×
INTELLIGENT WORK FORUMS
FOR ENGINEERING PROFESSIONALS

Log In

Come Join Us!

Are you an
Engineering professional?
Join Eng-Tips Forums!
  • Talk With Other Members
  • Be Notified Of Responses
    To Your Posts
  • Keyword Search
  • One-Click Access To Your
    Favorite Forums
  • Automated Signatures
    On Your Posts
  • Best Of All, It's Free!
  • Students Click Here

*Eng-Tips's functionality depends on members receiving e-mail. By joining you are opting in to receive e-mail.

Posting Guidelines

Promoting, selling, recruiting, coursework and thesis posting is forbidden.

Students Click Here

Jobs

Truss modifications

Truss modifications

Truss modifications

(OP)
So... I was a carpenter/builder by trade (all phases residential) before becoming a software engineer. Recently bought a house, and low and behold, there's enough room in the storage above the garage for a nice size office. It has engineered trusses, and modifying the longest strut is a no-brainer (giving me a 9'x14' office)... but I'd like to push it a bit further giving me a 12'x14' space. Rendering of the truss is as follows (forgive the lack of graphics). On the left is the original design, on the right, how I'd like ot modify it....
                             
            //\\
          / /  \ \
        /  /  -----\ <---proposed horizontal
      /   /          \ <--- proposed vertical
    /    /            |\
  //\   /             |/\\
/ /   \/              |  \ \
-----------------------------
             | |
             |_| <-proposed Glulam

  |----------23'----------|

Essentially, I intend to use a 3.5"x12" Glulam the width of the garage (20'W x23'L - supporting wall to supporting wall), and 2"x6" replacements for the 2"x4" struts, though vertical/horizontal vs. diagonal... and through-bolting into the roof joists and ceiling joists the 2"x6" supports, then removing the diagonal engineered supports.

My entire office load is easily under 2,000#'s... is this a reasonable reconstruction?

Thx,

Les
             

RE: Truss modifications

Les,
You haven't provided enough information for adequate response; however, these forums are not intended to do an overall design assessment of something like this.

Since you are modifying an existing structure and it involves code compliance and life safety, you should get a local structural engineer to take a look at it.

Ron

RE: Truss modifications

(OP)
Thanks Ron... I did have an architect take a look, and while he didn't think it would be a problem, he suggested I run it by a structural engineer before submitting it. Being 60+ mi from the nearest engineer, I was just hoping for an opinion here...

Les

Red Flag This Post

Please let us know here why this post is inappropriate. Reasons such as off-topic, duplicates, flames, illegal, vulgar, or students posting their homework.

Red Flag Submitted

Thank you for helping keep Eng-Tips Forums free from inappropriate posts.
The Eng-Tips staff will check this out and take appropriate action.

Reply To This Thread

Posting in the Eng-Tips forums is a member-only feature.

Click Here to join Eng-Tips and talk with other members!


Resources