Fastener-Web Wood Truss Module for Open Utility Routing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional structural truss modules with wood components obstruct the placement of longitudinally extending components like utility lines and have limitations in fire resistance and structural integrity, especially when used in construction applications such as roofs, floors, and walls.
Innovation Solution
A structural truss module comprising a pair of spaced parallel elongated wood chords connected by a web of metal support rods with threaded sections, allowing for efficient installation and providing enhanced structural integrity and fire resistance by allowing for the accommodation of mechanical and electrical systems while reducing material costs and labor intensity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If a web principally composed of wood or wood-derived components is used to connect chords, then the truss module achieves structural integrity and fire resistance, but the web occupies a significant portion of the space between chords, obstructing the placement of utility lines
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the web material from wood to metal fasteners, removing the obstructing wood components while retaining the structural connection function. The metal fasteners are spaced to provide structural integrity while leaving open space between chords for utility line placement.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite construction combining metal fasteners with wood chords, where the metal fasteners provide structural connection while the open space accommodates utility lines. This composite approach resolves the contradiction between structural integrity and space availability.
2Reliability
If metal support rods with threaded sections are used instead of wood web components, then fire resistance and structural integrity are enhanced, but the complexity of installation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The metal support rods are designed with self-tapping threaded sections that create their own threads in the wood chords during installation, eliminating the need for pre-threaded holes or complex assembly procedures. This self-service feature simplifies installation while maintaining fire resistance and structural integrity.
3Strength
If conventional wood web components are used, then material costs and labor intensity are lower, but the structural integrity and fire resistance are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the material parameter from wood to metal fasteners, which fundamentally improves fire resistance and structural integrity. The standardized design of the metal fasteners with predetermined thread patterns and spacing optimizes the labor intensity trade-off by enabling efficient installation despite the material change.
Data Source
AI summary
A structural truss module employs a fastener web to interconnect elongated wood chords. The web comprises a plurality of metal support rods. Each of the support rods has opposed threaded sections which are each threadably engaged to opposed chords preferably at an angle thereto. In one embodiment, a matrix of quasi-convergent adjacent pairs of support rods is employed. The structural truss modules may form part of a roof for a header or a structural wall.