LSU Lap Nailed Truss

Al_Smith · January 30, 2014, 06:24:08 PM

Before deck screws as we know them were readily available I had used Elmers out door rated construction glue and ring shank nails .That was over 40 years ago and that structure is as sound today as the day it was built .

Once you get the "layout" on a truss and make a jig it doesn't take long to build them .You can't do it in 12 minutes each though .Tell ya what you can build them twice as strong for half the money if you do it yourself rather than get ready mades .

hackberry jake · January 30, 2014, 08:57:31 PM

Quote from: Ohio_Bill on January 28, 2014, 09:12:51 PM
Al, my nephew just built a large shop 52 by 40 and put the whole thing together with high tech screws with an impact driver. I think he used 250 dollars worth of screws but nails are not cheep either.

torx head screws and a dewalt 18v impact driver is an amazing combination. Thats all I use for everything I build. Even fine woodwork. If I can use them without being seen I will. The impact driver has a much higher unloaded speed than a traditional drill so it starts screws almost instantly. It is also much easier on bits. I would've though otherwise, but a bit will last three times longer in the impact driver than it will in the drill. Its also lighter and will fit in smaller places. there is over 30 lbs of screw in my sawshed. If i ever get hit with a twister, thats the building i wanna be in.

swampbuggy · January 30, 2014, 09:10:26 PM

I was wondering about LSU and the notation for "snow load" in the PDF, but then I guess they have to worry about that in the south now do to " Climate Change" and all! :D ;D

Swamp

mikeb1079 · January 30, 2014, 11:03:06 PM

Quotetorx head screws and a dewalt 18v impact driver is an amazing combination.

plus one on that! very handy to have a box of those around when you're building things...

hackberry jake · January 31, 2014, 04:28:41 PM

Quote from: mikeb1079 on January 30, 2014, 11:03:06 PM
Quotetorx head screws and a dewalt 18v impact driver is an amazing combination.

plus one on that! very handy to have a box of those around when you're building things...

at $100 a box they arent cheap but a box goes a log ways. I try to keep a box of 3", a box of 2.5", and 5lb tubs of 1.125" and 1.625 at all times.

logwalker · February 01, 2014, 11:32:20 AM

I used the Midwest Plan Service when I built my Home/Shop. They have plywood gusset truss designs to 60' span. I bought the $14 handbook and the whole thing went very well.

https://www-mwps.sws.iastate.edu/catalog/construction/design-glued-trusses

barbender · February 01, 2014, 08:38:16 PM

Some of the plans that I have looked at for similar lap nailed trusses in the past specified hardened ring shank pole barn nails.

leroy in kansas · February 01, 2014, 09:14:41 PM

Quote from: Al_Smith on January 28, 2014, 04:45:38 AM
Well they look plenty strong enough .I do like the pictures too showing those southern Ohio hills .People crossing the state in the north think Ohio is flat as Kansas they just haven't seen the whole state ;)

The same can be said of Kansas. 8)

scsmith42 · February 02, 2014, 12:01:24 AM

Very interesting design; thanks for sharing. I would think that if the trusses were assembled with glue and a nail gun (as per Al's trusses), they would hold up just fine.

Does anybody have a design for a truss system that is designed to be supported only in the middle of the span? I'd like to build some structures for air drying hardwoods that are only supported by a line of posts down the middle (under the ridge beam). I'm thinking of something about 20' deep under roof, and around 100' long or so. Perhaps with telephone poles every 10' or thereabouts supporting the roof structure. My goal is to not have any "bays" in it, rather have it be open on the sides. Any suggestions?

Al_Smith · February 02, 2014, 08:39:54 PM

I suppose you could build something like that of wood .The only things I've seen along that order were covered walk ways around train stations etc. but they were steel .

I imagine you'd need to diagonal brace the trusses and box in the gable ends else the wind shear could tear it apart about one strong gust .If you used good stout poles and diagonal braced them going into the bottom of the trusses it might work .I certainly wouldn't try it with 4 by 4's .

Al_Smith · February 02, 2014, 08:44:46 PM

Quote from: leroy in kansas on February 01, 2014, 09:14:41 PM
Quote from: Al_Smith on January 28, 2014, 04:45:38 AM
Well they look plenty strong enough .I do like the pictures too showing those southern Ohio hills .People crossing the state in the north think Ohio is flat as Kansas they just haven't seen the whole state ;)

The same can be said of Kansas. 8)

Well quite frankly parts of northern Ohio are flater than a trip on I-70 through Kansas .

5quarter · February 03, 2014, 09:20:25 PM

SCSmith...I think Reid (member Ironwood) got his hands on some of those structures a couple years ago. don't know if he's put them up yet. you might want to pm him.

scsmith42 · February 03, 2014, 10:20:13 PM

Al / 5quarter: Thanks for the suggestions.

Al_Smith · February 03, 2014, 10:39:23 PM

On an open design drying shed you would not have wind shear on the side walls because there aren't any .I think more than anything the worry would be trussing the roof so it didn't blow off .

As an after thought I've seen roofs which were shorter in state rest areas .Just two center posts with a trussed roof .I think the key to a center post thing is as I've said is stout posts and lots of bracing .

scsmith42 · February 04, 2014, 08:39:27 AM

Quote from: Al_Smith on February 03, 2014, 10:39:23 PM
On an open design drying shed you would not have wind shear on the side walls because there aren't any .I think more than anything the worry would be trussing the roof so it didn't blow off .

As an after thought I've seen roofs which were shorter in state rest areas .Just two center posts with a trussed roof .I think the key to a center post thing is as I've said is stout posts and lots of bracing .

Good points all. I think that I wound need to support them from the bottom chord in the center, in a way that provides uplift as well as download resistance. Perhaps a double top plate that runs between the posts, with the bottom chord of the trusses sandwiched between the double plates.

Al_Smith · February 04, 2014, 09:12:11 AM

You'd about need bracing from side to side plus lengthwise .Set the poles deep ,like 6 feet .

BCrabtree · February 04, 2014, 03:05:03 PM

Quote from: scsmith42 on February 02, 2014, 12:01:24 AM
Very interesting design; thanks for sharing. I would think that if the trusses were assembled with glue and a nail gun (as per Al's trusses), they would hold up just fine.

Does anybody have a design for a truss system that is designed to be supported only in the middle of the span? I'd like to build some structures for air drying hardwoods that are only supported by a line of posts down the middle (under the ridge beam). I'm thinking of something about 20' deep under roof, and around 100' long or so. Perhaps with telephone poles every 10' or thereabouts supporting the roof structure. My goal is to not have any "bays" in it, rather have it be open on the sides. Any suggestions?

You might want to look at the Cantilever Barn Design from the eastern parts of Tennessee. They have a central support system and wide overhanging sides.