2. A TRUSS IS ESSENTIALLY A TRIANGULATED
SYSTEM OF STRAIGHT INTERCONNECTED
STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS. THE MOST
COMMON USE OF TRUSSES IS IN BUILDINGS,
WHERE SUPPORT TO ROOFS, THE FLOORS
AND INTERNAL LOADING SUCH AS SERVICES
AND SUSPENDED CEILINGS, ARE READILY
PROVIDED. THE MAIN REASONS FOR USING
TRUSSES ARE:
 LONG SPAN
 LIGHTWEIGHT
 REDUCED DEFLECTION (COMPARED TO
PLAIN MEMBERS)
 OPPORTUNITY TO SUPPORT
CONSIDERABLE LOADS.
 THE PENALTY, HOWEVER, IS INCREASED
FABRICATION COSTS .

3.  SLENDER OR TUBULAR
MEMBERS
 WOODEN STRUTS
(OPTIONAL)
 METAL
BARS/ANGLES/CHANNELS
 RIVETS, WELDS
 GUSSET PLATE
 ASSEMBLING APPARATUS

4.  KING POST & QUEEN
POST TRUSS.
 WARREN TRUSS.
 HOWE TRUSS.
 PRATT TRUSS.
 PARKER TRUSS.
 ENGLISH TRUSS.
 K- TRUSS.
 BALTIMORE TRUSS.
 CONTINUOUS TRUSS.
 BOWSTRING TRUSS.
 SAW-TOOTH TRUSS.
 SCISSOR

5.  HEEL - THE POINT ON THE TRUSS WHERE THE
TOP AND BOTTOM CHORDS INTERSECT
 SLOPE - THE VERTICAL RISE IN INCHES FOR
EVERY 12 INCHES OF HORIZONTAL RUN.
 PANEL LENGTH - THE HORIZONTAL DISTANCE
BETWEEN THE CENTERLINES OF TWO
CONSECUTIVE PANEL POINTS ALONG THE TOP
OR BOTTOM CHORD.
 PEAK - THE POINT ON THE TRUSS WHERE THE
SLOPED CHORDS MEET.
 TOP CHORD - HORIZONTAL DISTANCE
BETWEEN THE CENTERLINES OF TWO
CONSECUTIVE PANEL POINTS ALONG THE TOP
OR BOTTOM CHORD.
 CONTINUOUS LATERAL BRACE - MEMBERS
INSTALLED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO A CHORD OR
WEB MEMBER OF A TRUSS TO PROVIDE
STABILITY TO THE TRUSS. ALL LATERAL
BRACES MUST BE STABILIZED.
 OVERALL HEIGHT - VERTICAL DISTANCE
BETWEEN BEARING AND THE UPPERMOST
POINT OF THE PEAK.
 WEDGE - THE TRIANGULAR PIECE OF LUMBER
INSERTED BETWEEN THE TOP AND BOTTOM
CHORDS, USUALLY TO ALLOW THE TRUSS TO
CANTILEVER.
 BOTTOM CHORD - THE INCLINE OR
HORIZONTAL MEMBER THAT ESTABLISHES
THE BOTTOM OF A TRUSS, USUALLY
CARRYING COMBINED TENSION AND BENDING
STRESS.
 SPLICE - THE LOCATION AT WHICH TWO
CHORD MEMBERS ARE JOINED TOGETHER TO
FORM A SINGLE MEMBER. IT MAY OCCUR AT A
PANEL POINT OR BETWEEN PANEL POINTS.
 PANEL POINT - ALSO CALLED A JOINT, IT'S
THE LOCATION ON A TRUSS WHERE THE WEB
MEMBERS AND TOP OR BOTTOM CHORDS
INTERSECT AND ARE CONNECTED BY METAL
CONNECTOR PLATES.
 WEB - THE MEMBERS THAT JOIN THE TOP AND
BOTTOM CHORDS TO FORM THE TRIANGULAR
PATTERNS TYPICAL OF TRUSSES.
• WEDGE - THE TRIANGULAR PIECE OF
LUMBER INSERTED BETWEEN THE
TOP AND BOTTOM CHORDS, USUALLY
TO ALLOW THE TRUSS TO
CANTILEVER.
• BOTTOM CHORD - THE INCLINE OR
HORIZONTAL MEMBER THAT
ESTABLISHES THE BOTTOM OF A
TRUSS, USUALLY CARRYING
COMBINED TENSION AND BENDING
STRESS.
• SPLICE - THE LOCATION AT WHICH
TWO CHORD MEMBERS ARE JOINED
TOGETHER TO FORM A SINGLE
MEMBER. IT MAY OCCUR AT A PANEL
POINT OR BETWEEN PANEL POINTS.
• PANEL POINT - ALSO CALLED A JOINT,
IT'S THE LOCATION ON A TRUSS
WHERE THE WEB MEMBERS AND TOP
OR BOTTOM CHORDS INTERSECT
AND ARE CONNECTED BY METAL
CONNECTOR PLATES.
• WEB - THE MEMBERS THAT JOIN THE
TOP AND BOTTOM CHORDS TO FORM
THE TRIANGULAR PATTERNS TYPICAL
OF TRUSSES.

6. A KING POST IS ALSO KNOWN AS CROWN POST TRUSS. IT IS THE SIMPLEST FORM OF
TRUSS .IS USED FOR SIMPLE ROOF TRUSSES AND SHORT-SPAN BRIDGES.
KING POST TRUSS
IS SIMILAR TO A KING POST TRUSS. IT IS USED FOR SIMPLE ROOF TRUSSES AND SHORT-
SPAN BRIDGES. A SUPPORTING POST DESIGNED TO SPAN LONGER OPENINGS THAN A KING
POST.
A KING POST USES ONE CENTRAL SUPPORTING POST, WHEREAS THE QUEEN POST USES
QUEEN POST TRUSS

9.  PINNED/BOLTED
CONNECTIONS
 GUSSET PLATE
CONNECTIONS

10.  TUBULAR CONNECTIONS
WELDED
CONNECTION
S
PINNED
CONNECTION
S

11.  ROOF OF FACTORY
SHADE.
 WARE HOUSE
 RAILWAY PLATFORM
 GARAGE SHED
 TRANSMISSION
TOWERS
 CRANE TRUSS
 BRIDGE TRUSS
 SPORTS STADIUM
TRUSS

12. ROOF TRUSS TERMINOLOGY

13. ROOF TRUSS TYPE

14. BRIDGE TRUSS TERMINOLOGY

15. BRIDGE TRUSS TYPE

16. Eiffel
Tower

17.  Height – 324 m
 Located in Champ de Mars, Paris
 Iron Lattice Tower
 Named after its engineer, Gusatve Eiffel
 The tower has three levels for visitors
 Restaurants on the first & second
 Observatory on the third
Construction started 28 January 1887
Completed 15 March 1889
Opening 31 March 1889

18. Design of the Eiffel Tower was
originated by Maurice
Koechlin and Émile Nouguier, two
senior engineers
Gustave Eiffel
Described by Koechlin as "a
great pylon, consisting of four
lattice girders standing apart at the
base and coming together at the top,
joined together by metal trusses at
regular intervals"
Initially Gustave Eiffel himself
showed little enthusiasm, but he did
sanction further study of the project
It was only after the head architect,
Sauvestre added decorative arches to
the base, a glass pavilion to the first
level, and other embellishments did
the design grab Gustav Eiffel’s praise
Stephen Sauvestre

19. Initial drawing of Eiffel Tower by
Maurice Koechlin

20. The foundation of the Eiffel Tower was very
important because it needed to be able to
successfully hold a load of about 10,000 tons.
As a result of the weak soil, Gustave Eiffel
created a two-system foundation for the
Eiffel Tower.
The use of casings alllowed the
engineers to take up the
challenge and avoid water leaks
while reinforcing the foundations
with the adding of brickwork and
concrete. It only took four months
for the foundations then the
building of the pillars started.
The North and West pillars of the
Eiffel Tower were close to the
Seine River. It caused serious
problems to the foundations since
a stable soil was needed to build
the Eiffel Tower.
Use of Caissons

22. The Eiffel Tower’s base is composed of four
legs. In these legs are 2 anchor bolts that are
each 26 feet long and 4 inches in diameter.
One part of Eiffel’s plan for the foundation of
the structure was the placement of a
hydraulic jack. The hydraulic jack was used
to enable the raising or lowing of the platform
to make certain it was level.
Erecting the metal work

23. 7 December 1887:
Construction of the legs
with scaffolding.

24. 20 March 1888:
Completion of 1st level.

25. 15 May 1888: Start
of construction of
second stage.

26. 21 August 1888:
Completion to
2nd level

27. 26 December
1888:
Construction of
upper stage

28. 15 March
1889:
Construction
of cupola

29. The puddled
iron (wrought iron)
structure of the
Eiffel Tower
weighs 7,300
tonnes, while the
entire structure,
including non-
metal
components, is
approximately
10,000 tonnes
Depending on the ambient
temperature, the top of the tower may
shift away from the sun by up to 18 cm
(7.1 in) because of thermal
expansion of the metal on the side
View from
below the tower

30. Three
lifts (North, East,
and West pillars )
will take you up to
the 1st and 2nd
floors (115m). To
visit the top floor
(276m), visitors
needs to change
lifts at 2nd floor

31. Maintenance of the tower includes
applying 50 to 60 tonnes (49 to 59 long
tons; 55 to 66 short tons) of paint
every seven years to protect it
from rust. The height of the Eiffel
Tower varies by 15 cm (5.9 in) due to
temperature.

32. Eiffel Tower during the Bastille
Day
Bastille Day is the name
given in English-speaking
countries to
the French National Day,
which is celebrated on 14
July each year

35. JS