Hanging storage from steel building trusses

[biggziff]

I recently had a steel building (NOT red iron) built to use as a shed. I upgraded to the heaviest tube steel framing they offered and wondered if anyone has used the roof framing/trusses to hang something like a platform for storage. I have 11' walls and had hoped to use this height to hang a platform for this use. I'll try to call the manufacturer of the building next week, but thought I'd ask here as well.

Thanks

 

[Stuart in MN]

Trusses are typically built to be able to hold the roof above, and not for hanging stuff from below, but hopefully you can get some information from the manufacturer.

 

[biggziff]

Trusses are typically built to be able to hold the roof above, and not for hanging stuff from below, but hopefully you can get some information from the manufacturer.

Well aware. I tend to go with experience when it comes to things like this. I'm sure someone has done it or tried it. Hoping to find someone or someones.

Thanks

 

[bczygan]

It's a funny thing.

There is the design loads which tell you how much members will deflect under the given design loads. There is always a safety factor built in.

When you add loads that weren't accounted for in the design, you increase deflections and eat into the safety factor.

So it is usually possible to do, but how much of an effect it will have, depends on how much additional load you add.

A couple of things to remember. A uniformly distributed load is better than a point load at the middle of a span. Also, roof structures in your area are designed for wind and snow loads. So in the event of a record combined snow and wind load, you might need some of that safety margin.

Bill

 

[readhead]

If it is a tube steel building then absolutely not unless it’s feather pillows. There is no collateral load designed into those buildings.

 

[Showkey]

The added load hanging at the wall meets truss area ..............would be so small to make it a non event. Like adding shelves to wall in the garage....the wall does not care.

Yes....lifting engine blocks at the center of the truss is a different discussion.

 

[sberry]

Agree fundamentally some light loading along the walls not all that much a deal.

 

[BD1]

The building supplier will contact truss manufacturer with their specifications.
I've hung iron pipe for water and gas from trusses following manufacturers directions.
These were large trusses but still had specs to follow. We drilled and through bolted angle clips from top chord of truss.
That's the angled roof one that meets at peak. We were instructed to drill 1/3 down from top anywhere along top chord.
We submitted weights to them based on truss spacings.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[johninct]

NO!!!! My building fell down because of a massive snow load and defective truss. The insurance company checked if I hung anything off of the truss's (which I did not).

 

[GMCGarage]

The truss will hold it, but only if the design load and SF are not exceeded. Most times the bottom chord is not designed for the load unless you ask, but obviously has some capacity.

 

[Don1357]

I'm surprised nobody has bothered to ask what you plan on holding there.

Lumber? Forget about it. PVC pipes and lighter? It should be fine.

do keep in mind that nothing is stopping you from reinforcing with a column. At that point it may end up structurally stronger than unloaded and no column. You can also build a set of racks that connect to the ceiling and become structural in nature.

 

[matt_i]

None of it would be ideal, but structurally speaking I think you'd be a lot better designing a separate clear-span structure to hold whatever you want and ask the columns to bear more vertical load than asking the clear span trusses to hold more load from some point farther out.