DESIGN

OF A
WELDED
MS
TRUSS
June 17
The document consists of idealization of the truss,
determination of actions on the truss, analysis and design of the
truss and then sizing of the members that will safely support the
loads acting on the roof. The loads were derived from first
principles with aid of various materials manuals and analysis &
design were done using both hand methods and software
application (Prokon). Different design standards were used in
the design.
Designed
by
B. Bwambale
&
J. Aracha
Page 1
DESIGN OF A WELDED MS TRUSS OF 18 m SPAN
DESIGN INFORMATION SHEET
Date of design 16
th
June 16, 2010
Relevant design codes
1. BS 6399 Part 1:1996, Loading for buildings: Dead and
imposed loads
2. BS 6399-3: 1988 Loading for buildings - Part 3: Code of
practice for imposed roof loads
General loading condition Roof - imposed =0.75 kN/m
ANALYSIS AND DESIGN
REFERENCE CALCULATIONS OUTPUT
Roofings Ltd
materials manual
Loads acting on the purlins
Dead load due to iron sheets
Using IT4 Corrugated sheets G28 on J-Bolts on Z-
purlins
Weight per m =3.38 Kg
Weight per m
2
= Kg 311 . 4
784 . 0
38 . 3
=
Dead load =
2 3
/ 043 . 0 10 10 311 . 4 m kN x x =

Page 2
BS 5950 PART
1:2000
Table 11
Live load = 0.75 kN/m
2
Assumptions
- Purlins are simply supported
- Neglect self weight of purlins
- Spacing of purlins is 1.8m centers
- Using S275 steel grade
Design load = 1.4x0.043 + 1.6x0.75 = 1.26kN/m
2
Design load w=1.26x1.8=2.268kN/m
Moment , kNm
x wl
M 0 . 5
8
2 . 4 268 . 2
8
2 2
= = =
Shear force, kN
x wl
F 76 . 4
2
2 . 4 268 . 2
2
= = =
Required plastic modulus
3
3
2 . 18
275
10 0 . 5
cm
x
p
M
S
y
= = >
Try Z-section 175x50x2.5
mm t
mm D
mm B
cm I
cm S
cm S
xx
yy
xx
5 . 2
175
50
51 . 389
91 . 10
81 . 43
4
3
3
=
=
=
=
=
=
Section classification
0 . 1
275
275 275
= = =
y
p

10
5 . 2
50 5 . 0 5 . 0
= = =
x
t
B
T
b
Section is class 2; Compact
Design load is
2.268kN/m
Page 3
Shear capacity
Shear area,
2
5 . 437 175 5 . 2 mm x tD A
v
= = =
Shear capacity,
kN kN x x pyAv Pv 76 . 4 2 . 72 5 . 437 275 6 . 0 6 . 0 > = = =
Therefore shear is OK
Moment capacity
For class 2 section with low shear
kNm kNm x x S p Mc
xx y
0 . 5 05 . 12 10 81 . 43 275
3
> = = =
Therefore section is satisfactory for moment
Deflection
Maximum deflection
( ) ( )
mm
x x x x
x x x x
EI
wL
85 . 6
10 5 . 389 10 05 . 2 384
10 2 . 4 8 . 1 75 . 0 5
384
5
4 5
4
3 4
= = = c
Therefore actual deflection is 6.85mm
Allowable deflection mm
x span
92 . 12
325
10 2 . 4
325
3
= = =
Since allowable deflection >actual deflection, the section
is satisfactory.
Therefore adopt Z-section 175x50x2.5
Shear is OK
Moment
capacity OK
Deflection OK
Use Z-section
175x50x2.5
Roofings Ltd
materials manual
RC Designers
handbook
Loads acting on the truss
Upper loading
Dead load
Weight of iron sheets = 4.311 Kg/m
2
Weight of purlins
2
/ 58 . 3
8 . 1
45 . 6
/ 45 . 6 m Kg m Kg = = =
Total weight ( )
2
/ 077 . 0 10 81 . 9 58 . 3 311 . 4
3
m kN x x = + =


Self weight of truss
2
/ 144 m N = for 18m span truss at 4.5m centers
spacing
m kN x m kN / 605 . 0 2 . 4 144 . 0 / 144 . 0
2
= = =
Page 4
Total dead load = (0.077x4.2)+0.605 = 0.93kN/m
Imposed load
Live load = 0.75kN/m
2
= 0.75x4.2 = 3.15kN/m
Design load = (1.4x0.93) + (1.6x3.15) = 6.34kN/m
Lower loading
From ceiling
Imposed load
Imposed load per joist = 0.9kN
Imposed load
2
/ 18 . 0
6 . 0 38 . 8
9 . 0
m kN
x
= =
Load on truss 0.18x4.2=0.75kN/m
Dead load
Weight of 12mm plaster boards
Load = 12x9.4=112.8 N/m
2
= 0.113x4.2 = 0.47kN/m
Design load = (1.4x0.47) + (1.6x0.75) = 1.86kN/m
Truss analysis
Assumptions
- Truss is simply supported
- Truss members are pin jointed
The analysis using method of joints gave the following
results as member forces
Top boom
Design upper
load is
6.34kN/m
Design lower
load is
1.86kN/m
Page 5
Member Force(kN)
14-15
15-16
16-17
17-18
18-19
19-20
-283.8
-515.2
-693.4
-818.7
-891.1
-910.2
Critical member is member 19-20 with force of -
910.2kN; is adopted for design
Bottom boom
Member Force(kN)
1-2
2-3
3-4
4-5
5-6
6-7
0
284.7
516.2
694.6
820.0
892.6
Critical tension member 6-7 with force 892.6kN should
be adopted for design
Internals
Member Force(kN)
1-14
14-2
2-15
15-3
3-16
16-4
4-17
17-5
-72.4
281.0
-64.7
228.5
-52.1
176.0
-39.6
123.8
Page 6
Steel Designers
Manual
&
BS 5950 Part
1:2000
5-18
18-6
6-19
19-7
7-20
-27.0
71.6
-14.4
18.9
306.3
Member 7-20 is critical with tensile force of 306.3kN and
thus adopted for design
DESIGN OF SECTIONS
Bottom boom (Tension member; force 892.6kN)
Using S275 steel & equal angle section
Required cross section
2
3
8 . 3245
275
10 6 . 892
mm
x
A
req
= =
Try L150x150x15 connected on one leg by welding as
in the sketch below.
Angle thickness t=15mm<16mm,
Therefore from table 9 of BS 5950 Part 1:2000,
2
/ 275 mm N p
y
=
Gross area Agross = 3480mm
2
Effective area,
2 1
2 1
1
3
3
a a
a a
a A
e
+
+ =
But
Page 7
gross e
A mm x a
a
a
a A
mm a a a
< = = = + =
=
|
.
|

\
|
= = =
2
2
2
2 1
6 . 3740 5 . 2137 75 . 1 75 . 1
4
3
5 . 2137
2
15
150 15
Tension capacity,
kN kN P
x x A p P
t
e y t
6 . 892 7 . 1028
10 6 . 3740 275
3
> =
= =

Use section 150x150x15L welded on one leg to gusset
Top boom(Compression force of 910.2kN)
Effective length, LE=1.52m
Steel Grade S275
Try section 150x150x15L
From Steel Designers Manual,
Area, A=43.0cm
2
Minimum radius of gyration rmin=rv-v=2.93cm
Maximum slenderness ratio, 9 . 51
93 . 2
152
min
= = =
r
L
E

For thickness t = 15 mm < 16 mm, the design strength

py =275 N/mm
2
and strut Table 24c is used to
determine compressive strength pc.
Compressive strength, pc=217 N/mm
2
Compressive resistance
Pc = pcAgross = 217x4300x10
-3
=933.1kN>910.2kN
Use section 150x150x15L
Internals (Tensile force 306.3kN)
Using S275 steel & equal angle section
Required cross section
2
3
8 . 1113
275
10 3 . 306
mm
x
A
req
= =
Use section
150x150x15L
Use section
150x150x15L
Page 8
Try L90x90x8 connected on one leg by welding as in
the sketch below.
Angle thickness t=15mm<16mm,
Therefore from table 9 of BS 5950 Part 1:2000,
2
/ 275 mm N p
y
=
Gross area Agross = 1390mm
2
Effective area,
2 1
2 1
1
3
3
a a
a a
a A
e
+
+ =
But
gross e
A mm x a
a
a
a A
mm a a a
< = = = + =
=
|
.
|

\
|
= = =
2
2
2
2 1
1204 688 75 . 1 75 . 1
4
3
688
2
8
90 8
Tension capacity,
kN kN P
x x A p P
t
e y t
6 . 892 1 . 331
10 1204 275
3
> =
= =

Use section 90x90x8L welded on one leg to gusset
Use section
90x90x8L
NOTE:
Analysis and design was also done using Prokon software and a remarkable difference in
the sections was observed.
Page 9
The reason for this difference is that, hand methods are quite conservative since the truss
is taken to be simply supported which in realty is not the case. However, using prokon, the
supports were fixed though in all cases, the joints are taken to be pinned.
Below is the summary of the prokon results of the truss:
Page 10
Hence the following sections can be adopted
Top boom 90 x 90 x 8L
Bottom boom 90 x 90 x 8L
Internals 90 x 90 x 6L