OpenWeb Truss FAQs

What are RedBuilt™ open-web trusses made of?

The trusses are built from wood or engineered wood chords and steel webs, joined together with steel pins. With a great variety of material grades and sizes at hand, the number of possible truss designs is enormous. RedBuilt™� manufactures trusses from as small as 14" deep to huge trusses spanning over 100 feet. Every truss is custom-designed and custom-built to meet your specifications while making the most economical use of materials.

How do I design a scissor truss?

RedSpec™ permits only parallel, tapered, and pitched profiles. On tapered and pitched profiles, it is assumed that the bottom chord is level. On pitched profiles, it is also assumed that the ridge is in the center of the truss and the two end depths are equal.

To obtain a design for any other truss profile, including those with radius (curved) chords, contact RedBuilt™ Sales Support.

I designed a truss. The results say that the truss design is feasible, but I can't tell how close to capacity it is.

Every open-web truss eventually must be designed by RedBuilt™ engineering associates before it is manufactured. In that design process, material use is optimized in such a way that many of the truss components will be at or very near their design capacity. In other words, to deliver the most economical truss for your specifications, the truss will be designed to carry no more than the specified loads.

RedSpec™ will reliably tell you if your truss design is feasible. Although the results do not say so, you should consider the truss to be at 100% of capacity under the design loads. If additional capacity is desired, the only way to accomplish this is to add loads.

I�m evaluating a building for a remodel. Can I use RedSpec� to evaluate some existing RedBuilt™ trusses for my intended loading?

No. As explained in the previous answer, every RedBuilt™ open-web truss is optimized during the design process in order to carry the specified loads and nothing more. This process ensures that your truss is the most economical solution for the task at hand. By the same token, this means that the capacity of an existing truss is determined by the original specifications for the building. RedSpec� may find a truss design that is sufficient to carry the remodel loading, but the design you run today will not be the same as the existing truss that was designed years ago.

To learn more about how to evaluate an existing RedBuilt™ open-web truss, contact Sales Support.

I'm not sure what series or depth of truss is best. How can I find the most economical design?

Use the RedSpec™ "Best Systems" method. In the Design tab, click "Select All" or select multiple items. When you select multiple items, RedSpec™ searches all available options to find the most economical. Possible truss designs are listed in the design results, with the most economical at the top of the list. The rank of the first truss is zero and the last truss is 1000. All other trusses are ranked relative to these two extremes.

I'm designing a truss with an overhang. I don't want the entire truss to overhang -- only the top chord. How can I do that in RedSpec™?

To design a truss with an extended top chord, contact RedBuilt™ Sales Support. Reinforcements in the form of outriggers are also available.

I need to run a 10" duct between the truss webs. How can I tell if it will fit?

To be absolutely certain that a duct will fit through the webs, RedBuilt™ engineering will be pleased to produce a finished truss design to meet your needs. Contact Sales Support for more information.