THE HISTORY/EVOLUTIONOF ROOF TRUSSES

ROOF TRUSSES HAVE CHANGED QUITE A BITTHROUGHOUT THE YEARS WITH A VARIETY

OF DESIGNS OVER MANY DECADES.

TRUSS CONSTRUCTION HAS LONG BEENASSOCIATED WITH HIGH-ENDVERNACULAR CARPENTRY.

THE TRUSS FORM ORIGINALLY CAME OUTFROM THE TIMBER FRAMING METHODS OF

CLASSICAL ANTIQUITY IN THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION.

FROM THE MIDDLE AGES THROUGH THE RENAISSANCE,THERE WERE A VARIETY OF LONG-SPAN ROOF SYSTEMS

USED IN BUILDING DIFFERENT STRUCTURES.

EXCEPT FOR THE PANTHEON IN ROME,ALL ANCIENT TRUSS MEMBERS WERE MADE OUT

OF WOOD FOR NEARLY TWO MILLENNIA

UNTIL IRON AND STEEL ROOF FRAMESSTARTED BEING MADE AT THE END

OF THE 18TH CENTURY.

METAL WAS USED IN TRUSSESDATING BACK TO THE MIDDLE AGES,

THOUGH INCONSISTENTLY.

WROUGHT IRON STRAPS WITH FORELOCK BOLTSWERE USED TO REINFORCE TENSION JOINERY.

NEOCLASSICAL ARCHITECTURE FOR LARGE HALLS,ESPECIALLY IN THE AMERICANPOST-REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD

HAD A BIG INFLUENCEOF THE SIMPLIFICATION OF TRUSS DESIGN.

SIMPLIFICATION OF TRUSS DESIGNALSO CAME ABOUT FROM THE AVAILABILITY

OF LARGE, LONG TIMBER,

AS WELL AS THE RISING POPULARITY OF LONG-SPANWOOD TRUSS BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION AND NEW

TECHNOLOGY IN LATE 18TH CENTURY NORTH AMERICA.

TODAY, WOOD TRUSSES ARE STILL COMMONLY USEDTO BUILD A MULTITUDE OF STRUCTURES, INCLUDINGCHURCHES, BRIDGES, AND EVEN PRIVATE HOMES.