What Is Truss Construction?

Trusses

• Technically, a truss constitutes a solid structure formed by the assemblage of individual beams, almost always made from wood or metal. Trusses usually come in the form of a triangle, leading some to believe the definition of a truss requires a triangular shape. Truss construction constitutes any portion of a building project employing pre-fabricated trusses as a construction material. Most structures involving trusses only contain trusses in certain places, meaning the phrase "truss construction" refers only to certain portions of a structure, or those with actual trusses in place. Builders assemble trusses away from the building site and transport them.

Wooden Truss Construction

• Construction projects employ wooden trusses most commonly in the construction of truss frames. A truss frame constitutes a building in which support for the floor and ceiling of the building comes from a network of triangular trusses. Builders place trusses very close together beneath the floorboards of buildings to support the material used in the construction of the floor. In roofs, interconnected trusses form a latticework of support mimicking the shape of the roof to provide protection against collapse. Wooden trusses generally only appear in wooden houses, as heavy materials such as stone, cement or metal may overburden wooden supports.

Metal Truss Construction

• Metal trusses, almost always made from steel in the 21st century, figure in the construction of projects such a skyscrapers and bridges. The strength of steel and structural integrity of triangles as a form allows steel trusses to carry considerable weight without duress. In bridge construction, steel trusses form an entire frame, from the floor, over which builders pour concrete, asphalt or cement, to the sides and top of a bridge. Some large railway bridges feature truss construction. In tall buildings, steel trusses perform a similar function to wooden trusses in truss frame buildings.

Truss vs. Solid Beam Design

• Wooden truss construction may appear identical to solid beam wooden design. Construction projects often used wooden beams in structures similar to those formed by trusses. However, a very important difference exist between these two. Solid beam designs comprise a number of separate elements formed into triangular shapes as a means of structural support. Trusses, on the other hand, constitute single objects formed from a number of component beams. Builders fit trusses into structures as fully formed units, while composing support systems of solid beams on site during the construction process.