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R802.4 Allowable Ceiling Joist Spans

Los Angeles Residential Code > 8 Roof-Ceiling Construction > R802 Wood Roof Framing > R802.4 Allowable Ceiling Joist Spans

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Spans for ceiling joists shall be in accordance with Tables R802.4(1) and R802.4(2). For other grades and species and for other loading conditions, refer to the AWC STJR.

TABLE R802.4(1)

CEILING JOIST SPANS FOR COMMON LUMBER SPECIES (Uninhabitable attics without storage, live load = 10 psf, L/Δ = 240)

CEILING JOIST SPACING (inches)	SPECIES AND GRADE		DEAD LOAD = 5 psf
			2 × 4	2 × 6	2 × 8	2 × 10
			Maximum ceiling joist spans
			(feet - inches)	(feet - inches)	(feet - inches)	(feet - inches)
12	Douglas fir-larch	SS	13-2	20-8	Note a	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#1	12-8	19-11	Note a	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#2	12-5	19-6	25-8	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#3	11-1	16-3	20-7	25-2
	Hem-fir	SS	12-5	19-6	25-8	Note a
	Hem-fir	#1	12-2	19-1	25-2	Note a
	Hem-fir	#2	11-7	18-2	24-0	Note a
	Hem-fir	#3	10-10	15-10	20-1	24-6
	Southern pine	SS	12-11	20-3	Note a	Note a
	Southern pine	#1	12-5	19-6	25-8	Note a
	Southern pine	#2	11-10	18-8	24-7	Note a
	Southern pine	#3	10-1	14-11	18-9	22-9
	Spruce-pine-fir	SS	12-2	19-1	25-2	Note a
	Spruce-pine-fir	#1	11-10	18-8	24-7	Note a
	Spruce-pine-fir	#2	11-10	18-8	24-7	Note a
	Spruce-pine-fir	#3	10-10	15-10	20-1	24-6
16	Douglas fir-larch	SS	11-11	18-9	24-8	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#1	11-6	18-1	23-10	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#2	11-3	17-8	23-4	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#3	9-7	14-1	17-10	21-9
	Hem-fir	SS	11-3	17-8	23-4	Note a
	Hem-fir	#1	11-0	17-4	22-10	Note a
	Hem-fir	#2	10-6	16-6	21-9	Note a
	Hem-fir	#3	9-5	13-9	17-5	21-3
	Southern pine	SS	11-9	18-5	24-3	Note a
	Southern pine	#1	11-3	17-8	23-10	Note a
	Southern pine	#2	10-9	16-11	21-7	25-7
	Southern pine	#3	8-9	12-11	16-3	19-9
	Spruce-pine-fir	SS	11-0	17-4	22-10	Note a
	Spruce-pine-fir	#1	10-9	16-11	22-4	Note a
	Spruce-pine-fir	#2	10-9	16-11	22-4	Note a
	Spruce-pine-fir	#3	9-5	13-9	17-5	21-3
19.2	Douglas fir-larch	SS	11-3	17-8	23-3	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#1	10-10	17-0	22-5	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#2	10-7	16-8	21-4	26-0
	Douglas fir-larch	#3	8-9	12-10	16-3	19-10
	Hem-fir	SS	10-7	16-8	21-11	Note a
	Hem-fir	#1	10-4	16-4	21-6	Note a
	Hem-fir	#2	9-11	15-7	20-6	25-3
	Hem-fir	#3	8-7	12-6	15-10	19-5
	Southern -pine	SS	11-0	17-4	22-10	Note a
	Southern pine	#1	10-7	16-8	22-0	Note a
	Southern pine	#2	10-2	15-7	19-8	23-5
	Southern pine	#3	8-0	11-9	14-10	18-0
	Spruce-pine-fir	SS	10-4	16-4	21-6	Note a
	Spruce-pine-fir	#1	10-2	15-11	21-0	25-8
	Spruce-pine-fir	#2	10-2	15-11	21-0	25-8
	Spruce-pine-fir	#3	8-7	12-6	15-10	19-5
24	Douglas fir-larch	SS	10-5	16-4	21-7	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#1	10-0	15-9	20-1	24-6
	Douglas fir-larch	#2	9-10	15-0	19-1	23-3
	Douglas fir-larch	#3	7-10	11-6	14-7	17-9
	Hem-fir	SS	9-10	15-6	20-5,	Note a
	Hem-fir	#1	9-8	15-2	19-10	24-3
	Hem-fir	#2	9-2	14-5	18-6	22-7
	Hem-fir	#3	7-8	11-2	14-2	17-4
	Southern pine	SS	10-3	16-1	21-2	Note a
	Southern pine	#1	9-10	15-6	20-5	24-0
	Southern pine	#2	9-3	13-11	17-7	20-11
	Southern pine	#3	7-2	10-6	13-3	16-1
	Spruce-pine-fir	SS	9-8	15-2	19-11	25-5
	Spruce-pine-fir	#1	9-5	14-9	18-9	22-11
	Spruce-pine-fir	#2	9-5	14-9	18-9	22-11
	Spruce-pine-fir	#3	7-8	11-2	14-2	17-4

Check sources for availability of lumber in lengths greater than 20 feet.

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 pound per square foot = 0.0479kPa.

Span exceeds 26 feet in length.

TABLE R802.4(2)

CEILING JOIST SPANS FOR COMMON LUMBER SPECIES (Uninhabitable attics with limited storage, live load = 20 psf, L/Δ = 240)

CEILING JOIST SPACING (inches)	SPECIES AND GRADE		DEAD LOAD = 10 psf
			2 × 4	2 × 6	2 × 8	2 × 10
			Maximum ceiling joist spans
			(feet - inches)	(feet - inches)	(feet - inches)	(feet - inches)
12	Douglas fir-larch	SS	10-5	16-4	21-7	Note a
	Douglas fir-larch	#1	10-0	15-9	20-1	24-6
	Douglas fir-larch	#2	9-10	15-0	19-1	23-3
	Douglas fir-larch	#3	7-10	11-6	14-7	17-9
	Hem-fir	SS	9-10	15-6	20-5	Note a
	Hem-fir	#1	9-8	15-2	19-10	24-3
	Hem-fir	#2	9-2	14-5	18-6	22-7
	Hem-fir	#3	7-8	11-2	14-2	17-4
	Southern pine	SS	10-3	16-1	21-2	Note a
	Southern pine	#1	9-10	15-6	20-5	24-0
	Southern pine	#2	9-3	13-11	17-7	20-11
	Southern pine	#3	7-2	10-6	13-3	16-1
	Spruce-pine-fir	SS	9-8	15-2	19-11	25-5
	Spruce-pine-fir	#1	9-5	14-9	18-9	22-11
	Spruce-pine-fir	#2	9-5	14-9	18-9	22-11
	Spruce-pine-fir	#3	7-8	11-2	14-2	17-4
16	Douglas fir-larch	SS	9-6	14-11	19-7	25-0
	Douglas fir-larch	#1	9-1	13-9	17-5	21-3
	Douglas fir-larch	#2	8-11	13-0	16-6	20-2
	Douglas fir-larch	#3	6-10	9-11	12-7	15-5
	Hem-fir	SS	8-11	14-1	18-6	23-8
	Hem-fir	#1	8-9	13-7	17-2	21-0
	Hem-fir	#2	8-4	12-8	16-0	19-7
	Hem-fir	#3	6-8	9-8	12-4	15-0
	Southern pine	SS	9-4	14-7	19-3	24-7
	Southern pine	#1	8-11	14-0	17-9	20-9
	Southern pine	#2	8-0	12-0	15-3	18-1
	Southern pine	#3	6-2	9-2	11-6	14-0
	Spruce-pine-fir	SS	8-9	13-9	18-1	23-1
	Spruce-pine-fir	#1	8-7	12-10	16-3	19-10
	Spruce-pine-fir	#2	8-7	12-10	16-3	19-10
	Spruce-pine-fir	#3	6-8	9-8	12-4	15-0
19.2	Douglas fir-larch	SS	8-11	14-0	18-5	23-7
	Douglas fir-larch	#1	8-7	12-6	15-10	19-5
	Douglas fir-larch	#2	8-2	11-11	15-1	18-5
	Douglas fir-larch	#3	6-2	9-1	11-6	14-1
	Hem-fir	SS	8-5	13-3	17-5	22-3
	Hem-fir	#1	8-3	12-4	15-8	19-2
	Hem-fir	#2	7-10	11-7	14-8	17-10
	Hem-fir	#3	6-1	8-10	11-3	13-8
	Southern pine	SS	8-9	13-9	18-2	23-1
	Southern pine	#1	8-5	12-9	16-2	18-11
	Southern pine	#2	7-4	11-0	13-11	16-6
	Southern pine	#3	5-8	8-4	10-6	12-9
	Spruce-pine-fir	SS	8-3	12-11	17-1	21-8
	Spruce-pine-fir	#1	8-0	11-9	14-10	18-2
	Spruce-pine-fir	#2	8-0	11-9	14-10	18-2
	Spruce-pine-fir	#3	6-1	8-10	11-3	13-8
24	Douglas fir-larch	SS	8-3	13-0	17-2	21-3
	Douglas fir-larch	#1	7-8	11-2	14-2	17-4
	Douglas fir-larch	#2	7-3	10-8	13-6	16-5
	Douglas fir-larch	#3	5-7	8-1	10-3	12-7
	Hem-fir	SS	7-10	12-3	16-2	20-6
	Hem-fir	#1	7-7	11-1	14-0	17-1
	Hem-fir	#2	7-1	10-4	13-1	16-0
	Hem-fir	#3	5-5	7-11	10-0	12-3
	Southern pine	SS	8-1	12-9	16-10	21-6
	Southern pine	#1	7-8	11-5	14-6	16-11
	Southern pine	#2	6-7	9-10	12-6	14-9
	Southern pine	#3	5-1	7-5	9-5	11-5
	Spruce-pine-fir	SS	7-8	12-0	15-10	19-5
	Spruce-pine-fir	#1	7-2	10-6	13-3	16-3
	Spruce-pine-fir	#2	7-2	10-6	13-3	16-3
	Spruce-pine-fir	#3	5-5	7-11	10-0	12-3

Check sources for availability of lumber in lengths greater than 20 feet.

For SI: 1 inch = 25.4 mm, 1 foot = 304.8 mm, 1 pound per square foot = 0.0479kPa.

Span exceeds 26 feet in length.

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