How to fix this?

[steveessie]

I am in the process of putting a ceiling up in my pole barn and I found one of the metal plate connectors on an end truss starting to crack (possibly pulling away) from the 2x6 bottom chord it is attached to. Based on some surface evidence this cracking is at least a year old, and maybe even older (I bought the place back in 2006 and it could have been cracked then, don't know, but I know it's at least a year old).

Please take a look at the pics and let me know your thoughts as to possible fixes. You can see the crack in the "overall pic" at the bottom of the "cross". Thank you.

 

[Willl]

Other than replacement, I'd glue-n-screw a 8 foot by 8? inch piece of 3/4 ply to it.

 

[George2615]

Short of removing all roofing, siding and replacing the entire end truss I'd double up the wood with new boards lag bolted into the existing one then add additional diagonal bracing. From the looks of your pics it seems the wood used was defective and split.

 

[/pine]

I am in the process of putting a ceiling up in my pole barn and I found one of the metal plate connectors on an end truss starting to crack (possibly pulling away) from the 2x6 bottom chord it is attached to. Based on some surface evidence this cracking is at least a year old, and maybe even older (I bought the place back in 2006 and it could have been cracked then, don't know, but I know it's at least a year old).

Please take a look at the pics and let me know your thoughts as to possible fixes. You can see the crack in the "overall pic" at the bottom of the "cross". Thank you.

If I was doing it for myself...I would sister-board all the truss members and use plywood gussets w/construction adhesive and nails...

 

[jwmorris]

Make a bracket like below, cut out part where the marker is pointing to and bolt it through. It will be stronger than new. Use a jack with a section of something strong and long enough to push up on the problem board for installation.

I used a floor jack and box tube to push up an I beam section the same way not too long ago. After I had it pushed up I cut steel to the correct length for support, before I took out the wall.

For that matter a few more vertical posts installed the same way in your building would work too.

 

[flyerdan]

Waterproof glue injected into as much of the crack as possible, then clamped with pipe clamps or bar clamps, if space allows. If possible also shore up from the floor and use a bottle jack to raise it back into position before clamping. Then reinforce with a brace panel. Might be a good idea to check the other end as well, be easier to fish plate it before it separates if it looks questionable.

 

[Dr Dave]

You could sister another 2x next to the truss and span from post to post, use lots of screws.

 

[steveessie]

You could sister another 2x next to the truss and span from post to post, use lots of screws.

Could you be a little more specifc as to which 2x you are referring to (the bottom chord that is split?).

 

[ray66v]

Lucky for you it's an end truss, not a big deal.

It's nailed or screwed to the poles, so you don't need that part of the bottom cord to carry any weight. About the only load it's getting is from wind.

It doesn't even need to be a truss. Sometimes, they come up short, or have a broken truss and make an end truss by just nailing wood to the poles in basically the same configuration as the trusses.

I bet they broke it when the barn was built, and you just did not notice it until now.

I would cut some 3/4 ply wood to neatly cover it, put a bunch of drywall screws in it, and forget about it.

 

[cmore]

Other than replacement, I'd glue-n-screw a 8 foot by 8? inch piece of 3/4 ply to it.

I would use a 2X and gorilla glue (the expanding type) on both sides of the break. Cut the lumber of same width as existing and long enough to go past the splits on both ends at least 4". Squeeze glue on the 2 brace pieces on one side. Using c clamps to clamp both sides in place and then run several screw through both sides. So that when u are finished the original board will be sandwiched between the 2 new repair boards. If u have never used gorilla glue, don't run a thick bead or it will squeeze out and make a mess. I would either put c'broad or something under the repair to catch any drips.

 

[steveessie]

I would use a 2X and gorilla glue (the expanding type) on both sides of the break. Cut the lumber of same width as existing and long enough to go past the splits on both ends at least 4". Squeeze glue on the 2 brace pieces on one side. Using c clamps to clamp both sides in place and then run several screw through both sides. So that when u are finished the original board will be sandwiched between the 2 new repair boards. If u have never used gorilla glue, don't run a thick bead or it will squeeze out and make a mess. I would either put c'broad or something under the repair to catch any drips.

It would be nearly impossible to do it on both sides unless you took off the side metal walls, correct?

 

[/pine]

Are the new posts fastened to the bottom cord?...just curious...but engineered trusses are not meant to have additional (beyond the design) bearing points...

 

[SPIKER]

I'm in the camp of using 3/4 solid core plywood (not OSB) and GOOD Construction Adhesive such as PL400 and a but load of screws.

Cut a hunk of plywood higher than the truss bottom cord and higher up onto the vertical joint where it broke out (big triangle)


Glue the joint that is split/cracked put bottle jack under the low point of the truss.
jack up slowly to compress the joint into the glue.
apply good amount of glue to the clean truss and slap on the 3/4" and screw it down with a bunch of #10+ size screws.

Mark

 

[/pine]

Not to step on any toes...but nails should be the preferred fastener IMO...when the most force is shear...screws work best under tension their shear strength can't compare to nails

easiest with a nailer but even a $25.00 palm nailer would limit the labor and is actually easier than using screws and a cordless...again...IMO...

 

[Jaylegger]

Remove the existing gusset plate and put a longer one that reaches the bottom of the beam in it's place.

 

[jhasafety1]

I'm in the camp of using 3/4 solid core plywood (not OSB) and GOOD Construction Adhesive such as PL400 and a but load of screws.

Cut a hunk of plywood higher than the truss bottom cord and higher up onto the vertical joint where it broke out (big triangle)


Glue the joint that is split/cracked put bottle jack under the low point of the truss.
jack up slowly to compress the joint into the glue.
apply good amount of glue to the clean truss and slap on the 3/4" and screw it down with a bunch of #10+ size screws.

Mark

I agree with the plywood and adhesive, don't over think or over engineer the problem.

 

[SPIKER]

Not to step on any toes...but nails should be the preferred fastener IMO...when the most force is shear...screws work best under tension their shear strength can't compare to nails

easiest with a nailer but even a $25.00 palm nailer would limit the labor and is actually easier than using screws and a cordless...again...IMO...

Pine the SCREWS are there to pull the GLUE JOINTS and Plywood together & hold it till the glue drys.

Once dried you could probably remove the screws with little ill effects as the glue will pull the plywood & truss apart prior to giving up it's bond.

The Screws are not best in sheer as they are harder than nails is true however.

Around here codes have grown so that Lag Bolts or THRU bolts are used on ALL of the top/rim joists to the poles. No longer just Nails on them.
Mark

 

[/pine]

Pine the SCREWS are there to pull the GLUE JOINTS and Plywood together & hold it till the glue drys.

They are not best in sheer as they are harder than nails is true however.

Around here codes have grown so that Lag Bolts or THRU bolts are used on ALL of the top/rim joists to the poles. No longer just Nails on them.
Mark

You are right about the glue (if of good quality like you mentioned...)...

however even drilling a single 1/2" hole (let alone a series of them) in an engineered truss member can void the liability of the truss manufacturer/engineer...many girder etc. trusses are designed to have either extra members and or flitch plate bolted to the bottom cord and always come with drilling instructions as per the engineer's design...

 

[LuPai]

If you know which plant the trusses came from you can take pictures with dimensions to them. They can send it in for a repair. They may charge you but we do them for free usually. It should be painless just do it exactly as they say. It will not be sheetrock screws and plywood. Most likely a scab with a specific nail pattern. Just make sure you use the pattern and the nails they spec.

 

[smiley]

Doesn't look like a problem to me. It's on the end wall where even the siding would carry some of it's load, so the simple fix would be to sister on a 2X and if you're still worried about it, just run another 2X under it down to the girts. That would carry way more load than the original truss.