7/5/23, 9:38 PM What is a Truss and How Do Trusses Work in House Framing Design?

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Kyle Conway

What is a Truss and How Do Trusses Work in House Framing

Design?
This blog article provides an overview of trusses, explores their different types, explains how they work, and discusses their benefits and
limitations when designing safe and secure frames for houses.

When it comes to residential structural design, trusses can offer a number of

advantages for house framing applications. But what exactly is a truss, and how
do they work? As structural engineers, architects, and other professionals in the
industry know, understanding truss structures is key to successfully designing
safe and strong houses.

This blog article provides an overview of trusses, explores their different types,
explains how they work, and discusses their benefits and limitations when
designing safe and secure frames for houses.

What is a Truss?
A truss is a structural system made entirely of axially loaded members that
consists of a collection of elements connected at pin joints or nodes.

The characteristics of a truss include the following:

All straight members

Members are connected together with pin joints

Connected only at the ends of the members

All external forces (loads & reactions) must be applied only at the joints

In theory, the pin joints provide no rotational resistance and behave as hinges.

What are The Different Types of Trusses?

Trusses are either plane trusses or space trusses.

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A plane truss is a truss where all members lie in a single plane. As a result, plane
trusses are treated as two-dimensional systems. Plane trusses are commonly
used in different structures globally.

Some examples of commonly known plane trusses such as Flat Warren Truss,
Flat Howe Truss, Fink Roof Truss and Howe Roof Truss are illustrated in Figure 1
(check out this article to find out more about the different types of trusses for
residential structures).

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Figure 1: Some examples of common plane trusses (Reference)

Conversely, space trusses have members not limited to a single plane. This
means that space trusses need to be analyzed as a three-dimensional system.

Figure 2: An example of space truss frame (Reference)

Truss Terminology
Common terminology relating to timber trusses is demonstrated from the below
extract of Australian Standard AS 4440 (2004) - Installation of nail-plated timber
roof trusses for residential and light commercial structures.

Figure 3: Common components and terminology of roof timber truss (Reference)

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Timber Truss: A framework constructed with timber of uniform thickness
and fastened together in one plane by connectors such as metal nailplates,
bolts, plywood gussets, or other similar devices.

Truss Overhang: The portion of top chord extending beyond the body of
the truss to provide eaves.

Eaves: The portion of main building outside the external wall line. Generally,
it includes the truss overhang and also cantilevered portions if present.

Truss Overhang: The portion of top chord extending beyond the body of
the truss to provide eaves.

Eaves: The portion of main building outside the external wall line. Generally,
it includes the truss overhang and also cantilevered portions if present.

Pitching Point: The intersection of underside of top chord and underside of

bottom chord.

Nailplates: Metal plate connectors manufactured predominantly from light

gauge galvanized steel with teeth spaced and formed within the parent
metal. Nailplates are normally pressed into opposite faces of the timber
members to form a spliced or gusseted type of joint.

Truss Materials
Trusses are typically made out of timber and/or steel. Steel is used for longer-
spanning trusses, particularly those in commercial buildings or bridges, while
timber trusses are typically used in residential construction. Sustainably sourced
timber trusses are more ecologically friendly.

Figure 4: Examples of timber and steel trusses (Reference)

Procurement and Cost of Trusses

Most roof trusses and all steel trusses are prefabricated and delivered to the
site, which ensures quality workmanship and synergies from economies of scale.
As a result, the lower amount of labor and plant required on-site greatly reduce
construction costs.

Typically, timber truss suppliers and steel fabricators need at least 4 weeks of
lead time to manufacture and deliver trusses to the site.

Timber trusses are typically cheaper and have less strength but have shorter
procurement times due to standard sizes and simpler workmanship.

The costs of timber trusses vary significantly. The variables can include where
you purchase them or if you opt for prefabricated trusses vs. trusses built on-
site. In Australia & the US, you can expect to pay anywhere from $200 to $700
USD per truss (note most homes will need several trusses, usually between 20
and 40 as a rough estimate). Timber roof trusses for your home will cost
approximately $9,000 USD to $20,000 USD.

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It can be difficult to accurately forecast the cost of timber trusses in Australia
and the US as they vary widely depending on several factors, including the size
and design of the trusses, the type of timber used, and local market conditions.
Additionally, the cost can be calculated in different ways, such as per cubic
metre or per tonne.

Steel trusses are more expensive usually due to the price of steel and more
labour required to construct the connections (bolts or welds) compared to the
nail plated connections of a timber truss.

Steel trusses are typically twice as expensive as timber trusses as they are
typically bespoke designs but the price is heavily dependent on steel prices.

Steel Trusses Tech Australia, Aussteel and Australian Steel Framing are the most
common steel truss suppliers in Australia while timber trusses can be sourced
from Timbertruss & Australian Timber and Trusses. In the US, Structural Timber
Trusses and American Truss are long-time industry suppliers of timber trusses,
while steel trusses can be sourced from US Steel Truss and Adams Truss.

Benefits of Truss System

The benefit of a truss is that the members are axially loaded, so there is no
shear or bending. This means they are either in compression or tension or have
no force (zero force members). This makes trusses a very efficient structural
component.

Like any structure, a truss transmits externally applied forces through its
elements and back into the supports or foundations of that structure. Because
of the efficiency of their structural mechanics, trusses can span very large
distances with relatively small section sizes. This lightweight nature of the
member makes it quicker, easier, and ultimately cheaper to construct or install
on-site. This efficiency makes them well suited in roofs in residential
construction and bridges in civil infrastructure.

Trusses can span longer distances than beams or traditional frames, resulting in
building projects that are less reliant on internal supporting structures such as
load-bearing walls, beams, & columns. As a result, larger open spaces can be
achieved by improving the aesthetics of a home. Buildings can also be future-
proofed for different use cases, given there is fewer load-bearing walls and
columns.

When there is fewer load bearing vertical members (walls and columns), there is
more potential for future renovations to transform the existing structure into a
building with a different use cases. For example, a building that uses trusses
that have large spans to load bearing columns or walls on the perimeter of the
property may only have non-load bearing walls internally. These walls can be
demolished with ease and a residential structure could be transformed into a
gymnasium, education center or any other type of building requiring large open
spaces.

Trusses can also be prefabricated to minimize labor and plant on site reducing
construction costs. The effectiveness of trusses is demonstrated by their
frequent use to support long spans and heavy weights.

Limitations of Trusses
Members of a truss are slender and not capable of supporting large lateral loads
and usually need to be used in conjunction with steel wire or braced framing to
provide lateral support as per Figure 4.1 in AS 4440.

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Figure 5: An example of bracing system for roof trusses (Reference)

Fortunately the lateral stability elements are simple to design and can be done
so using ClearCalcs Truss Analysis and Steel & CFS calculators.

Conclusion
To recap, trusses can be a cost-effective option in house framing design. By
understanding their different types and materials, as well as their benefits and
limitations; designers have a wide array of options when engineering trusses for
frame structures.

Trusses are a great option when the architect or builder is looking to have a
horizontal member span over 8 meters. Trusses spanning up to 16 meters can
be designed in accordance with the Australian Standard AS 4440 (2004),
installation of nail-plated timber roof trusses for residential and light
commercial structures.

However, trusses can be engineered to span much larger than 16 meters using
Finite Element Analysis which is conveniently built into the Truss Analysis Wizard
calculator. In addition, timber trusses can be preferable for spans smaller than 8
meters when steel prices are high.

Ready to start calculating with ClearCalcs?

If you’re considering undertaking a project that includes house-framing using a
truss system or are curious about what it means, ClearCalcs is available to help!
Our Truss Analysis Wizard makes frame design structurally sound without any
calculations or guesswork involved - so you can rest assured knowing your
project will be done correctly every time!

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