# 2nd floor joist design on CMU walls question



## Bjvista (Oct 2, 2018)

Hi

First time post. Thanks for all the info on the site so far. All my building experience is wood frame back home in the States. Here in Crntral America where I live now everything is CMU (concrete block). 

I am building a two story 8” CMU block house. Here they fill each block with cement. My 2nd floor will be wood. Ground floor slab, 2nd floor wood. I’m trying to figure out the best way to design the 2nd floor. The engineer plans show 2x6 ledgers/rim joist with 2x8 joists on top of them. 

I’m wondering if it would be better to use 2x6 or 2x8 ledgers/rim joists and use joist hangers instead, something like your standard Simpson strong tie joist hangers? My longest span is 12’9”. I can attach pics of the plan of this will help. There is no enforced code here but I personally like to build to standards back home in the States, or overbuild usually.


----------



## classicT (Oct 2, 2018)

Based upon the limited information, either method would meet the 2015 IRC.


----------



## Robert (Oct 4, 2018)

Wood rests, Steel hangs....an old saying


----------



## JCraver (Oct 5, 2018)

Welcome to the forum.

Can you post the plan?  I'm thinking with an 8" wall you'd have a 2x8 sill anchor-bolted on top of that, then frame it like any floor.  I don't get the desire to hang anything, so maybe the plan will help??


----------

