Roof Trusses

[Novanut]

Does anyone know of a place to get plans for metal roof trusses?
Like the ones used in a pole barn. Need to build a shed for my tractor and some equipment. Thanks in advance.

[d110pickup]

I've been thinking the same thing. How difficult would it be to fab our own trusses for (in my case) a shop. Pour a flat, level slab, create a jig, and weld the trusses right there. I've got a few engineer friends that I'm sure will help with design, spec.s, etc.

Has anyone tried this?

Thanks,
Mike Pado

[John Cobb]

I built a 30X36 clear span with 2"- 14ga. sq. tube. The pitch was about a 12:4. Never had a problem. You may, depending on where you live have to go with some sort of pre-engineered building. Some cities & towns really frown on certain things.

[redbeard]

Just a little input...

I am a licensed contractor and worked for the local building dept. for a while here in Michigan. At least in Michigan, if your building is over 200 sq. ft., or on a permanent foundation, you will probably have to obtain a building permit and have it inspected. The inspector will probably not be a certified engineer, so will want to see a set of prints for the trusses which has been sealed by a certified engineer. The reason I mention this is that you may want to visit your local building dept. and discuss your plans in advance to avoid problems. They may even be able to help you find good sources of information regarding truss designs.

[d110pickup]

Keep the thoughts coming guys. One of my friends is an engineer and has his P.E. I'm sure he'll help me out on the technical end. And yeah, I'd go to the local zoning and buiding dept. before I actually built anything.

Novanut, thanks for starting this thread, I've been thinking the same thing for a while.
Mike Pado

[Franz]

Try this

Just might be the information you're looking for.

http://www.jfba.com/modeling-program.htm

[double R]

another source for truss dimensions and proper detailing is from the architectural graphic standards...they have drawings and dimensions of typical trusses...i have the book and can scan some pages for you if you want...

[ChadRat]

my shop, I like to call it barn. 30 x 30 insulated. I bought a kit from www.indacometals.com and welded and screwed it together. The engineered trusses where pre made. There is plenty of cutting and welding to do on the purlins. It was a really big project. I like how it turned out.

[d110pickup]

Thanks Franz the site looks pretty useful.

Chadrat, I need the shop building to match the house in appearance. How difficult would it be to side it with Hardieplank siding and put a conventional (shingle) roof on it? Will it defeat the purpose of a metal building?
Thanks,
Mike Pado

[ChadRat]

d110,
well where I come from, everyone has metal buildings. They don't look too bad. They have a durable finish and come in lots of different colors. Just get colors that go well with your house. The big debate here is whether to use wood or metal for a frame. Here is a shot of my barn. We don't have shops we all have barns.

[cope]

Chad Rat, IMHO, if it has a floor its a shop; if its dirt, its a barn!

[ChadRat]

Cope,
That makes sense. We are just a bunch of wanna be farmers and ranchers that we call our shops, barns. One of my friends who was raised on a farm calls it a shed.

[Bobby]

Originally posted by d110pickup
Keep the thoughts coming guys. One of my friends is an engineer and has his P.E. I'm sure he'll help me out on the technical end. And yeah, I'd go to the local zoning and buiding dept. before I actually built anything.

If you're friend is a PE then he should be able to design the truss fairly easily. metal trusses are usually designed for the specific application just like wood trusses are. They take into account bearing points, spacing and pitch.

[Royal Fe]

ChadRat, Awsome building, if you don't mind me asking what did the barn cost? I need a 20X26 building two stories high. In this part of the country we call them garages but this one will be shop with "MAN ROOM" above!

[banzaitoyota]

I bought a 25 x 32 x 16 Pioneer Steel arch building for 3800