Tension Ring
Tension Ring
(OP)
I've been looking at a turret design and trying to determine if I could run a strap around the tails of the rafters so that I could eliminate the internal bracing:

I'm trying to figure out how to calculate the tension in the strap given a uniform (snow load) on the turret roof. The steeper the pitch the less the tension in the strap. This reminds me of some of my calculus problems from my college days, but it is probably much simpler than that.
A larger overhang would counter the flattening effect of the load on the roof and reduce the tension in the strap.
If you take the tributary load at the center of the roof as half the distance from the center to the outside wall the point load at the center would be given as P = (S + D) * pi * (d/4)^2.
The horizontal force exerted by each rafter would then be: Fh = P/tan(Theta) * (1/n) where "n" equals the number of rafters.
The tension in the strap from basic statics would be T = (Fh/2) / cos(omega) where omega = 90 * (1 - 1/n).
Anyone care to check my math and see if it adds up?
I'm assuming an overhang of zero or at least conservatively ignoring the countering affect of the overhang.
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com

I'm trying to figure out how to calculate the tension in the strap given a uniform (snow load) on the turret roof. The steeper the pitch the less the tension in the strap. This reminds me of some of my calculus problems from my college days, but it is probably much simpler than that.
A larger overhang would counter the flattening effect of the load on the roof and reduce the tension in the strap.
If you take the tributary load at the center of the roof as half the distance from the center to the outside wall the point load at the center would be given as P = (S + D) * pi * (d/4)^2.
The horizontal force exerted by each rafter would then be: Fh = P/tan(Theta) * (1/n) where "n" equals the number of rafters.
The tension in the strap from basic statics would be T = (Fh/2) / cos(omega) where omega = 90 * (1 - 1/n).
Anyone care to check my math and see if it adds up?
I'm assuming an overhang of zero or at least conservatively ignoring the countering affect of the overhang.
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com





RE: Tension Ring
haven't worked through your formulae but it looks like you're assuming rafter thrust is the same for both the 'non-continuous' rafters as well as the rafters that are continuous to the ridge.
the framing system is something i might use in a pyramid shaped roof, which I've modeled in the past as intersecting 3 hinged arches, where the horizontal thrust of the 4 ridge beams is supported by a 'tension ring' with 4 'straight sides' each connection resolvable by 'basic statics'. the non-continuous rafters i would model as simply supported beams with no lateral thrust.
in the present case, if i looked at it as 4 intersecting 3 hinged arches, 8 ridge beams, but with tension ring consisting of 8 'curved sides'...the tendency to 'straighten that curve' will induce a thrust into the non-continuous rafters. (and yes, a diaphragm can be installed which will 'cover a multitude of sins', but to me the puzzle is to see how the system truly works)
as the model is extended further, at some point, the tension ring is perpendicular to the thrusting rafter and one is dividing by cos90-ish, as in your equation, and this is no longer basic, at least my kind of basic, statics.
Seems like a hoop stress condition, which I've seen but never worked through the math on....
RE: Tension Ring
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com
RE: Tension Ring
RE: Tension Ring
RE: Tension Ring
A confused student is a good student.
Nathaniel P. Wilkerson, PE
www.medeek.com
RE: Tension Ring
The overhang does not contribute to the strap tension but adds to the vertical reaction.
BA