What kind of truss is this?

[awcivil]

Can anyone tell me what kind of truss is shown in the attached picture and how it is build.

 

[civeng80]

From what I can see it doesn't look like a truss at all but maybe some tying members across a hip a rafter type construction with some curved members.

 

[Ron]

It is not a truss. It looks like a variation of a geodesic, curved plate structure.

 

[Ron]

ps....it is like a proprietary design.

 

[Ron]

pps...meant to say "it is LIKELY a proprietary design"

 

[msquared48]

A Structural engineer's attempt at bad Architecture? Primitive honeycomb structure?

I see similar construction in the Tacoma Dome, but based on triangles rather than the parallellograms shown here. I also see hip and ridge beams here, and I use the term "beams" loosely, very loosely.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

 

[hydtools]

Maybe Diamond Truss System?

http://books.google.com/books?id=eT...X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#PPA371,M1

Ted

 

[awcivil]

Thanks to all that responded. This is a very interesting structure in that it is self supporting and relies on adjacent members for support. It appears that each member is offset. Axial forces are restrained by a simple (bolted?) connection. The walls (which appear to be in excess of 20') are cantilever and resist the outward forces along the top of the wall. I was hoping someone knew the name of the structure (rhombic space frame?) and if is built by false work or built on the ground and lifted by crane.

 

[IFRs]

To me this looks like a barrel vault with curved ends. The roof beams are diagonal instead of parallel to the axis of the vault. There appears to be a longitudinal member along the peak of the vault.

 

[Dinosaur]

I would describe this as a waffle shell, or ribbed shell structural system. Good Luck.

 

[RWF7437]

This is what is called a Lamella roof, I believe.

http://www.newcomen.com/excerpts/lamella/index.htm

 

[jike]

Yes. This is typical of a wood dome. It is indeed a lamella roof! Very common.

 

[SteelMover]

A concrete example is attached.

Palazetto Dello Sport in Italy completed in the late 50's. Phenominal structure!

 

[asixth]

Timber grid-shell dome (lamella).

From the pdf that you attached it looks like it has primary arching directions which smaller members arch onto.

There is some good documentation out there on the design of these type of structural systems.