- 1). Visit the location of the new walkway. Use a tape measure to find exact lengths needed for this walkway. If there are no height restrictions for this project design, you need not worry about this detail. Otherwise, measure the available height in order to accurately design your truss walkway. The height of this truss structure changes the weight distribution of the load. However, you are designing a truss walkway instead of a vehicular bridge.
- 2). Study pictures of truss bridges and walkways to get a visual representation of these structures. Notice how the straight beams interlace to form the difference triangles. Whether the project calls for wood or steel in construction, design your truss walkway like one of the references in the pictures. All of these types of building techniques distribute weight in a proportional manner, therefore the appearance is purely your own decision.
- 3). Use pictures of truss bridges and walkways to help you understand the basic design of these structures. There are many different types of truss structures that all provide support in similar ways, therefore finding the right one for your project is purely your choice. The Warren truss is one of the most common types of this architectural design, featuring equally spaced beams that form equilateral triangles. The Pratt and Howe truss designs are similar in appearance, except the compression and torsion placed on each of the beams is the opposite. The short, vertical beams of Pratt truss designs are in compression, while the long, angled beams of Howe truss designs are in compression. K truss structures include much shorter beams for compression, but the number of supports increases the weight. This design forms triangles that mimic the letter “K,” both forward and backward.
- 4). Sketch out a rough draft of your idea. Lay a 180-degree protractor on your piece of paper if you need assistance creating a basic curved truss design. This type of truss sketch may work well for small walkways covering small creeks or rivers. However, use straight lines to create a rectangular truss that may be used as scaffolding for stadium lighting access or tall building fronts. Refer to your pictures of truss configurations for design tips.
- 5). Divide your sketched walkway into equal sections, establishing the exact measurements needed to extend this structure. Your walkway design must cover the entire area of the intended spot, therefore you may need to extend this walkway truss past its necessary length to complete. For example, your walkway truss design may need to clear a small creek, but your calculations of each section of this truss may exceed the width of the selected area.
- 6). Create exact measurements for your truss structure with an industrial ruler. Your sketch helps you determine which structure looks best in the intended spot, but it's still just a rough draft. Carefully create each of the triangles for your truss walkway. Warren truss designs use equilateral triangles, therefore all sides of this shape are equal in length. While Pratt, Howe and K truss designs may feature triangular configurations that do not contain equal lengths, the angled beams should all be the same length. Likewise, vertical beams in these configurations are all the same height, as well.
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