When it comes to construction projects, one of the materials that are never left out is steel. Doesn’t really matter whether it’s a concrete structure or a steel one, steel has quite a crucial role. The material provides tensile strength to the structure and contributes to its longevity. The structural steel truss is one of the strongest and most durable types of steel out there, and without it, any construction project is incomplete.
One of the many forms of structural steel is steel truss. In all the years of steel being used as a primary component in buildings, steel truss has gained quite a reputation for the purpose that it fulfills.
Structural steel trusses are actually mechanisms that are developed to offer support to the roof of a building. Since they are metallic mechanisms, they boast properties like strength and durability. The use of structural steel trusses is quite common in steel structures or otherwise. The system is a reliable one, and so, it is quite a popular choice in residential buildings, commercial complexes, or industrial structures.
Generally, steel trusses are made solely out of structural steel, but, a lot of times, even timber is used alongside steel to install the mechanism. One of the reasons why steel truss is a common choice of contractors and builders is that it offers longevity to the roof. Thanks to steel as it is a highly durable alloy. The age of the roof can be increased further by using structural steel with proper coating.
The good quality coating allows the steel to handle greater amounts of stress and pressure. The resistance level of steel is quite high. It can resist pests, fire, and corrosion. Unlike timber, there is no chance for steel trusses to be impacted by pests, also, if steel is coated in an ideal manner, it can be completely fireproof.
There are so many types of steel truss designs out there. These trusses differ from each other on the basis of their design, their ability to handle heavy load and stress, and their application in different construction projects. The following are the major types of steel truss designs.
King Post Truss is known for its simplicity. Quite evidently, it is one of the trusses that are easiest to fabricate and install. King Post Truss is ideal for use in small structures, like small houses, mainly because of its properties. The span of the building shouldn’t exceed 8 meters. King Post Truss has two angle support members that are ideal for supporting the roofs of such properties.
The Queen post truss has quite a bit of versatility associated with it. Kind of like King Post truss, this one is also very easy to fabricate and install. The versatility of Queen Post Truss allows the construction experts to use it not just to support the roofs, but also in covered bridges, and so on. In the case of properties, it is ideal for use in ones that span over 10 meters. The segments of the truss are installed horizontally, with a single beam at the center for support.
Pratt Truss is one of the most common types of steel truss used in the construction sector. One of the reasons why it is so common is because it is quite affordable to install a Pratt truss. Pratt Truss can be further divided into two subtypes – Pratt truss with secondary members and Duo-pitch Pratt truss.
Pratt Trusses have segments installed both vertically and diagonally. The ones that are placed vertically are meant for compression, and the others that are placed diagonally are meant to handle stress. Pratt Truss is ideal for use in buildings that have a span between 20 meters and 100 meters.
Fan Truss is a common type of fink roof truss. In comparison to other trusses, Fan trusses have shorter segments and chords. The arrangement of the segments varies greatly on the building type and the distribution of compression and tension. This is an ideal truss type for use in buildings with shorter spans. They are also quite affordable.
North Light Roof Truss is one of the oldest types of trusses out there. It is also one of the most resistant trusses. North Light Roof Truss offers great ventilation in the structure, and it is one of those trusses that can be used in buildings that span between 20 meters and 30 meters.
Quadrangular Roof Truss segments are arranged in such an order that they form a ‘W’ shape. The compression and tension are arranged equally in the Quadrangular roof truss, and in comparison to most other trusses, it requires a lesser number of segments to be installed. They are ideal for use in buildings that have a span between 20 meters and 100 meters.
Howe Truss is one of such trusses that combine steel and wood. Despite the use of both elements, the Howe truss offers great support and reliability. Howe truss is a popular choice among construction experts, and it is used in properties that have a span between 6 meters and 30 meters. It is quite versatile, and so, it is one of the preferred truss types to be used in the construction of bridges.
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Steel truss offers a great level of support to the roofs of a building, however, it is not used in all types of buildings. Steel trusses are generally used in buildings that are broad in dimension. Structures, mainly airport terminals, sports stadiums, aircraft hangers, and so on, use steel trusses.
The mechanism doesn’t just help by supporting a heavy load of the rod, steel trusses are also used to offer horizontal stability to a structure. Generally, when it comes to building structures like the ones mentioned above, it requires a lot of materials for the roof.
Also, simply using a random material is not enough, as the structure is meant to serve for decades. The fact that steel is not just durable, but also environment friendly, makes it an ideal material to be used in structures as such. After the truss has served its due time supporting the roof, it can be dismantled and recycled.
The longevity of the steel makes it an ideal element to be used as trusses of these buildings. Choosing a bad quality truss, or not picking a truss to support the roof in the first place can have catastrophic results. The steel truss is a remarkable discovery that has absolutely revolutionized the construction scenario altogether.
Since steel trusses are used mainly to offer support to the roof, the kind of steel used to fabricate the truss needs to be of very high quality. It needs to be strong and durable enough to bear all that load, and take that stress and pressure for decades. It is quite crucial that you look into the properties of steel properly before you choose a certain type of steel to be used in your steel truss.
Also, it is important that you pick the type of steel based on the steel truss fabrication process. There is a lot of cutting, joining, and rolling involved in the truss fabrication process. So, you need to make sure that the steel can go through all this quite well. High-quality structural steel is the best option when it comes to making steel truss.
To be more specific A36, which is a standard of carbon steel, A992, which is a standard of high strength low alloy steel, A588, which is a standard of corrosion-resistant high strength low alloy steel, and A514, which is a standard of quenched and tempered alloy steels are ideal structural steel options to be used to fabricate steel truss. The attributes of these steel types and grades allow them to serve as steel trusses for decades, without the need for proper maintenance.
There is quite a bit of technicality associated with the process of steel truss fabrication. You need the right kind of tools, and the manpower with the ideal technical abilities to be able to fabricate a truss. Provided that you have all this, you could fabricate a truss at the construction site, but if you don’t, you could order for customized truss.
Generally, the steel manufacturing companies would be quite happy to produce a batch of steel trusses ideal for your project. All they require is a couple of sessions of investigation and your customized steel truss is ready. In the case of the manual steel truss fabrication process, there are three steps to it – cutting, forming, and assembling. The steel meant to be used as a steel truss is cut using high-tech equipment like water jets, lasers, plasma cutters, and so on.
These equipment are used mainly to cut steel in complex shapes. Simple tools like highly durable saws are also used to cut steel. After the steel is cut, the fabricators use techniques such as press baking and rolling to give the steel the desired shape and size, ultimately converting them into steel trusses.
The final step in the steel truss fabrication process is assembly. The individual triangle-shaped units of steel are assembled and installed on the roof. This is probably the most sophisticated part of the fabrication process, as a great amount of analysis is required on the fabricator’s part. Any error and the structural integrity of the truss are sure to be compromised.
The secret behind choosing the best quality steel for your structure, whether it’s a steel structure or concrete one, is going for a trustworthy and customer-oriented steel manufacturing company. Go for Hama Steel for all your steel-based needs, and mainly steel truss.
They are known for not just offering the best quality products, but also excellent consultation services regarding steel in general, their products, and construction projects. A lot of times, the people involved in construction projects may fall short of information risking the sustainability of the project. At such dire times, you can definitely rely on Hama Steel.