Trusses in context

General

• Trusses are often used as repetitive lightweight members, such as steel "bar joists" and timber pre-manufactured trusses.

  

• Trusses are also used for heavily loaded long spans requiring more structural depth than a practical beam can provide.

  

• In buildings, trusses (and other systems) may be organized on a scale larger than a single story to achieve large cantilevers or other spatial objectives.

  

Three dimensional trusses

• Trusses are not limited to planar assemblies, and can be arranged as three-dimensional frameworks, commonly called space frames.

  

• Space frames can span a large area while presenting little visual hierarchy.

  

Vertical cantilevers: bracing in tall buildings

• Tall buildings frequently use vertical trusses to resist lateral loads (such trusses are typically called braced frames).

• The trusses are often used as visual or spatial elements.

• Such structure may be completely outside the building skin, in the same plane, or inside.