5 Reasons Your Building Needs a Steel Truss Roof

Feb. 21, 2024

What is a steel truss roof and why do you need one?

For defining context: a steel truss roof is a triangular system of interconnected elements. Usually trusses are made of wood or steel, although steel has become more popular in buildings over time.

Steel truss roofs are commonly used for several different reasons, including:

1. Quick and easy

Some of the advantages of steel trusses and steel truss roofing in terms of speed and ease of use include.

► Steel trusses can be flush mounted

►Lightweight, so cranes are not always necessary

►No special tools or training are required for installation, increasing speed

►Most work is pre-assembled off-site

►Steel truss roofs are easier to install in bad weather

Single truss

2. It can support larger loads

Steel roofing has a high strength-to-weight ratio. This also allows for roof designs with longer spans. In turn, this is why you will usually see a warehouse made mostly of steel.

A steel roof frame can support a lot of weight and can be carried over a long space. This makes it almost essential for projects like event venues or aircraft hangars.

3. Uniformity

Due to the natural growth environment of wood (i.e. from trees), it is difficult to obtain uniformity from wood.

Steel trusses are prefabricated in a factory with a high level of quality control. If you need steel trusses for your roof and order them, you order what arrives. This is not always the case with wood.

4. Steel truss roofing increases the life expectancy of the structure

... typically 2-3 times longer compared to flat roof solutions. Steel trusses can handle stress and tension with limited maintenance.

Additional reading:
Construction & Real Estate

5. Wind uplift

Why are trusses so efficient over long spans?
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First, you need to understand wind lift ranking.

There are several different ranking systems, none of which are perfect. Generally speaking, wind lift is what happens when air moves rapidly across a surface. (This is how an airplane wing works.)

When a building is tested for wind lift, it is essentially a safety measure for how safe the building will be in the event of a hurricane or other strong wind event.

Steel truss roofs can be designed to withstand very high levels of wind lift - including hurricane-force winds.

In addition, steel trusses are preferred in areas with high winter snow loads because they are highly resistant to compression. The roof will not cave in under those conditions.