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Hip Truss system

49K views 100 replies 26 participants last post by  Warren 
#1 ·
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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#2 ·
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.
 
#4 ·
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.


 
#9 · (Edited)
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.
 
#13 ·
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.
 
#16 ·
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. :thumbup: easy enough to figure out for other pitches..
 

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#17 ·
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.
 
#18 ·
FramingPro said:
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. :thumbup: easy enough to figure out for other pitches..
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.
 
#21 · (Edited)
Maybe compared to growing the lumber and milling it yourself it seems fast ;)
It was the slowest most time consuming method I've come across. When is installing angle cut blocks ever fast?
It depends on pitch how big of a pain, if you can stand on the bottom cords and put them in its not so bad but climbing on top carrying your gun and blocks and trying to hang on and put em in is a pita
 
#22 ·
Maybe compared to growing the lumber and milling it yourself it seems fast ;)
It was the slowest most time consuming method I've come across. When is installing angle cut blocks ever fast?
i dunno. but they should all be the same. bang out the cuts and nail.
that can be done by one person while the rest of the crew continues on another part of the building.
 
#24 ·
I like full length hips, plate to head, and the monos that hit the guider to have full length top cords that hit the hip. Have you used ones like this Nick? Or the Hat works great too:thumbsup: You know the triangle thingy
 
#26 ·
FramingPro said:
i dunno. but they should all be the same. bang out the cuts and nail.
that can be done by one person while the rest of the crew continues on another part of the building.
Nick, the design I posted requires zero blocking. Why would anyone think doing unnecessary extra work for no reason at all is no big deal?

Besides that, I would much rather have solid, full length members for my roof system than blocking.
 
#28 ·
FramingPro said:
if i understand right, then you have an 8' bottom cord and then the top cord is either the jack or common length and the trusses below are dropped 3 1/2" for the long rafters to bear on? Wouldn't asking the truss company to cut those with a common difference be too much for some of them.
No- becouse they are the same for every roof, they do layout from the outside corners to center. I asked once if they could make the layout work from one end to the other and they laughed :)
 
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