As most everyone who is involved in commercial construction is aware - traditional red iron bar joist is virtually impossible to get in any timely manner and the metal deck that is usually used on top of the bar joist has, in many cases, quadrupled in price.
Years ago a team individuals set out to develop a Cold Formed Steel (CFS) product that could - economically - be used in place of Bar Joist. The result of that development is the Advant Cold Formed Truss Section. The Advant Chord is a CFS section that can be used efficiently in shallow, parallel chord applications, such as floors and flat roofs. Little did any of us know that, just a couple short years later, the commercial construction industry would be in dire need of a product that could replace red iron bar joists and keep commercial projects moving. The Advant CFS Truss product, also known as 'Light Gauge Bar Joist' can be used instead of red iron bar joist for many types of projects and it has a lead time measured in weeks, not months. Substituting Advant for bar joist is made easier by referencing the new Advant Span Table - Bar Joist Replacement guide which is available on the Downloads section of the website (www.advantsteel.com), or by contacting Advant for a replacement design. Light Gauge Bar Joists are significantly lighter per lbs than comparable red iron bar joists and, while they may need to be spaced more closely and/or be a little deeper than the bar joists they are replacing, the overall weight of the system is usually less.
Light Gauge Bar Joists may be used with metal deck - but there are other products available, specifically Structural Concrete Roof Panels, that can span up to 4' oc joists and provide significant diaphragm capacity for an overall price that may be less than metal deck.