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This guide explores floor trusses, covering their definition, types, and benefits. It explains exactly what these engineered wood products are, and go through their many advantages.

For questions about the use of engineered trusses for your floor, please contact our expert team at Pacific Truss. We are here to assist you at every stage of the process.

Understanding Their Purpose and Design

Our design engineers create floor truss systems from dimensional lumber, joining them together with metal plates. Unlike conventional floor framing, they offer superior load bearing capabilities. This allows the design to include long spans between load bearing walls.

In simple terms, longer floor joist spans are the distance between two support points in construction. Greater spans mean more stress and force, so proper design is crucial to support live loads. This capacity is calculated by our expert engineering team using span tables.

One way to optimize construction costs and maximize functional space in a building is by reducing the number of beams or load-bearing wall supports. This not only reduces material and labour expenses but also creates opportunities for creative design concepts.

On the other hand, extending the joist span increases the distance between supports, creating larger, unobstructed rooms below. This adjustment can improve the visual appeal and utility of areas like living rooms and commercial spaces.

There are three types of floor joists:

1. Dimensional Standard Lumber: Available in sizes like 2x10 and 2x12 purchased at lumber yards. While cost effective, they have shorter spans and tend to be bouncy.
2. Engineered I-Joists: Available at Pacific Truss, these have better span lengths than dimensional lumber. However, they are less versatile for mechanical trades.
3. Floor Trusses: Considered the superior option, these trusses are open-web design structures resembling joists. Floor trusses provide longer spans and customization for specific mechanical needs such as heat ducts. They also offer superior fire performance compared to I-Joists.

Distinguishing Features of Floor Trusses

• Fewer Layout Restrictions: The depths may vary from 12 inches to 24 inches deep. A deeper truss can reduce the need for additional supporting structures.
• Design Opportunities: Our team can easily incorporate heating and cooling openings into your floor truss design.
• Improved Diaphragm Effectiveness: Wider widths make it easier to attach to subfloors. This helps avoid having squeaky floors in your home.
• Removal of Rim Boards: In some situations, you can eliminate the need for full-height rim boards. This change simplifies construction and reduces costs.
• Concealment of Beams: Custom designed trusses can conceal beams within the structure, simplifying wiring, plumbing, and mechanical installations. However, this is feasible only with deeper trusses as a double top chord is still necessary for this purpose.
• Enhanced Vibration Resistance: Floor trusses in construction projects provide improved vibration resistance, especially in spaces like apartments or offices. Adding heavy dead loads such as concrete toppings, improves stability and comfort, enhancing structural integrity and satisfaction.
• Reduced Shrinkage: The use of multi-directional lumber minimizes warping and shrinkage compared to traditional lumber floors.
• Enhanced Safety: Wider floor trusses with improved stability are easier to install, reducing the chances of accidents and delays. They can easily accommodate special features like 2-inch drops for shower areas.

The Benefits of Building with Floor Trusses:

• Simplified Installation: Pre-assembled trusses make construction easier, saving time and labor costs. They are manufactured to the correct length and numbered to match the floor truss layout.
• Lightweight and Strong: Manufactured in controlled environments, floor trusses offer consistent strength and steadiness in construction. Here in British Columbia, Canada, we use SPF (spruce-pine-fir) wood for our trusses, whereas it is more common to build with southern yellow pine in the USA.
• Design flexibility to accommodate mechanical openings.
• The ability to include longer spans with higher load capabilities provide design flexibility for residential and commercial construction.
• Reduced construction costs with overall savings in labour, time, and materials.
• At Pacific Truss, our Cobble Hill facility provides extensive quality control measures. All our engineered wood components meet and surpass Industry Association and building codes requirements.
• Convenient for various trades like plumbing, heating, and electrical work.

Understanding the benefits of using floor trusses will allow you to make the best choices for your project's needs. Whether building, expanding, or renovating, consider using floor trusses as a modern solution in structural support.

Reach out to Pacific Truss today to explore how we can bring your vision to life. We have worked on projects of every size and style, and look forward to working with you.

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This cottage located in the Cowichan Valley is being constructed by our friends at S&B Construction. Its unique vaulted ceiling on the second floor was made possible by our expert truss engineering team.

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To create the home you've envisioned for years, there is a seemingly endless number of details to consider. Once you have reworked your floor plan and adjusted the home's orientation and window placement to take advantage of your property's views, the next important detail to focus on is your floor framing system? Unlike floor finishes, the floor framing system will become part of your structure for the life of your home. At Pacific Truss, in addition to multiple wall framing systems, including our Pacific SmartWall® System, we offer three major types of floor framing systems. A look at the advantages of each system will allow you to select a floor tailored to your design that will offer exceptional performance over the life of your building project.

DIMENSIONAL LUMBER

The original workhorse of wood frame construction! There are plenty of good reasons to use this trusted standby in your home. Typically, 2×10 (9 ¼”) and 2×12 (11 ¼”), nominal joist depth lumber species are grouped by similar performance characteristics and are graded by structural quality. This allows for designers to ensure properly sized joists and beams are used for specific loads and spans. The specific category and grades of these will vary by region. In BC, and in Pacific Homes packages, the base standard is Spruce/Pine/Fir grade #2 (SPF #2) or better, but for example, when required for a specific beam or span, a Douglas Fir/Larch grade Select Structural (DFIR-L SS) may be used.

Dimensional lumber is often the most economical choice, but that is not its only advantage. It is also durable in shipping and installation. Kiln drying and protection from the elements in transit and during construction helps reduce swelling across the wide grain and keep lumber dimensionally stable. Prefabrication is great for this. However, if the lumber is exposed to moisture, but then permitted to thoroughly dry out, the moisture will not have a significant detrimental effect on the structural integrity of the lumber. Therefore, pressure treated lumber is the go-to material for decks exposed to the weather.

I-JOISTS

The same year Pacific Truss started manufacturing wood trusses (1969), a small company from Idaho, called Truss Joist Inc. created the first wood I-joist. Which is why I-joists are sometimes referred to as TJIs, the pioneering brand name. Now, over 50 years later, I-Joists are a staple of the industry and every major wood products supplier offers their own line of I-joists.

Similar in design to the steel I-beams used in heavy construction for decades prior, wood I-joists gain their mechanical advantage from their I shape profile. Two horizontal lumber flanges are joined by a vertical Oriented Strand Board (OSB) web. Standard I-joists depths vary from dimensional lumber at 9 ½", 11 7/8", and 14". For long spans, depths up to 24” are available at 2" increments.

To achieve longer clear spans and carry heavier loads without increasing the depth of the I-joist, the size and structural grade of the flange is increased. For example, where a standard I-joist would use a 2×3 SPF #2 or better flange, a higher end series in the same depth would use a 2×4 Machine Stress Rated (MSR) flange.

As Engineered Wood Products, I-joists are sized by an engineering technologist to meet specific requirements with regards to span and loading in a custom home. An analysis of the resulting design is reviewed and sealed by a professional engineer and supplied to the installer and building inspectors.

As there is some variation in dimensional lumber floors, installation instructions are provided with the floor material. This includes details on drilling holes in the OSB webs. Both size and placement of holes are very flexible in I-joists.

The I-joist manufacturing process allows for long continuous lengths to be produced which is only really restricted by shipping and site considerations. This, along with the relatively light weight design of the I-joists, allow for quick installation, which reduces joints and blocking.

As a manufactured product, I-joists are dimensionally stable, consistently straight and any shrinkage is negligible. Defects such as crowning, twisting, cupping, and warping, seen in dimensional lumber, are not an issue. High quality finished floors are the result.

The smaller lumber and wood fibers comprising the I-joists allow smaller logs and raw logs to be used. This, coupled with sustainable tree farming and logging practices employed by the major manufacturers, makes the I-joist an environmentally friendly product. Along with other components and considerations, incorporating I-joists into your house design may qualify your home for certifications such as the LEED Green Building Certification.

FLOOR TRUSSES

Similar to roof trusses, floor trusses utilize dimensional lumber, most commonly 2×4, for the top and bottom chords, and webs of the truss. All connections are made by steel plates pressed into the wood. Differing from roof trusses, floor trusses typically have the lumber oriented as 4×2 or ‘on the flat’. This allows more room for the webs at a shallower depth than what would be required with the lumber in the opposite orientation. This is why floor trusses are often called 4×2 trusses.

The length that a 4×2 truss can span is only really restricted by the depth of the truss. While depths as shallow as 10 inches are possible, 4×2 trusses really become the competitive choice around 14-16 inches depth. So, for some designs or areas with height restrictions, they may not be the best option. Within a particular depth, the species and grade of the lumber, the number of webs, and the size of the steel plates at connections can increase the span and load carrying capacity of the truss.

Floor trusses are similar to I-joists in that they are specifically designed by an engineering technologist, then reviewed and sealed by a professional engineer, with documentation provided to the site. They differ however in that they are produced in a truss plant. We at Pacific Truss produce them at our Cobble Hill facility. This provides the opportunity for flexibility in the design, such as top chord bearing trusses and sloped top chords for deck areas.

As the lumber can be spliced with steel connections, continuous spans across a building are typical. The trusses are precisely sized so there is no cutting is required on site, increasing the speed of installation.

The open webs allow for electrical, plumbing, and mechanical to pass through, with no drilling required. While webs can’t be cut, drilled, or modified, larger openings can be accommodated at the design stage, making floor trusses the most flexible system in this regard.

As they incorporate smaller dimensional lumber, trusses see similar dimensional stability and reduced defects as I-joists. Also, similar environmental benefits are realized.

While it may seem the consideration of options and decisions are endless at the design stage of your home, determining the appropriate floor framing system is a crucial component of perfecting your next building project. 

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Building Roof Trusses on Vancouver Island since 1969.

How Roof Trusses can simplify your build on Vancouver Island

Our dedicated team at Pacific Truss manufactures roof trusses on Vancouver Island.  It’s no secret that an engineered roof structure is essential to the construction of any building. Engineered Roof Trusses serve two main purposes in a building project: to provide occupants a safe and secure structure and to protect the interior of the property with a roof system.

Trusses are the largest and heaviest structural building component of the construction process. The planning, design, manufacturing, and implementation of engineered roof trusses require a hefty degree of care. Therefore, trusses are typically prefabricated and engineered by industry professionals to ensure they are suited for the required project specifications. Our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility utilizes advanced technological truss manufacturing equipment to produce trusses and building components on Vancouver Island that are second to none.

So What Are Trusses?

The truss is a building invention that allows the weight of a roof to be distributed to the outer walls for better support. In addition, trusses are triangular in shape and composed of multiple triangles. These shapes give the building more support and allow a builder to use fewer materials to achieve the same function.

Today there are many different Truss roof systems. They all share that interlocking, rafter-and-joist design, but come in many shapes and satisfy a variety of roofing needs. Some are flat, some include extra storage area for an attic, and some are slanted to create additional ceiling height. The versatility of trusses is one reason this style continues to be a popular choice for agricultural barns, commercial buildings, and residential homes.

What Are The Advantages of Pacific Trusses

• Can be installed quickly
• Cost effective
• Built in a climate-controlled environment
• Are delivered to the job-site as a complete set for the roof structure to be built
• The unique properties of a triangular object allow trusses to span across longer distances
• Increase load capabilities
• Minimize waste
• Trusses are cheaper than conventional roof framing due to labor savings and also because they are built from shorter lengths of 2x4 lumber rather than the large size lumber required in building rafters and ceiling joists
• High quality materials and added strength
• Made from wood, a renewable resource
• Roof truss systems allow for almost any custom roof design and shape imaginable, allowing features such as cross gables and cathedral ceilings without being prohibitively expensive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0KXyzfSzeg

Design & Engineering Load Distribution

Trusses help transfer and distribute the weight of the roof to the outer walls. Trusses are designed with a series of triangles and webs to carry the weight across the entirety of the roof, by installing them this way onsite, it allows the pressure from the load to be carried to the exterior walls of the building, leaving the inner walls free from bearing the brunt of the load. All Trusses leaving our facility are designed and engineered to exceed local engineering building requirements.

Installation Period & Crane Delivery

Prefabricating wall panels & roof trusses off-site allows for more prep time onsite before installation. Therefore, keeping tight deadlines for the contractor and project. Above all, our engineered roof trusses are brought to the build site by a crane to be installed on the same day they are needed. In other words, we schedule our deliveries around your needs.

Your Trusted Roof Truss Manufacturer on Vancouver Island

Pacific Truss produces high-quality trusses using advanced technology. With over 60 years of experience in the building supply business our experienced team is available to assist you. If you have any questions about your upcoming project, whether it is your first home or if you are building a full-scale multi-family development project, we are here to help.

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To learn more about "The Roost" visit them here: http://roostfarmcentre.com/

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To learn more about this please visit our good friends at www.naturallywood.com

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Wood buildings can require less energy to construct and operate over time. Through research and development, the wood industry continues to develop building systems that offer greater air tightness, less conductivity and more thermal mass – including prefabricated systems that contribute to the low energy requirements of Passive House and Net Zero designs.

Wood is more efficient than steel and concrete in the amount of energy used in processing, manufacturing and transporting to the worksite (the embodied energy). Plus, wood is completely renewable and recyclable.

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Advancements in wood technology, systems and products, together.

With performance-based building codes have fueled interest in building with mass timber in mid-rise construction and even taller buildings.

Developments in both wood frame and mass timber are bringing mid-rise wood buildings to a new level of affordability and transforming our understanding of what is possible with wood construction.

Wood also plays a key role in reducing a project's environmental footprint. Wood products have less embodied energy, are responsible for lower air and water pollution, and have a lighter carbon footprint than other commonly used building materials.

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