Top hat trusses bring harmony
23 March 2013Harmony Timber Solutions of Canterbury supplied a run of top hat attic trusses with integrated SpaceJoist open-web bottom chords for a new detached home in Alresford, Hampshire.
The project represents the first time Harmony had ever fabricated a run of open-web bottom chord attic trusses.
Project developer Peak Quality Homes Ltd, which specialises in luxury dwellings, required an area of open-web joist floor to match in with the attic area for running services through the open web voids.
Harmony designer Russell Stannard called on ITW Industry's Steve Paget for special detailing of the Alpine/Gang-Nail SpaceJoist bottom chords because of the change in timber orientation.
"We first fabricated the SpaceJoists with the timber chords on edge to match the truss widths," said Keith Riley, of Harmony's technical sales department.
"We then positioned the joists in the attic truss jig together with the other timber members and fastened the joints with pressed Gang-Nail plates as normal.
"ITW Industry's input in the design process was most helpful."
Graham Anderson of Peak Quality Homes said he was impressed with the engineered timber attic trusses and revealed the company was "pro open web" after experiencing deflection issues causing nail squeaks with other engineered timber joists.
Harmony provides a nationwide service from its factory near Canterbury, serving self-builders through to national developers.
