LONG SPAN

STTRUCTURES
DEFINITION OF LONG SPAN STUCTURES

BUILDINGS THAT CREATE UNOBSTRUCTED, COLUMN-FREE SPACES GREATER THAN 30 M (100FEET) FOR A VARIETY OF
FUNCTIONS / ACTIVITIES

EXAMPLES OF RELEVANT ACTIVITIES:

•WHERE VISIBILITY IS IMPORTANT: I.E. AUDITORIUMS AND COVERED STADIUMS

•WHERE FLEXIBILITY IS IMPORTANT: I.E. EXHIBITION HALLS AND CERTAIN TYPE OF MANUFACTURING FACILITIES
•WHERE LARGE MOVABLE OBJECTS ARE HOUSED: I.E. AIRCRAFT HANGARS

STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS:

CLASSIFICATION CLASSIFIED INTO TWO GROUPS:

• STRUCTURAL SYSTEMS SUBJECT TO BENDING (HAVE BOTH TENSILE AND COMPRESSIVE FORCES)
• FUNICULAR STRUCTURES (WORK EITHER IN PURE TENSION OR IN PURE COMPRESSION): USE OF CABLES COMBINED
WITH RIGID MEMBERS OBSERVATION: BRIDGES ARE A COMMON TYPE OF LONG-SPAN STRUCTURE WHICH HAS
CONTINUOUSLY INFLUENCED THE DEVELOPMENT OF LONG SPAN BUILDINGS.
BEAMS
LONG SPAN BEAMS :
THE AIM OF THIS ARTICLE IS TO INTRODUCE THE DESIGNER TO THE BROAD RANGE OF LONG SPAN, STEEL-
BASEDSOLUTIONS THAT IS AVAILABLE. SPANS IN EXCESS OF 20 M CAN BE. GENERALLY LONG SPANS RESULT INFLEXIBLE,
COLUMN-FREE INTERNAL SPACES, REDUCE SUBSTRUCTURE COSTS, AND REDUCE STEELERECTION TIMES. THIS BROAD
RANGE OF BENEFITS MEANS THAT THEY ARE COMMONLY FOUND A WIDE RANGEOF BUILDING TYPES. THE PARTICULAR
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF EACH INDIVIDUAL SOLUTION ARESUMMARIZED BELOW, SO THAT A DESIGNER CAN
ASSESS THE BENEFITS OFFERED BY A PARTICULAR SOLUTION INRELATION TO THE DRIVERS FOR A GIVEN PROJECT, TO
IDENTIFY THE MOST APPROPRIATE AND COST.EFFECTIVE SOLUTION. THE USE OF LONG SPAN BEAMS RESULTS IN A RANGE
OF BENEFITS, INCLUDING FLEXIBLE,COLUMN-FREE INTERNAL SPACES, REDUCED FOUNDATION COSTS, AND REDUCED STEEL
ERECTION TIMES. MANYLONG SPAN SOLUTIONS ARE ALSO WELL ADAPTED TO FACILITATE THE INTEGRATION OF SERVICES
WITHOUTINCREASING THE OVERALL FLOOR DEPTH. THE SOLUTIONS DESCRIBED BELOW ARE PRESENTED IN ORDER
OFINCREASING SPANNING ABILITY, WITH SOME OVERLAP BETWEEN OPTIONS. THE AIM IS TO PRESENT A WIDERANGE OF
SOLUTIONS. BY FAR THE MOST COMMON TYPES OF BEAM USED TODAY ARE PLATE GIRDERS, AND BEAMS WITH WEB
OPENINGS

PARALLEL BEAM :
THE PARALLEL BEAM APPROACH IS EFFECTIVE FOR SPANS UP TO AROUND 14 M. FLOOR GRIDS COMPRISE TWOLAYERS OF
FULLY CONTINUOUS BEAMS RUNNING IN ORTHOGONAL DIRECTIONS. SERVICES RUNNING IN EITHERDIRECTION CAN BE
INTEGRATED WITHIN THESE TWO LAYERS, SO THAT SERVICES PASSING IN ANY DIRECTION CAN BE ACCOMMODATED
WITHIN THE STRUCTURAL FLOOR DEPTH. A FURTHER BENEFIT IS THAT, BEING FULLYCONTINUOUS, THE DEPTH OF THE
BEAMS THEMSELVES IS REDUCED WITHOUT INCURRING THE EXPENSE ANDCOMPLEXITY OF RIGID, FULL STRENGTH
CONNECTIONS .
COMPOSITE BEAMS WITH WEB OPENING :
WEB OPENINGS ARE TYPICALLY FORMED IN BEAMS TO ALLOW SERVICES TO PASS THROUGH THE BEAM. THISENABLES THE
STRUCTURAL AND SERVICE ZONES TO OCCUPY THE SAME SPACE, THEREBY REDUCING THEEFFECTIVE OVERALL DEPTH OF
FLOOR CONSTRUCTION FOR A GIVEN SPANNING CAPABILITY. OPENINGS MAYALSO BE FORMED FOR AESTHETIC REASONS,
FOR INSTANCE WITH CAMBERED BEAMS USED TO SUPPORT AROOF. COMPOSITE BEAMS WITH WEB OPENINGS HAVE BEEN
SHOWN TO BE A COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION FORSPANS IN THE RANGE 10 TO 16 M.

TAPERED GIRDERS BEAM:

TAPERED GIRDERS CAN BE A COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION IN THE SPAN RANGE 10 M TO 20 M. THEY AREANOTHER
SOLUTION THAT ALLOWS SERVICES TO BE ACCOMMODATED WITHIN THE STRUCTURAL FLOOR ZONE.THE DEPTH OF THE
GIRDER INCREASES TOWARDS MID-SPAN, WHERE APPLIED MOMENTS ARE GREATEST,AND THEREBY FACILITATING
HANGING SERVICES UNDER THE SHALLOWER REGIONS NEAR THE BEAMSUPPORTS. IT IS ALSO POSSIBLE TO FORM WEB
OPENINGS IN TAPERED GIRDERS IN REGIONS OF LOWSHEAR, TOWARDS MID-SPAN. THESE PROVIDE MORE OPTIONS FOR
SERVICE INTEGRATION .

HAUNCHED COMPOSITE BEAMS :

HAUNCHES MAY BE ADDED AT THE ENDS OF A COMPOSITE BEAM TO PROVIDE MOMENT CONTINUITY.THE STIFFNESS AND
STRENGTH OF THE CONNECTIONS MEAN THAT THE REST OF THE SPAN CAN BESHALLOWER, AND SERVICES PASSED UNDER
IT. IN BUILDINGS WHERE THE SERVICES ARE LIKELY TO NEEDFREQUENT REPLACEMENT ,HANGING THE SERVICES UNDER
THE BEAMS RATHER THAN PASSING THEMTHROUGH HOLES IN THE WEBS, OR THROUGH A TRUSS, CAN BE ADVANTAGEOUS.
SPANS IN EXCESS OF20 M CAN READILY BE ACHIEVED.
 COMPOSITE BEAMS
PARALLEL BEAM
WITH WEB OPENING

TAPERED GIRDERS HAUNCHED

BEAM COMPOSITE BEAMS
TRUSSES
A TRUSS IS ESSENTIALLY ATRIANGULATED SYSTEM OF STRAIGHT INTERCONNECTED STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; IT IS
SOMETIMES ALSOREFERRED TO AS AN OPEN WEB GIRDER. THE INDIVIDUAL ELEMENTS ARE CONNECTED AT NODES;
THECONNECTIONS ARE OFTEN ASSUMED TO BE NOMINALLY PINNED. THE EXTERNAL FORCES APPLIED TO THESYSTEM
AND THE REACTIONS AT THE SUPPORTS ARE GENERALLY APPLIED AT THE NODES. TRUSSES ARE USEDIN A BROAD
RANGE OF BUILDINGS, MAINLY WHERE THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR VERY LONG SPANS, SUCHAS IN AIRPORT
TERMINALS, AIRCRAFT HANGERS, SPORTS STADIA ROOFS, AUDITORIUMS AND OTHER LEISURE BUILDINGS. TRUSSES
ARE ALSO USED TO CARRY HEAVY LOADS AND ARE SOMETIMES USED AS TRANSFERSTRUCTURES. THIS ARTICLE
FOCUSES ON TYPICAL SINGLE STOREY INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS.

TYPES OF TRUSSES

PRATT TRUSS
PRATT TRUSSES ARE COMMONLY USED IN LONG SPAN BUILDINGS RANGING FROM 20 TO 100 M IN SPAN. INA
CONVENTIONAL PRATT TRUSS, DIAGONAL MEMBERS ARE IN TENSION FOR GRAVITY LOADS. THIS TYPE OFTRUSS IS USED
WHERE GRAVITY LOADS ARE PREDOMINANT AN ALTERNATIVE PRATT TRUSS IS SHOWN WHERETHE DIAGONAL MEMBERS
ARE IN TENSION FOR UPLIFT LOADS. THIS TYPE OF TRUSS IS USED WHERE UPLIFTLOADS ARE PREDOMINANT, WHICH
MAY BE THE CASE IN OPEN BUILDINGS SUCH AS AIRCRAFT HANGERS.
WARREN TRUSS
IN THIS TYPE OF TRUSS, DIAGONAL MEMBERS ARE ALTERNATIVELY IN TENSION AND IN COMPRESSION. THE
WARRENTRUSS HAS EQUAL LENGTH COMPRESSION AND TENSION WEB MEMBERS, AND FEWER MEMBERS THAN
APRATTTRUSS. A MODIFIED WARREN TRUSS MAY BE ADOPTED WHERE ADDITIONAL MEMBERS ARE INTRODUCED TO
PROVIDEA NODE AT PURLIN LOCATIONS.WARREN TRUSSES ARE COMMONLY USED IN LONG SPAN BUILDINGS RANGING
FROM20 TO 100 M IN SPAN.

PRATT TRUSS WARREN TRUSS

 LONG SPAN STRUCTURES
BEAMS
S.NO TYPE HOW TO CALCULATE THE QUANTITY MATERIAL AND INSTALLATION INSTALLATION UNITS RATE (in Rs)

Concrete quantity calculated by

1. Preparation and excavation for grade beam
multiplying the dimensions of beam, like
RCC contain steel,cement,F.A,C.A 2. Formwork installation for grade beam
1 RCC width, length and thickness of beam. CUM (M3) 11505.50/CUM
and water 3. Placing reinforcement of grade beam
To calculate the steel quantity in beam as
4. Pouring concrete for grade beam
2% of volume of concrete

Providing casting yard.

Precast concrete is produced by Fixing of beams casting beds and reinforcement cage.
casting concrete in a reusable Fabricating of cables.
PRECAST mold or "form" which is then Fixing of bursting links at both anchorage ends. 250/pc 2mm
2 Volume = Length × Width × Depth. CUM (M3)
CONCRETE BEAMS cured in a controlled environment, Installation of cable sheathing supported on profiling thick 3m wide
transported to the construction bars.
site and maneuvered into place Threading of strands, fixing of grout hose and forming
dead-end anchorages.
Prepare the Site.
Steel quantity is calculated by multiplying Set Up the Crane.
3 STEEL BEAMS the cross-section of steel with its total ASTM A36 steel Position the Steel Beams. SQM (M2)
density which can be 7850 kg/m3. Secure the Steel Beams.
Weld the Steel Beams
TRUSSES
S.NO TYPE HOW TO CALCULATE THE QUANTITY MATERIAL INSTALLATION UNITS RATE (in Rs)

Mark Roof Truss Positions.

Lift and Temporarily Brace the First Roof Truss.
Lift and Temporarily Brace Other Trusses. Width, Height,
1 PRATT truss count = ((roof length × 12)/24) + 1 ASTM A36 steel
Fix Permanent Braces and Remove Temporary Slope(M)
Bracing.
Double Check Vertical Alignment.

Mark Roof Truss Positions.

Lift and Temporarily Brace the First Roof Truss.
Lift and Temporarily Brace Other Trusses. Width, Height,
WARREN truss count = ((roof length × 12)/24) + 1 ASTM A36 steel
Fix Permanent Braces and Remove Temporary Slope(M)
Bracing.
Double Check Vertical Alignment.
2