Steel trusses for your building project in Chicago, Il
Steel Trusses For Your Building Project, By Structural Beam
What if I told you, that the roof of your house could be erected in one, two days tops? And the floors could be installed in a few days, too? Roof erection and flooring installation pave the way to the interior works and fast completion of your house. Steel trusses can do that for you, reliably and inexpensively. We have them for sale in Chicago, Il, We have them for sale in Chicago, Il, call your local supplier at 773-917-8998 today for a free price quote!
What is a truss, anyway?
Depends who you ask, really.
An engineer would say that truss is a structure, consisting of two force members, that behaves like a single object. A fabricator would probably add, that truss is a manufactured rigid structure of assembled members, connected by nodes. They both would agree, that truss is a triangulated system of straight interconnected structural elements. The builder would probably add, that it’s an open web girder.
In plain English, a roof truss creates a frame of your house roof. And a floor truss supports the floor you walk on, just like a floor joist/girder system. The roof trusses’ shape determines your house’s roof shape. Plain English works the best for me.
Roof trusses
The hot-rolled ASTM A36 beams of different sections are most often used for metal roof trusses manufacturing for residential construction
- L, or angle section
- C-section
- I-section
Floor trusses
These days for most residential applications, floor steel trusses are made from cold-formed ASTM A1003 steel profiles, factory-plated with aluminum or zinc to protect steel from corrosion.
Steel truss manufacturing
The metal trusses are manufactured in certified factory settings, according to stringent standards and regulations, by highly skilled and certified ironworkers.
The operations in steel truss fabrication are similar to ones used in any structural steel fabrications, namely cutting of member to size and assembly, by welding or bolting together of structural elements.
To say the least, there’s a huge variety of roof trusses, that provide structural support for many different roof shapes.
Kingpost and Queenpost, Fink truss, the fan truss, the 6:4 truss, the Howe aka the K truss, the double W truss, the raised tie, and a scissors truss, and the hip truss, probably for millennials, the modified scissors truss, and the mono truss, to name a few. And the Goofy truss, named after yours truly. But seriously, there’s a huge variety of trusses possible in architectural engineering.
Let’s consider the three most common metal truss types: the Fink, the Howe or K truss, and the fan truss, which are the basis for all other truss designs.
The Fink metal truss
The Fink truss is by far the most common type of steel truss, used in residential construction projects. The W-shaped webbing is characteristic of the Fink truss. This shape gives the metal Fink truss a great load-bearing quality. Fink truss allows for large spans up to 20 feet, that’s enough for most of the residential construction projects.
The K/ the Howe metal truss
The K truss is characterized by its K-shaped webbing. It is a girder truss since it supports on-coming trusses when there are no supporting walls available.
There are many ways steel trusses can benefit your house construction project. At Structural Beam, we’ve got all types of steel trusses for sale near you, in Chicago, Il. Our expert explains the benefits of using them, please listen up.
Lighter weight, higher strength.
Steel truss has an excellent weight/strength ratio. Your roof will be well supported to withstand the forces of nature like wind and snow. But not only that, the spanning capacity of steel truss is superior.
Goodbye to the gable wall
Steel trusses let you do away with the gable wall, and it’s a good thing. If you are really into the gable walls, you can still have them, along with the roof trusses, sure. Otherwise, metal roof trusses will do an excellent job in ridding your exterior walls of that extra weight, and your wallet from that extra expenditure. Gable wall, bye-bye!
Freedom of space
Metal trusses transfer the load of the roof on the exterior walls, thus eliminating the need for interior support walls. The developer can do away with walls and allow for open-concept living space, a very popular and very attractive way to organize the living.
Ease of future renovation/home improvement projects
In the absence of internal load-supporting walls, the living space can be easily re-arranged later on, since non-loadbearing walls can be removed and moved without much hustle.
Structural consistency
The steel truss is as consistent structurally, as they come. Prefabricated from uniform metal beam products, in the controlled factory environment and to exact specs, every truss passes through thorough quality control. Trusses embody the blueprints to an angle and to an inch, and they arrive at the site completely ready for installation, with those pre-welded purlin cups and installation hardware.
Long live span
Indeed, a metal truss is made of steel, an incredibly sturdy and resistant material. Properly coated, it requires virtually zero maintenance and thus saves a lot of money. Structural steel the trusses are made of is not only strong but also ductile, and as such, sudden fail-proof. Any deformation will show and indicate the need to pay attention and fix the structure well prior to the failure.
Holding the punch
Engineered in the right way, a metal truss can take a lot of beating, and protect you from extreme weather events like a hurricane, a tornado, or a strong windstorm.
Impervious to termites and rodents
Self-evident, nature is yet to produce a structural steel-munching pest, even though these days you never know. No need for potentially toxic wooden frame treatment.
Free from mold and fungus
Fungus and mold can really grow on wood in humid warmer climates, steel truss is not affected by it, ever. It also contributes to the longevity of metal truss-supported roofs.
Fire-resistance
The roof, the roof. The roof is NOT on the fire ever, with steel truss support. By using modern coating with fire-retardant, trusses are impervious to fire. It’s nice to know that your roof is anything but a source of possible fire danger.
Which is cheaper wood or steel trusses?
If you are looking 5 years plus down the road, the steel trusses are cheaper than the wood ones. With prices of lumber skyrocketing and all the drawbacks of wood as a construction material compared to steel, you are going to save on using steel trusses for your home’s construction. They’ll serve you longer and better. We’ve got all types of steel trusses available for sale in Chicago, Il, call Structural Beam today at 1773-917-8998 and get a free price estimate!
How far can a steel truss span?
Steel truss can span up to 40 feet with ease, and that’s the maximum used span in modern house construction. Longer spans are possible, too, but they are impractical and way too expensive.
What are the 3 types of trusses?
The Fink truss, the Howe truss, and the fan truss are three basic types of truss. Truss is a highly variable construction element, and there’s a truss for pretty much any task you can come up with. At Structural Beam, we are well-versed in truss applications, let’s find that perfect steel trusses solution for your house construction project!
