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Intersecting Ridge Beam Framing Question? Fully open vaulted ceilings?

Norcalz71

Member
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
11
My parents are looking at building another shop/storage building and we are throwing around ideas for the roof framing. Having never done this type before (but seen it in other circumstances, I think) - is it possible to have two intersecting ridge beams with rafters (no trusses) so that the ceiling is open from slab to the underside of the rafter members and follows the pitch of the roof?

The building is offset asymmetrical L shaped (link to PDF layout below). The original plan was for a ridge beam in the front portion, with a header between the "front" half and the "back" half for the front ridge beam rafters to land on and then standard (small) attic trusses in the back (pitch is 4/12 per code).

What I would like is to just run two ridge beams, with the beam over the rear section landing on the front section beam, and then valley jack rafters to keep the entire ceiling open with no headers stuck down at 10' (10' walls) and no ceiling rafters from the underside of a truss at 10'. Is that the proper use of the term valley jack rafter (think so?) and is this a feasible design method? The front span is 30' wall to wall and the rear span would be 34.5' from the rear wall to the front ridge beam. Would this get into some massive (too massive?) columns and beams to support this? Wood feasible, or steel?

Having the engineer look at it as well, they are doing it as a side project so communication and plan iteration back and forth with them is slow. We want to ge the plans (hopefully) into the planning department soon so we can get the slab and framing in before winter.

Plan view of wall layout and then some roof framing mock-up to (hopefully) show what I am talking about. This would be combo storage for our wakeboard boat, one of my trucks, motorcycles, misc parts and gear, probably more workshop space (have two other buildings for most of that), etc.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B9KkYdq2RzhBWXNjblltc0JMbm8

Thanks
 
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Nor'Easter

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Joined
Nov 30, 2012
Messages
718
Location
Maine
It can be done, have done it with timber frames. Your beams will be deep. Steel, glulam, or LVL. With proper hanger or connection there is no real need to put one over the other unless you want the variance in exterior ridge height.
 
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The Tool Tyrant

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Joined
Dec 19, 2011
Messages
2,182
Location
Bonita, Ca. (San Diego)
Both Nor'Easter and Toolfool are spot on. With ridge beam spans of 34'-5 and 30', they will be sizeable for sure as they're carrying a big load...especially if you roofing is tile.
Doing what you want will be far more costly than conventionally stacking, using ceiling joist to tie the walls and create the triangle that keeps the ridge from sagging.
 
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Norcalz71

Member
Joined
May 10, 2012
Messages
11
No tile roof (asphalt shingles to match existing). Definitely good with connectors to keep them at the same ridge height.

Actually a CE, I just haven't touch any engineering anything since I left school and timber is very lightly covered.

Guestimates on how deep the beams would be (ROM)? I've seen some framing examples where the ridge "beam" is barely a beam at all and I'm trying to read up on how those were done. I actually would prefer steel in case we even want to put in a trolley/hoist OH.
 
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