Old Wood Trusses and Long Term Creep
Old Wood Trusses and Long Term Creep
(OP)
We are looking at an old church, built about 1910, that has its main sanctuary roof framed with some wood trusses.
The trusses are of two kinds - one is a simply 2x truss with verticals and diagonals (all set on the flat - i.e. the truss was probably built on its side with 2x members laying flat) and nailed into the horizontal chords with
about 5 nails. These we call Truss type B.
Truss Type A is also made of multiple 2x wood parallel chords with vertical steel pipes (all in tension) and diagonal built-up 2x wood web members (all in compression). The diagonals simply are notched into the inside edges of the horizontal chord members and attached with some nominal nailing.
Both trusses, especially truss type A, have sagged about 4 to 5 inches and the plaster ceiling has some cracks that
have appeared in the last year or so.
The NDS 97 has some rough stuff in the appendix that discusses long term creep, basically using a factor of 2 on the sustained load deflections.
We haven't taken samples of the wood yet. Everything in the truss looks good (no dry rot, moisture damage, etc.) except for the fact that its sagging. All the joints and connections show no signs of slip or compressive distress.
Are there any specific articles, research, documents....or....your own experience...that you all could post here to add to my knowledge of this sort of condition?
The trusses are of two kinds - one is a simply 2x truss with verticals and diagonals (all set on the flat - i.e. the truss was probably built on its side with 2x members laying flat) and nailed into the horizontal chords with
about 5 nails. These we call Truss type B.
Truss Type A is also made of multiple 2x wood parallel chords with vertical steel pipes (all in tension) and diagonal built-up 2x wood web members (all in compression). The diagonals simply are notched into the inside edges of the horizontal chord members and attached with some nominal nailing.
Both trusses, especially truss type A, have sagged about 4 to 5 inches and the plaster ceiling has some cracks that
have appeared in the last year or so.
The NDS 97 has some rough stuff in the appendix that discusses long term creep, basically using a factor of 2 on the sustained load deflections.
We haven't taken samples of the wood yet. Everything in the truss looks good (no dry rot, moisture damage, etc.) except for the fact that its sagging. All the joints and connections show no signs of slip or compressive distress.
Are there any specific articles, research, documents....or....your own experience...that you all could post here to add to my knowledge of this sort of condition?





RE: Old Wood Trusses and Long Term Creep
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They have several other papers on the topic, though at 12 years this seems to be the longest term. Results seem to show a constant rate of creep after the first 5-10 years, which to me would indicate plastic behavior and is consistent with the models I've seen used.
RE: Old Wood Trusses and Long Term Creep
"Longtime Performance of Trussed Rafters With Different Connections Systems", form FPL (nailed joints are the poorest performers)
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"Structural Performance of Light-Frame Truss Roof Assemblies", also from FPL
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"Inspection of Wood Beams & Trusses", from NAVFAC
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"Conclusions from Theoretical Analysis, Construction, and Behavior of Timber Spacial Structures"
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www.SlideRuleEra.net
RE: Old Wood Trusses and Long Term Creep
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www.SlideRuleEra.net