Truss engineering involves designing and creating triangular structures from various materials for buildings, bridges, and towers. Professionals require advanced education and work with construction crews, architects, and engineers to ensure careful planning and a strong final product.
Truss engineering involves the design and creation of trusses made from one of several potential materials. Trusses are created from straight, slender pieces of material connected at multiple joints to form a triangular shape. They are primarily used to build a larger structure, with the truss shape and design adding strength and weather resistance to the overall structure. Trusses can be designed as flat trusses, which have a two-dimensional shape – most commonly used on roofs and floors – and spatial, three-dimensional trusses. Multiple trusses can also be combined.
Some truss engineering companies design and build prefabricated trusses to sell to construction and architectural firms. These designs are generally smaller in scale and used for floors and roofs in homes and other relatively small-scale buildings. Other companies may design their trusses and build them into the building rather than pre-fabricate them, thus customizing the appearance and size to fit a specific structure.
Bridges, skyscrapers and towers also implement the work of truss engineering professionals. More complex structures like these require detailed planning and often a more complex truss combination consisting of multiple units being used at the same time. Bridges and towers often combine flat, spatial trusses made of metal, although some bridges are made of wood.
More detailed aspects of truss engineering involve designing multiple trusses interlocked in a specific shape or for a specific purpose. Generally, the more complex the design, the stronger the structure. This is particularly important for the tops of skyscrapers and other tall buildings because they must withstand much stronger wind resistance than lower ground structures.
Professionals involved with truss engineering may require advanced education, depending on the level of responsibility. Crews specializing in truss construction, especially smaller ones, may need only minimal training. Designers and engineers who come up with the look and function of the truss usually need at least four years of education after high school.
Most truss engineering professionals work with others to complete a job, including construction crews, architects, and engineers in related fields. Building and implementing trusses requires careful planning to ensure the structure is as strong as possible. This means that all team members must work together to ensure the final product matches the original design. Any deviations from the plan can result in a weakened structure that is more prone to damage or, in the worst case scenario, an outright collapse.
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