TRUSSED RAFTERS PROVIDE SCIENTIFIC SOLUTION TO EXTENSION

Extending the premises of an electronics company in Leicestershire has presented Harlow TS with a complex challenge, requiring us to design, manufacture and erect a variety of room-in-the-roof and other timber trusses to optimise circulation areas and maximise available space.

We undertook the contract at the headquarters of Campbell Scientific near Loughborough. The extension to the production facility and administrative offices lies alongside the original building but, in order to provide a pedestrian link between the existing upper-level and the loft storage space in the new building, our engineers had to design a series of mono valley sets with flying rafters.

The attic trusses span 11.5 metres with a 30 degree pitch and, despite the provision of a central steel beam for support, the loadings involved still required the use of a 225 mm deep bottom chord and 200 mm deep rafter for the fabrications.

The total of more than 50 trusses required to create the 28.5 metre long roofspace were installed at 550 mm centres with some being doubled up around infill timbers to accommodate rooflights.

As part of the package, we also supplied the trusses and loose timbers to create hipped ends to the structure. William Davis Limited worked with Harlow Timber Systems as the main contractor on this project.