Metal Trusses

[Blaze08]

Hope this is the right forum...

Anyone have any experience with metal trusses? Looking at building a new pole barn to replace one that fell in a snow storm.

Looking at roughly a 30x40, with sheds off of each side. The middle will be for storing hay, one side will be a coral type area, other side will be for equipment storage.

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Why would you go with metal for such a short span??

 

[EddieWalker]

No experience, but I'm leaning heavily towards trying them. I want to build a 40x48 haybarn 16 feet tall to store round bales. I like the idea of more space up high that I would get using metal trusses instead of wood that would have a flat bottom. I also like the idea of attaching the metal truss to a wood post in the ground.

Here is a website that I use for comparing prices. I'm still searching for a good source closer to where i live, but I have also been debating the cost savings compared to the time and effort it would take to make my own.

Armour Metals Measuring & Installing - Metal Roofing and Pole Barns

 

[Blaze08]

Why would you go with metal for such a short span??

The package deals I've found locally for 1. 2. Haven't found any wooden trusses.3. Maybe will last longer? 4. Fewer of them to set.

 

[Stimw]

I needed 2 of them 20' long and after looking and pricing I made my own!
They are easy to make if you have a welder. I used two pieces of angle and sandwiched round bar in between then one piece of angle on the bottom.
You take the round bar and bend it 90* then back 90* in a zig-zag for the web. No need to cut it.

 

[roadhunter]

I knew a company that made them when I lived back in oklahoma and always wanted to put up a building with them. I always thought the pricing was really good as well. Eddie they are not too far from you.
Wheeler Metals | Trusses

 

[Blaze08]

Something like this is what I'm thinking.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Google Bailey Barns, those type of metal trusses are everywhere here in North Florida, I built a 32 x 60 with a 20' lean to on one side, very cost effective and very easy to build.

 

[Blaze08]

Google Bailey Barns, those type of metal trusses are everywhere here in North Florida, I built a 32 x 60 with a 20' lean to on one side, very cost effective and very easy to build.

Did you set the trusses yourself?

 

[quicksandfarmer]

No experience, but I'm leaning heavily towards trying them. I want to build a 40x48 haybarn 16 feet tall to store round bales. I like the idea of more space up high that I would get using metal trusses instead of wood that would have a flat bottom. I also like the idea of attaching the metal truss to a wood post in the ground.

Here is a website that I use for comparing prices. I'm still searching for a good source closer to where i live, but I have also been debating the cost savings compared to the time and effort it would take to make my own.

Armour Metals Measuring & Installing - Metal Roofing and Pole Barns

I also like the Armour Metals website, I like that you can design your barn and they give you pricing instantly. The construction seems almost stupid-simple too, drill some holes, drop a 6x6 in, bolt the trusses on, throw on the purlins and roofing and you've covered a lot of space with not a lot of money or time. The trusses come with brackets for the poles and purlins, you just put them on the wood, drill a hole and bolt them in. Easy-peasey.

But for where I live they are way under-engineered. The standard design seems to be 6x6 poles on 12' centers, with 2x6 purlins on the roof. Around here roofs have to hold 40 pounds per square foot (30 PSF snow load and 10 PSF dead load). My rafter table tells me that a southern pine 2x6 can span 9'4" at 40 PSF, so that's an issue. Also, the footings have to support the roof. For a 30 foot wide building with 12' pole spacing each pole is holding 180 square feet, or 7200 lbs. We generally assume our soil can hold 2000 PSF, so each pole needs 3.6 feet of bearing surface. A 6x6 is 30.25 square inches, or 0.21 square feet, so it's about 1/17 the size it needs to be. So it needs either 13 times as many poles, or the poles have to have footings under them. To get 3.6 square feet you'd need a circle 25+ inches in diameter. That's a big hole, and it kind of crushes the elegant simplicity of the idea. Even if I went with 9' spacing to suit the 2x6 purlins I'd still need to make big holes for footers.

What worries me is that they don't give any engineering data for the trusses. If the purlins and footings are under-engineered, I wonder about the trusses. I'd feel better if they gave ratings for the trusses so you could figure

Obviously if you have no snow load it's less of an issue. But even at 10 PSF, in the above example each post is holding 1800 lbs, which is 9,000 PSF on the 6x6. Unless you can place it directly on bedrock your post is going to need a footer.

 

[blackdog2086]

I got the Armor Metals trusses for my wood shed. They go up quick and easy. Since you live in GA., it'll be a quick delivery.

 

[Blaze08]

I got the Armor Metals trusses for my wood shed. They go up quick and easy. Since you live in GA., it'll be a quick delivery.

You set them by hand?

 

[blackdog2086]

I used my pallet forks to lift them in place and had my sons bolt them to the tops of the posts while I kept them in place. Sorry, I tried to attach some photo's and for some reason it's not letting me.

 

[LD1]

I did some brief searching and pricing before I built my 40x72 shop.

Wood was cheaper, easier to attach stuff to (insulation, lights, wiring, inside liner panel, etc), and could be bought individually.

Most of the metal truss dealers I inquired with wanted to sell the complete "roof" package. That included the purlins and roof metal as well. And most were spaced 16' OC, which dont leave alot of posts in the ground for uplift unless you add posts inbetween. And just something about 2x6 purlins on edge spanning 16' I didnt like.

In teh end, I went block foundation and stick built, so anything more than 4'OC trusses were out of the question anyway.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I did some brief searching and pricing before I built my 40x72 shop.

Wood was cheaper, easier to attach stuff to (insulation, lights, wiring, inside liner panel, etc), and could be bought individually.

Most of the metal truss dealers I inquired with wanted to sell the complete "roof" package. That included the purlins and roof metal as well. And most were spaced 16' OC, which dont leave alot of posts in the ground for uplift unless you add posts inbetween. And just something about 2x6 purlins on edge spanning 16' I didnt like.

In the end, I went block foundation and stick built, so anything more than 4'OC trusses were out of the question anyway.

I basically did the same thing. I was pricing steel buildings (this was about 7 years ago) and steel was so much higher that I went with a stick build solid wood on concrete slab for $10K less than I would have paid for steel structure materials which didn't include installation and I had to put in my own concrete slab. For the wood shop, I got a few extras also like full R 19 insulation, fully wired with 100 Amp panel, solid concrete slab rather than just the runners for the walls, interior walls and ceiling sealed with 3/8" plywood a separate room (10x12) on one side for a toilet and sink plus storage and it was turnkey construction.
I think steel is a lot cheaper now than it was then but still they want to just use the 2" thick ( or maybe less in thickness) roll type insulation that basically only prevents condensation and doesn't do much for heat or cold intrusion.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Did you set the trusses yourself?

I did, the trick is to get the end truss plumb and each one after will fall into place and be stabilized by your 2 x 6 pearlings stood up edge ways. I should have told you to google Panhandle Salvage, that is where I bought my metal trusses from, they have hundreds of pictures of different barns built with the metal trusses, look at their website and tell me what you think. Also they sell barn kits, the spacing on the purlins can be either 10' or 12'. Charlie.

 

[Blaze08]

I did, the trick is to get the end truss plumb and each one after will fall into place and be stabilized by your 2 x 6 pearlings stood up edge ways. I should have told you to google Panhandle Salvage, that is where I bought my metal trusses from, they have hundreds of pictures of different barns built with the metal trusses, look at their website and tell me what you think. Also they sell barn kits, the spacing on the purlins can be either 10' or 12'. Charlie.

Looks to be basically the same information as the company that's close that I got a quote from.

Do you have any pictures of yours?

 

[RedNeckRacin]

The reason I asked was because the wood trusses are so much cheaper and are easier to attach things too. We built an 80x100 building for much cheaper than we could even buy the metal for. If the building suits your needs, meets or exceeds your local codes and fits your budget, I don't see a problem with it.

 

[newbury]

Hope this is the right forum...

Anyone have any experience with metal trusses? Looking at building a new pole barn to replace one that fell in a snow storm.

Looking at roughly a 30x40, with sheds off of each side. The middle will be for storing hay, one side will be a coral type area, other side will be for equipment storage.

Any thoughts or suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks

Something like this is what I'm thinking.

You might try that with shipping containers on the sides for more secure storage.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Looks to be basically the same information as the company that's close that I got a quote from.

Do you have any pictures of yours?

No sir I don't but it's just about like the one you showed the picture of that you want to build except mine only has a lean-to on one side, I did enclose 2 bays and put a bathroom and a second story in mine, go with the 12' eave height if you think you want to do something like that.