A truss is a type of built-up structural member that can be used in place of a single girder or beam. Trusses are made from multiple straight members (generally made from wood or metal) arranged in triangles. This design allows a truss to span a very long distance without intermediate support; they are preferable to large, heavy girders because of their low cost and easy implementation. For large construction projects, the design and fabrication of roof trusses should be handled by licensed engineers. However, for smaller projects, you can make roof trusses yourself in accordance with your project's needs.

 

How To Design a Roof Truss System

 

Roof trusses System need to be able to withstand a variety of forces acting on them. These forces are called 'loads' and can be categorised into three basic types:

 

dead load – the permanent load from the weight of the materials carried by the roof, such as tiles, ceiling lining, battens, and the truss itself

live load – the weight of workers walking on the roof, and materials being lifted on or off

wind load – the force applied by the wind, including the uplift effect that wind has. Select the link below for more information on wind loads.