This week’s truss:

Question:

While the TPI Technical Advisory Committee recommends that the minimum grade of visually stress-related lumber used for truss chords should be No. 2 grade, could you hypothetically use No. 3 for either one and still perform under capacity?

Top and Bottom Chords are Southern Pine No. 2
Webs are Southern Pine No. 3

Building Code: IBC 2021

Loads (psf unless otherwise noted):

TC Live Load 40
TC Dead Load 10
BC Live Load 0
BC Dead Load 5

The answer will be posted on Thursday!

This is not a production truss! This is simply an example for Truss Tuesday conversation. Join the conversation on LinkedIn.

Updated: April 25th, 2024

Answer: T1 can be replaced with No. 3, but replacing B1 with No. 3 would cause the truss to go over capacity.