It is most often used for roof construction. The pitched truss, or common truss, is characterized by its triangular shape.Large planar structures may be composed from tetrahedrons with common edges and they are also employed in the base structures of large free-standing power line pylonsĪ large timber Howe truss in a commercial building For more truss types, see List of truss types or Truss Bridge. A tetrahedron shape is the simplest space truss, consisting of six members which meet at four joints. Space frame trussĪ space frame truss is a three-dimensional framework of members pinned at their ends. An optimum depth of the truss will maximize the efficiency. For a given span length, a deeper truss will require less material in the chords and greater material in the verticals and diagonals. A solid girder or beam of equal strength would have substantial weight and material cost as compared to a truss. The depth of a truss, or the height between the upper and lower chords, is what makes it an efficient structural form. Planar trusses are typically used in parallel to form roofs and bridges. The traditional diamond-shape bicycle frame, which utilizes two conjoined triangles, is an example of a simple truss. Because of the stability of this shape and the methods of analysis used to calculate the forces within it, a truss composed entirely of triangles is known as a simple truss.

and in other mechanical structures such as bicycles and aircraft. This type of truss is seen in a framed roof consisting of rafters and a ceiling joist. The simplest form of a truss is one single triangle.

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