Wood Trusses in a Corrosive Environment
Wood Trusses in a Corrosive Environment
(OP)
All,
I'm designing a on a one story chemical building at a water treatment plant constructed with CMU walls and wood trusses. Some of the chemicals include chloride, fluoride, sodium chlorite & aluminum chlorohydrate. I’m thinking about specifying the wood trusses with stainless steel plates for corrosion protection. Does this sound reasonable? What might be some of the pitfalls with this system?
TIA
I'm designing a on a one story chemical building at a water treatment plant constructed with CMU walls and wood trusses. Some of the chemicals include chloride, fluoride, sodium chlorite & aluminum chlorohydrate. I’m thinking about specifying the wood trusses with stainless steel plates for corrosion protection. Does this sound reasonable? What might be some of the pitfalls with this system?
TIA






RE: Wood Trusses in a Corrosive Environment
Is the underside of the trusses to be closed off with a lid? If so, might want to vent the top portion with fans.
I might also think of a special protective coating for the inside of the CMU wall due to the presence of chloride and chlorohydrate.
Could also create a mechanical air flow system with a greater pressure in the roof (attic) if present, to prevent the chemicals from getting to the truss connections.
Mike McCann
McCann Engineering
RE: Wood Trusses in a Corrosive Environment
It is always helpful to talk to some one in the field with experience in the corrosion of metal in the environment you are designing for.
I've done glulam trusses in water treatment plants with primed steel and zinc plated hardware. I've also worked on jobs where a powder coated system or zinc rich paint system has been used.
One of my co-workers who worked with the construction of fertilizer buildings, would just add 1/8" to the required plate steel thickness. The idea was that the time it took the thicker plates to corrode, was longer then the life span of the building.
RE: Wood Trusses in a Corrosive Environment
RE: Wood Trusses in a Corrosive Environment