[Daniel Holzman]

I don't understand your post. You effectively designed and built your entire house using unconventional techniques, specifically home designed steel and wood trusses, yet you state you have no idea of the load rating. On what possible basis did you do the design if you don't know the load rating? Then you come to an internet chat forum to ask if anyone on this forum can tell you the load rating for home built trusses, and you don't even include drawings of the design?

Home built trusses. Not load rated. No basis of design. What could possibly go wrong?

 

[Joe Carola]

I have an add on that is 24'x30' two story that i have built with steel. I want a cathederal floor downstairs so I have built floor trusses from 2x4X14ga. Rec. tubing and put 5ft on center, they are 24' long, 32in tall on ends and 8in. in middle, and fish plated. On top of that I have 3in. c-purlin standing up at 16in. on center with 3/4in. t&g OSB as subfloor. It seems strong but i have no idea of load rating and I can more if needed at this point. Any ideas?

Is this a joke?

 

[carpitect]

I'd agree that things may have been done in a reverse order on this project - typically the engineering comes before the fabrication. :whistling2:

But what's important is how you move forward. My advice would be to consult with a structural engineer to review the floor trusses you've built, most likely with a site visit to inspect the trusses and welds firsthand. It sounds like the whole system may be drastically over-engineered, but it needs to be checked out.

I'd love to see a picture of what you've created!

 

[welder b]

You're right I should not have come an Internet chat forum.

I don't understand your post. You effectively designed and built your entire house using unconventional techniques, specifically home designed steel and wood trusses, yet you state you have no idea of the load rating. On what possible basis did you do the design if you don't know the load rating? Then you come to an internet chat forum to ask if anyone on this forum can tell you the load rating for home built trusses, and you don't even include drawings of the design?

Home built trusses. Not load rated. No basis of design. What could possibly go wrong?

You're right I should not have come an Internet chat forum. You're obviously too intelligent to even understand what some hillbillie like myself was trying to get advice about. Thanks "carpitect" I have pictures and drawings of my design I can send. I could not find anyone knowledgable on my design to help, thats why i came here. Hopefully someone like yourself openminded will be able to steer me in the right direction.

 

[carpitect]

welder b,

If you want to post your pictures and drawings in this thread (some may find the project rather creative), or send me a message with them attached, I'll see if I can help. It's been a while since I've calculated loads on steel trusses (usually sub that out to the structural engineers), but I have a couple of engineer friends I may be able to run it by.

Incidentally, the load requirements for residential floors are 40psf, but the big question is whether the 8" depth at the middle is enough to prevent excessive deflection. Did you build any camber into the trusses?