Are the center 4”x 6” poles load bearing?

[Xfaxman]

Re: Are the center 4肺 6 poles load bearing?

I have never seen trusses with a butt splice in them like yours:

If posts are removed I recommend strengthening the truss to look like this:

Or this:

 

[woody]

I would consider replacing those post with support post down the middle. That would open up some room and add some needed support. just my thoughts or 2cents

 

[Fidler4]

Thanks for everyone input. I think I might see if my neighbor across the road knows of a pole barn guy that can come out and look at it for me. He’s a long time local and seems to know everyone around here.

I looked at the trusses and they are notched into the side poles.

I can also just take out the walls of the first few stalls and see how much room I actually have to maneuver. I might not have to do anything with the center posts at all.

Thanks

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Re: Are the center 4肺 6 poles load bearing?

Do not forget wind loads. There does not seem to be any provisions for lateral wind forces.

A metal roof and siding is a solid steel gusset that locks the building into place. Building codes my require diagonal bracing on the framing, but it's overkill.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Re: Are the center 4肺 6 poles load bearing?

While they'd help a tad they were not intended to be load bearing.
You will note that they (4 x 6's) are merely fastened to the side of the trusses and serve mainly to stabilize the stall corners.
INHO you'd be safe to remove them.
That cross beam with nailing plate is definitely a load bearing component however.

I only counted 5 fasteners (nails) to fasten those 4 x 6's and that is 4 sure not not capable of supporting any loads.

That depends on the nail. If those are 60d hot dipped galv nails, they can hold up a lot in shear.

It looks like horsey owner got artsy, or somebody had junk beams laying around and sold them a bill of goods. Those rafters were milled from old growth Douglas Fir, and cost a fortune. A more sensible approach would have been a full length glu-lam. The purlins appear to be a special mill too, either 3x8 or 3x10. I checked the Simpson catalog, and hangers are available, so the notching was just more fru that damaged the structure.

I really don't like that rafter splice. After notching in the purlins, there isn't much meat left for load bearing. I suspect the 4x6 poles are all that has saved that roof from sag. They may not have been planned as load bearing, but they ended up that way.

 

[PILOON]

Re: Are the center 4肺 6 poles load bearing?

As I further studied the whole structure and quality of insulation fit and finish etc., I'm convinced that that structure was well designed and erected by folks that they were well experienced in their trade.
I'd say it was a most probably a professionally designed and executed project.
In summation, not a DIY project.

If you are really concerned you could always add an additional cross ties with nailing plates similar to the shorter existing ones.
For that matter even a couple of steel cables, well anchored on side walls with turn buckles would add additional structural strength.*

* I once saved a 24" x 30" log cabin from collapsing with a single cross cable similar method as walls were wanting to spread open.
I used 2 ft plates on the outside of upper logs as my anchor points and tightened the turn buckles. That was 35 years ago.

 

[Hay Dude]

Re: Are the center 4肺 6 poles load bearing?

That depends on the nail. If those are 60d hot dipped galv nails, they can hold up a lot in shear.

It looks like horsey owner got artsy, or somebody had junk beams laying around and sold them a bill of goods. Those rafters were milled from old growth Douglas Fir, and cost a fortune. A more sensible approach would have been a full length glu-lam. The purlins appear to be a special mill too, either 3x8 or 3x10. I checked the Simpson catalog, and hangers are available, so the notching was just more fru that damaged the structure.

I really don't like that rafter splice. After notching in the purlins, there isn't much meat left for load bearing. I suspect the 4x6 poles are all that has saved that roof from sag. They may not have been planned as load bearing, but they ended up that way.

Prolly depend on if theres a footing under them

 

[/pine]

Engineered roofing trusses are designed for specific bearing points...adding any forces to any point on an engineered truss that was not designed for it could possibly damage the truss...hard copies of the engineering documents are generally delivered with the trusses...

 

[pennwalk]

That looks like a pretty lightly built roof structure. It wouldn't hurt to get someone to look at it before you start your modifications.

Chris

 

[Tinhack]

I think what needs to be said about the roof has been said.

I would like to add; That's one knarly looking wasp nest. I wouldn't wait for warm weather to get the mods done. :confused2: