Steel Buildings in Europe

Part 2: Concept Design 2 - 35 4 CONCEPT DESIGN OF TRUSS BUILDINGS 4.1 Introduction Many forms of truss are possible. Some of the common types of truss for single storey buildings are shown in Figure 4.1. Trusses are used for long spans, and particularly when significant loads must be carried by the roof structure, as the vertical deflection can be controlled by varying the member sizes. For industrial buildings, the W-truss N-truss and duo-pitch truss are common. The Fink truss is generally used for smaller spans. Comparing the W-truss and N-truss:  The W-truss has more open space between the internal members  The internal members of the W-truss may be larger, because a long diagonal member must carry compression – the compression members in the N-truss are short. 1 2 3 4 5 1 W-truss 2 N-truss 3 Duo-pitch truss 4 Fink truss 5 Curved truss Figure 4.1 Various forms of lattice truss used in industrial buildings