Downward pressure on house prices, combined with ever-stricter regulatory requirements, is encouraging designers to embrace value engineered and factory pre-fabricated building systems such as the easi-joist timber and metal composite floor joists offered by Wolf Systems.

Tried and tested, Wolf’s easi-joists were at the forefront of product developments which facilitated the move towards adopting modern methods of construction, offering both economic and performance benefits compared to traditional timber joists; and even finding applications for the constructions of roofs, walls and floor cassette systems.

Sets of plot specific easi-joists are manufactured using Wolf Systems’ high strength, corrosion protected connector plates to form the webs between engineered timber flanges. The latter present 72mm wide flanges which make the accurate fixing of OSB or other flooring materials far simpler than for alternative systems. The joists’ construction not only obviates the age old problem of squeaking floors.

The open design to the webs also presents architects and service engineers with ample room to route plumbing, drainage and electrics. They will also accommodate the often bulky ducts used to connect whole-house or heat recovery with mechanical ventilation systems that are being used to meet the Code for Sustainable Homes.

In the UK, specifiers working on apartment projects or other designs for buildings of multiple occupation will be further attracted by the fact that easi-joists can be utilised as a Robust Detail for the construction of sound separating floors. Importantly, no insulation material has to be packed into the voids to meet the requirements of Part E of the Building Regulations.

Wolf Systems’ easi-joist manufacturers offer consultants and customers full technical design and installation support.

For the last five years, Wolf Systems has imported metal web products from Australia. During this time, this UK operation has developed engineering software and technical materials, trained customers’ staff, jointly developed a machine to produce the floor beams, and undertaken exhaustive testing procedures. As a result of these achievements, the easi-joist® product gained full European Technical Approval, Irish Agrement Board approval and Robust Detail E-FT-3 in 2007.

Today, demand has increased to the point where it is now economic for the easi-joist webs to be manufactured at the company’s premises in Coventry, West Midlands; increased shipping costs and currency fluctuations have made imports from Australia less attractive.

Wolf has invested over €1 million in new tooling and a new 200-tonne Rhodes press to produce these components alongside the established nailplates.

David Leaney Wolf UK’s Managing Director explains, “Buying components from Australia allowed us to develop the product, gain technical knowledge and write our own software to support the product. At the same time, we developed a new market which sits very well with our nailplate business and perfectly complements roof truss and timber frame manufacture. The Wolf team at Coventry has been active in selling the floor system mainly through our existing manufacturers; 30 are now producing easi-joist, with sales increasing continuously. This move offers better quality control and allows us to manage stocks more efficiently. We see this floor system as a very fast-growing market; both timber frame and masonry housebuilders are changing over to easi-joist in the UK and Ireland.”