floor joist system, thereby relatively decreasing the time and costs associated with floor installation. Such customary fastening means include nails which pierce the subflooring  58  and the underlying joist, and which may be of the ordinary type which are driven by a hand-held hammer, or of a type which are driven by a pneumatic nail gun. Those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the above-described floor joist system may also be adapted to support a roof having decking comprised of sheet material similar to that used for subflooring  58 . In such case, the joists serve as roof rafters.  
     [0061] Depicted girder assembly  86  of the second embodiment floor joist system comprises girder  20   a , which may be identical to girder  20  of the first embodiment, and flooring attachment element  88  attached to its upper flange surface  29 . It is important to note that girder  20   a  of the second embodiment need not be identical to girder  20 , or interconnect with its associated joists in the manner above-described. Indeed, a floor joist system according to the second embodiment need not comprise a floor joist system according to the first embodiment, although common elements are discussed below and depicted in the accompanying drawing for illustrative purposes.  
     [0062] Flooring attachment element  88  is made of a material such as wooden plyboard or particle board, thereby obviating the need for drill point screws as used in the first embodiment and allowing subflooring  58  to be attached to girder assembly  86  by conventional fastening means, e.g., by nailing, particularly with a pneumatic nail gun, thereby providing the advantage vis-a-vis the floor joist system of the first embodiment of allowing ordinary and customary carpenters&#39; tools and methods to be used in installing the floor, whereby the installation labor and fastener costs may be reduced.  
     [0063] Element  88  is of sufficient thickness to accommodate the depth required for fastening floor  58  thereto by conventional fastening means used by carpenters, e.g., with ordinary or pneumatically-driven nails  90 . For example, element  88  may be made from ¾ inch plyboard. Element  88  is cut to substantially match the size and shape of upper flange surface  29  of girder  20   a , and may be attached thereto with an appropriate adhesive, such as exterior construction glue, which is well-known in the construction industry. Element  88  may also comprise a plurality of shorter abutting pieces distributed along surface  29 . Additionally, or alternatively, element  88  may be attached to girder  20   a  by means of U-shaped fasteners  92 , one of which is shown in FIGS.  11 A- 11 C. Each fastener  92  is made of a flat metal strip, such as, for example, galvanized or zinc-plated steel, which may be 16 or 14 gauge thickness. Fastener  92  has first  94  and second  96  legs interconnected by intermediate portion  98 . One embodiment of fastener  92  is approximately ¾ inch wide, side-to-side, and wherein leg  94  has a length extending between its terminal end  100  and intermediate portion  98  of approximately ¾ inch, leg  96  has a length extending between its terminal end  102  and intermediate portion  98  of approximately 1 inch, and intermediate portion  98  has a depth between legs  94 ,  96  of approximately ½ inch. Terminal end  100  of first leg  94  has sharp serrations provided therein to allow fastener  92  to easily penetrate side surface  104  or  106  of element  88 . Fasteners  92  are provided at 12 inch increments along the length of girder assembly  86 , alternatively attached therealong in staggered fashion to side surfaces  104 ,  106 . Second leg  96  of each fastener  92  is slidably engaged with underside surface  108  of upper flange  28 . The thickness of flange  28  continuously increases slightly from its lateral sides towards web  22 , causing leg  96  to resiliently flex away from leg  94  as terminal end  102  of leg  96  slides along underside surface  108  of flange  28  towards web  22 , thereby increasing the clamping force between element  88  and girder  20   a  as leg  94  increasingly penetrates side surface  104  or  106 .  
     [0064] Similarly, depicted joist assembly  110  of the second embodiment comprises joist  38   a , which may or may not be identical to joist  38  of the first embodiment, and flooring attachment element  112  attached to its upper surface  43 . Here, too, flooring attachment element  112  is made of a material such as, for example, wooden plyboard or particle board, which is considerably softer and more readily pierced than joist  38   a , thereby allowing flooring  58  to be attached to joist assembly  110  by conventional fastening means.  
     [0065] In the depicted embodiment, upper surfaces  29  and  43  of girder  20   a  and joist  38   a , respectively, are coplanar, as in the first embodiment. Element  112  is therefore identical in thickness to element  88 , thereby maintaining a plurality of coplanar grid surfaces to which flooring  58  is attached. As described above regarding element  88 , element  112  may be made from ¾ inch wooden plyboard or particle board, cut to substantially match the size and shape of upper flange surface  43  of joist  38   a , and is similarly attached thereto with fasteners  92  and/or adhesive. Element  112  may also comprise a plurality of shorter, abutting pieces distributed along surface  43 . As in the case of girder assembly  86 , joist assembly  110  has its fasteners  92  placed in staggered fashion between opposite lateral sides of element  112 , and placed at 12 inch increments along each side. Also, as described above with respect to girder  20   a , the thickness of upper flange  42  of joist  38   a  continuously increases slightly from its lateral sides towards web  40  (FIG. 13A), thus increasing the clamping force between element  112  and joist  38   a  as leg  94  increasingly penetrates a lateral side surface of flooring attachment element  112 .  
     [0066] Referring now to FIG. 12, it can be seen that flooring  58  is supported by the upper surfaces of flanges  28  and  42  of girder  20   a  and joists  38   a , respectively, through their respective individual flooring attachment elements  88 ,  112  attached thereto. Flooring attachment elements  88 ,  112  are substantially incompressible, and therefore provide firm support for overlying subfloor  58  anchored thereto, and fix the distance between the opposed surfaces of the flooring and the girder and joists. Notably, vis-a-vis the first embodiment floor joist system, a corresponding increase in height accompanies the addition of the flooring attachment elements to the upper surfaces of girders  20   a  and joists  38   a , if they are identical in height to girders  20  and joists  38 . The elevation at which flooring  58  is located may be maintained between the first and second embodiments by appropriately selecting girders and joists  20   a ,  38   a  which are respectively shorter than girders and joists  20 ,  38 , thereby maintaining a common height between girder  20  of the first embodiment and girder assembly  86  of the second embodiment, and likewise between joist  38  and joist assembly  110 . Those skilled in the art will recognize other methods of so maintaining a common floor elevation between the first and second embodiments of the present invention should such a need arise.  
     [0067] Should girders  20 ,  20   a  and joists  38 ,  38   a  be respectively identical in height, a floor joist system according to the second embodiment may use ¾ inch taller rim joist  76   a  (FIG. 13, 14) in lieu of inch shorter rim joist  76  (FIG. 6, 7).  
     [0068] Referring now to FIG. 15 there is shown a third embodiment of the present invention. As shown, the this ceiling attachment system, like the above-described floor joist system of the second embodiment, includes flooring attachment elements  88  and  112  attached to the upper flanges of the girders and joists. Girder  20   a  is provided with sheet material attachment element  114  attached to its downwardly facing lower flange lower surface  31 . Sheet material attachment element  114  may be identical to attachment element  88 , and is attached to the lower flange of the girder by means of adhesive and/or fasteners  92  as described above. Joist  38   b  differs from above-described joist  38   a  in that its height is substantially equivalent to the height of girder  20   a . As shown, girder  38   b  comprises a plurality of truss rods  118  which extend between its upper and lower flanges to form its web, rather than having a web formed integrally with the flanges. A plurality of sheet material attachment elements  116  are attached to downwardly facing surface  45  of the lower flange of joists  38   b  by means of adhesive and/or fasteners  92  as described above. The lowermost surfaces of sheet material attachment elements  114  and  116  are co-planer and substantially horizontal.  
     [0069] Ceiling panels  120 , which may be plaster wall board, are attached to the sheet material attachment elements  114 ,  116  by means of screws  122 . Sheet material attachment elements  114 ,  116  are substantially incompressible, and therefore provide firm support for the underlying ceiling panel  120  which is anchored thereto, and fix the distance between the opposed surfaces of the ceiling panel and the girder and joists. Sheet material attachment elements  114  and  116  may be respectively identical to flooring attachment elements  88 ,  112  and are, for example, wooden plyboard or wooden particle board.  
     [0070] As clearly shown in FIG. 15, there is provided clearance and openings for ductwork, piping and/or wiring (not shown) to be routed between subflooring  58  and ceiling panel  128  through the openings in the castellated girder and the space between truss rods  118  of the joists.  
     [0071] As noted above, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that the third embodiment of the present invention may provide a either a floor joist system (as shown) or a roof support system, in which the joists serve as roof rafters. The latter system includes roof decking comprised of sheet material similar to that used for subflooring  58 . As shown in FIG. 16, in embodiments of a roof support system according to the present invention, roofing material  124  overlies the upper surface of roof decking sheet material  58 . Roofing material  124  may comprise, for example shingles or any other suitable, conventional material used for roofing.  
     [0072] Referring now to FIG. 17, there is shown a first wall panel attachment system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. This wall panel attachment system is adapted to a vertical, load-bearing column  130  which extends from the floor to, for example, an overhead girder for supporting the latter. Column  130  comprises steel I beam  132  which has web  134  extending between its parallel flanges  136  and  138 , respectively provided with outer surfaces  140  and  142 . Extending along, and attached to flange surfaces  140  and  142 , by means of adhesive and/or fasteners  92  as described above, are elongate sheet material attachment elements  144  and  146 . Sheet material elements  144  and  146  may be identical, and made of wooden plyboard or wooden particle board.  
     [0073] Sheet material attachment elements  144  and  146  are each provided with lateral surfaces  148  which are aligned with the lateral edges of flanges  136 ,  138  and into which first legs  94  fasteners  92  are driven in the manner discussed above. Fasteners  92  also engage the inner, opposed surfaces of flanges  136  and  138  as shown in FIG. 17 to retain the sheet material attachment elements to the flanges in the manner described above. Sheet material attachment elements  144  and  146  each provide outwardly facing surfaces  150 . A plurality of wall panel or sheet material pieces  152   a - d , which may be made of plaster wall board or wooden paneling, are arranged about I beam  132  and sheet material elements  144 ,  146  as shown, to define the outer surface of column  130  and encase the I beam. Sheet material pieces  152   a - d  are anchored to the sheet material attachment elements by means of screws  122 . The outer surface of column  130  may then be finished in any conventional manner to provide a more finished appearance to the room in which column  130  is located. Sheet material attachment elements  144  and  146  are substantially incompressible, therefore providing firm support to overlying sheet material anchored thereto and fix the respective distances between flange surfaces  140 ,  142  and the opposed surfaces of sheet material pieces  152   a  and  152   b.    
     [0074]FIG. 18 shows a second wall panel attachment system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. Wall  160  comprises a plurality of vertically extending studs  162  which are comprised of horizontally spaced I beams  163  each having opposite flanges and a web extending therebetween. Attached to the outer face of each I beam flange, and extending therealong, is elongate sheet material attachment element  164 , which may be wooden plyboard or wooden particle board. As described above, these sheet material attachment elements are substantially incompressible, and therefore provide firm support for wall panels  166  and  168  which are anchored thereto by means of screws  122 . Further, the incompressible sheet material attachment elements fix the distance between the opposed I beam flange and the wall panel surfaces. Wall panels  166  and  168  may both be interior wall panels, substantially similar or substantially different in composition. Alternatively, one of wall panels  166  and  168  may be an interior wall panel and the other an exterior wall panel. Sheet material suitable for an interior wall panel includes, for example, plaster wall board or wood paneling. Sheet material suitable for an exterior wall panel, may be substantially different than that used for interior wall panels, and includes, for example, wooden plyboard or wooden particle board. In the manner described above, sheet material attachment elements  164  may be affixed to the flanges of I beams  163  by means of adhesive and/or fasteners  92  in the manner described above. Wall panels  166 ,  168  may be anchored to elements  164  by means of screws  122  or nails (not shown).  
     [0075] While this invention has been described as having an exemplary designs, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains.