Joists & Rafters
Tables listing Maximum Spans for Southern Pine joists and rafters are detailed below. These 46 tables are based upon design values for visually graded Southern Pine dimension lumber that became effective June 1, 2013. For each application, a PDF download is available. Also see Using These Tables and five Examples showing how to read the table values, plus other important information.
Refer to SFPA’s publication Southern Pine Maximum Spans for Joists & Rafters (download in Publications) that includes all 46 tables. Design assumptions and calculations using code-recognized procedures are explained.
| Table Number | Live Load (psf) | Dead Load (psf) | Deflection Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Floor Joists | |||
| 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | 30 40 50 60 40 50 60 75 80 90 100 | 10 10 10 10 20 20 20 10 10 10 10 | 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 360 |
| Wet-Service Floor Joists (MC > 19%) | |||
| 12 13 14 | 40 60 100 | 10 10 10 | 360 360 360 |
| Ceiling Joists | |||
| 15 16 | 10 20 | 5 10 | 240 240 |
| Rafters (Snow Load, CD = 1.15) | |||
| 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 | 20 30 40 50 20 30 40 50 20 30 40 50 20 30 40 50 20 30 40 50 20 30 40 50 | 10 10 10 10 15 15 15 15 20 20 20 20 10 10 10 10 15 15 15 15 20 20 20 20 | 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 240 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 180 |
| Rafters (Construction Load, CD = 1.25) | |||
| 41 42 43 44 45 46 | 20 20 20 20 20 20 | 10 15 20 10 15 20 | 240 240 240 180 180 180 |
| MC = Moisture Content | CD = Load Duration Factor | ||