Bowstring Truss Roof Construction

However they remain in place in older pre 1960s building stock.

Bowstring truss roof construction.

While once a staple in the structural design of buildings with long span roofs the bowstring truss is now a piece of construction history. Bowstring roof trusses usually large and arched the bowstring trusses give support to the building s weight such as the aircraft hangars and the warehouses that require a lot of open space inside. Bowstring trusses have the appearance of a rounded top chord utilizing many top chord panels of varying pitch. Buildings that contain any type of truss construction are susceptible to collapse from fire exposure in a very short amount of time.

Bowstring trusses can be manufactured today to match existing structures or to match the look of an older industrial style building. Multi member chord summerbell roof structures multi member mono chord vo vec roof structures multi member chord commercial roof structures multi member chord national truss company multi member chord easybow trusses by u. 5 most common commercial bowstring truss manufacturers in california arch rib truss co. They were very popular in the early 1900s before trusses were built with metal connector plates.

All bowstring trusses are not created equal and do not share the same characteristics when found in a building and occupancy. One of the most easily identifiable when able to be visualized. They are controversial today because of how they react when exposed to fire. Buildings built with bowstring truss roof structures have a number of other factors that can make them susceptible to collapse.

For example bowstring trusses can be constructed of wood or steel. The major hazard attributable to timber truss construction which includes all timber truss roofs not just the bowstring arch may not be the construction itself but a combination of the following. The property management company for a local pizza restaurant chain contacted us to repair a series of bowstring trusses to the 60 year old building that the restaurant occupied. Several beams make up the arch while the roof outside is made up of metal sheets or other materials.