These trusses are in the building I have leased. The building is probably 50 years old.
The trusses are doubled up 2×6 with metal plates and threaded rods at the tension points. Sorry the pics aren’t better. They are at 8′ on center. Ridge boards are hung between the trusses and in turn support 2×6 rafters. The span is 30′.
These trusses are very well made, and are really impressive. I know of another large building in a nearby town that has these same style trusses,with a span of about 50′, obviously made by the same carpenter/crew. It looks to me like they were made on site.
There may be more buildings around here that have them. I have been looking.
Anyone else seen trusses like these?
Heck If I know….
Replies
I guess it would be nice if I actually posted the pictures, right?
Duh.
Heck If I know....
Heck, could you get some closeups of those 2 tension points and the connections for us to see ?
Joe, I will try. The photos I got today really were disappointing.
There are actually 5 tension rods, one in the middle, and the rest at every vertical truss member. I called it threaded rod, but the rod is smooth except where it is nutted at the bottom of the bottom chord. Can't see the top of the rod.
These are some of the neatest trusses I have ever seen.Heck If I know....
I tried to get a few more pics to better show the details.Hopefully you will be able to see the way that the members were fitted to each other and the way that the tension rods were installed.Notice the way the top chords were notched to accept the rod washer and nuts.Heck If I know....
By the way, the top and bottom chords are 2x8, not 2x6.Hopefully here you can see the plate detail at the wall. Here they scabbed a tail for the overhang.Second pic shows the hanger for the ridge, notice it is two pieces of angle, with no seat.Heck If I know....
Those are interesting trusses. Nice tight joints.
I've also seen some neat stuff. Like an oll one room schoolhouse that my Mom used to attend. Coudln't believe how well the roof structure was built. (and how poorly the foundation was done)
I also saw some interesting pics of pole barn trusses made with laminated 2X lumber and plywood. I took pictures of them but can't find the danged things. I'll post 'em if I can come up with the things.
Ron, when I get a chance, I will take some pictures of the trusses exactly like these only larger, and will post them.I think they are impressive.Can you calculate their load rating? How would they compare to manufactured trusses as to strength/cost?
Gotta go....Later.Heck If I know....
"Can you calculate their load rating?"
No. To do that, you'd have to know the size and grade of lumber, size and location of every fastener, etc. And it would take a lot of time.
"How would they compare to manufactured trusses as to strength/cost?"
You're just trying to stir up trouble, aren't ya ??? (-:
Seems like every time I talk about homemade trusses, someone ends up getting their shorts in a bunch about it. So I'm reluctant to offer much of an opinion.
For starters, the positive side:
1. Someone put a fair amount of thought into these. They aren't typical of the half-a$$ed home made attempts that I've seen.
2. They've lasted a long time. That could be because they're well done, or just because the roof hasn't been overloaded yet.
On the downside:
I doubt they would fly by any modern standards. Some of the connections they've made look questionable. And standards are much higher now.
The engineering and labor to assemble something like this in the field would probably be much more expensive than factory built trusses.
So those are my opinions, like 'em or not.
If a chronic liar tells you he is a chronic liar do you believe him?
MOI? Stir up trouble?? ;-0)
Naw, I was just curious. I agree that it wouldn't be feasible to try to fabricate these again onsite.I marvel time and again at the effort that the ol' timers put into various things, and how durable some of the things they did have proven to be.
It seems that there was someone in the area at the time these buildings were constructed who knew a little about roof engineering. I wonder who it was, and what his/her background was.
Most other 'home made' trusses I have seen were 2x and plywood gussett affairs.
Anyway, I thought these were cool...and they're in my shop!Heck If I know....
Back in the days before gang plated trusses were common and production was the rule of the day and before Ron was born, there were trusses and builders and engineers knew how to crunch the numbers without the expensive Alpine program used in today's truss plants.
Think back to the factories built at the turn of the century and also to the huge wood framed manufacturing centers built to house wartime production. Along with really massive posts and beams there were multi-layered roof trusses, with webs and steel rods to hold everything together and joinery to use the wood itself to provide proof against movement. Nowadays the only thing keeping the webs from sliding along the chords is the jillion or so barbs on the gang plates.
That's just EXACTLY the kind of attitude I was talking about in my earlier post...
The horse weighs 1,000 pounds and I weigh 95. I guess I'd better get him to cooperate [Lee Trevino]