Hip Truss System

KentWhitten

I posted this a few years back and I just wanted to start a thread up again about this. While I prefer to see rafters in a home, it's not always my call. Most of the time here, we have gables, so it's not a big deal.

But when we do get a hip truss system here, it really, really blows. It's the most awful system you can imagine. Hangers everywhere, a hip girder hangered into the hip master, termination of the jacks into the hip master, nowhere to run a continuous hip since the rest of the hip package interferes with the plane.....it's hell

When I lived in Seattle, I met with a truss designer and we educated each other from our point of view and came up with a hip truss system that requires no metal connectors (hangers), no bracing on the strongbacks, or extra material by either the truss company or builder.

And it's fast.

The comments I posted on the pdf aren't quite as professional as I'd like to see, but I'm not in the mood to rewrite things.

This is what I and many others would call a California hip system or close to it.

There's a chance in the next month or two I may get a hip truss system and I'm going to try once again to convert the truss designer. We'll see.

http://whittendesigns.com/pdf/HipRoofTruss.pdf

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Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

Warren

You get used to doing those after you have done enough of em. We usually get ours dropped 1 1/2" and then we run 2x4 purlins up the ends. The hip can be a pain because only one side planes to the purlin. The other side we end up nailing blocks between the trusses to create a nailer for the hip. The hangers and girders can be a pain. We often have systems with 100+ hangers of maybe 7 or 8 different varieties. We try to prefab as much of the mono/girder systems, including hangers, as we can on the ground. Most of our roof systems are a combination of trusses and stick. Seems like that system you called out would work well. I may have to run it by our truss designers in the near future.

UpNorth

There are various ways to configure engineered trusses to handle hips.

here is a page with diagrams of four different ways, and each includes descriptive text.

What's your preference?

Not all truss makers will offer the customer this full array of choices.

Kgmz

Thats the way hip trusses have been done around here for years, and as Framerman mentioned called a California Hip Set.

Been a long time since I have used one, but it was easy compared to some of those other nightmares I have seen and used. Love those little dog ears where the hip master attaches to each truss on its way to the peak and how those stepdowns support the jacks.

The only thing now around here is that pressure blocking is frowned upon by the inspectors, they want to see hangers where those short trusses attach to the girder. I am assuming because a hangers strength can be verified compared to a pressure block. But I have used pressure blocking for years and have never had a problem.

Warren

We are required to leave a set of truss plans on the site for the inspector to review. Some places thy look at em, some they don't. It's not the inspectors job to play engineer and decide what goes or doesn't go when it comes to the truss assembly.

Kgmz

Some other Hip systems.

Kgmz

Same requirement here and now the building department has to see and have the truss engineering before you get the permit. As for the hangers, the truss engineers always spec hangers in their designs.

Warren

That drop in purlin system is what we see a lot of. If you look at the 2x4 hip purlin, you will wee that it only provides a nailer for one side. Blocks are added to make a nailer for the other side.

Birch

That looks like another “Better Mouse Trap” hip truss design. I could work with those.

The midwest style is most common locally.

I prefer the type that is not dropped at all and I precut all the pressure, rafter, and hip blocks on a shop saw. I stock the trusses with a crane (2 hours crane time at most, it’s the minimum too.) laying down on the building with temporary purlin supports at ceiling height (- a little), pre build the girders and 8’ kickers and roll the assembly up, it is self bracing and straightens easily too. I pre block all the remainder trusses and roll them up, they also brace themselves with the blocks. Stack the commons against the first completed hip assembly to create work room and repeat the process on the other end, then slide the commons in place. 4 or 5 hours for three or four guys, rolled, blocked, and braced.

That system may go a little quicker since its eliminating a lot of rafter blocking. I like simple truss systems like that. Easy money.

KentWhitten

Ours around here are what you show as the step down. Total PITA

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If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

Warren

We used to do a lot of the block in systems too. Then we started seeing the purlin ones, which I hated at firs. For a while, they would call and ask me which one I wanted. Now that I am used to the purlins, I like them a lot better.

Kgmz

I can't figure out why everyone else doesn't use the California style hip set. It is a lot easier and the top side is laid out just like you stick framed it.

Warren

Framerman:

When using the block system, after your guy precuts the common blocks, have him drive an 8d nail in halfway at the proper purlin. This way when you install the blocks, the nail can ride on the horizontal member truss, making the nailing/setting easier. Its a pain without the nail, because you have to hold the block in one hand, gun in the other, and try to nail it at the proper purlin. Hope I explained that so that you understand it. It really is a time saver.

KentWhitten

Thanks Warren, that is a good tip.

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If you correct your mind, the rest of your life will fall into place ~Lao Tzu

Custom Cabinetry - Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Kennebunkport, Yarmouth, Falmouth, Cumberland, Ogunquit, Maine

Salmon Falls Cabinetry

cbfx3

see the drop ins around here mostly

FramingPro

around here its just 1 main girder truss at 4' or 6' to catch the jacks and then its stepped up girder trusses. its our job to fill in the little rafters between the girder trusses. You have some room to play if the heights are off compared to the steps, just move it a bit.
its hard to see in the pic but on the upper right you can see the first or second girder truss and the little rafters going to the next truss up. This was a 12p so nice and easy lift those little rafters 3 above the top of the 3" (2ply) girder. easy enough to figure out for other pitches..

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Ninjaframer

Ive done mostly California system. They started doing the drop in around here a few years ago and just about everybody likes it better, says its faster and requires less blocking/ bracing. I still request the California system when its my call to make as its what I'm most familiar with.

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Ninjaframer

I've done this system I think 3 times and hated it! The lay in hip fill is a serious improvement to this method. I'm not a fan of blocking while perched in a truss.

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"slow makes smooth, smooth makes fast"

Dirtywhiteboy

I've done that blocking between the progressives a lot and is my least favorite

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FramingPro

why, seams relatively fast?

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