Sep 1, 2009

It is not just architectural roof forms that are being created with timber trusses, the latest in timber engineering is also being used in solutions that would otherwise be constructed with steel. In one of the first projects of its type in the UK, DWB recently manufactured and delivered 38 no. long span trusses for the construction of the mono-pitched roof at a new Lidl store in Thirsk.

Already widely used across Germany in the retail and commercial sectors, long span trussed rafters are becoming more common in the UK. Their increased use in retail and light industrial applications is being driven by environmental considerations, making timber components the obvious choice.

Transporting trusses on this scale was a challenge, as John Binns, Technical Director of DWB Roof Truss, explains: "The trusses were so long and at their highest up to 3.8m, so transporting them fully constructed was not an option. Instead, we did as much as possible in the factory, to ease the time and effort required on site, manufacturing the components in two parts so that they could be transported efficiently and easily assembled onsite."

The two parts of the trusses were connected onsite using field splice plates. Particular attention had to be paid to the bracing of trussed rafters of this span and Gang-Nail’s design team worked closely with Lidl’s structural engineer in order to provide sufficient overall stability to the roof structure.

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