Per Florida Building Code

2319.17.2.1 Design.

2319.17.2.1.1 Prefabricated wood trusses shall be designed by a registered professional engineer (delegated engineer) and fabricated in accordance with the National Design Standard for Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Construction of the Truss Plate Institute (TPI). The truss system designer (delegated engineer) shall prepare the truss system shop drawings. Such shop drawings shall be submitted to the building official for review and approval. The shop drawings shall meet the following requirements:

1. All shop drawings shall be in conformity with the architect or engineer of record framing plans unless prior written approval is obtained from the architect or engineer of record. If reframing is approved, the architect or engineer of record shall resubmit revised framing plans to the building official after receiving updated plans from the delegated engineer showing all adjustments necessary to safely transmit all applied loads to the foundation.

2. Permanent bracing of individual truss members may be required on certain members of the trusses to prevent the members from buckling in the plane normal to the trusses (buckling in the narrow direction). This bracing shall be designed for both upward and downward loads and shall be shown on the individual truss drawings (truss engineering usually shown on 8¹/₂-inch by 11-inch (216 mm by 279 mm) sheets (“A” size drawings). The design of this bracing shall be the responsibility of the delegated engineer. The contractor shall be responsible for seeing that this bracing is properly installed. This bracing may be in the form of (but not limited) to “T” bracing of an individual member, or lateral bracing of a series of members common to a number of trusses. Where lateral bracing is used, this bracing shall be restrained against lateral movement, in accordance with details provided by the delegated engineer or by the architect or professional engineer of record. All details and sections required to show the size and connections of all secondary members will be supplied on the delegated engineering plans and shall show all framing, connections and bracing on one or more primary plans of minimum size 24 inches by 36 inches (610 mm by 914 mm).

3. A size 8¹/₂-inches by 11-inches (216 mm by 279 mm) cut sheets showing individual member design shall also be furnished to the architect or engineer of record so that all gravity and uplift loads shown on these cut sheets can be transferred to the primary plans.

4. The size and location of all plates at each joint shall be shown on the truss design drawings.

5. The connection between trusses shall be detailed in the shop drawings. Hip sets shall be detailed in a manner to indicate all connections according to engineering drawings for the attachment of skewed members.

6. Truss design drawings shall indicate the support and minimum bearing of the roof structural system, the permanent cross/lateral bracing, bracing to transfer member buckling forces to the structure and all bracing and anchorage required to resist uplift and lateral forces.

7. Flat and floor trusses must be clearly marked so that they will be installed right side up. These marks must remain after the flooring, sheathing and insulation have been installed.

The intent of the above requirements is to provide all information on framing, connections and bracing on one composite set of plans approved by the architect or engineer of record to aid in the review, approval and field inspections for the portion of the property.

2319.17.2.1.2 Trusses shall be designed for wind loads per Chapter 16 (High-Velocity Hurricane Zones), uniformly distributed live, dead and concentrated loads, and such loads shall be indicated on the roof framing plans and the truss design drawings. Where a girder or truss is subjected to concentrated loads or any unusual loading condition, such conditions must be clearly indicated on the roof framing plans and on the truss design drawings. Where truss members have been cut, shifted or altered in any manner to meet construction needs or for any other reason, additional drawings and additional calculations must be prepared, signed and sealed by the truss designer (a Florida-delegated engineer). Such additional drawings and calculations must be approved by the engineer or architect of record and must be submitted to the building official for review and approval.

2319.17.2.1.3 Roof trusses shall be designed for a minimum live load of 30 psf (1436 Pa), a minimum dead load of 15 psf (718 Pa) on the top chord, and a minimum dead load of 10 psf (479 Pa) on the bottom chord; and wind loads per Chapter 16 of this code. Where the roof design is such that water is not directed to the interior of the roof and there are no parapets or other roof edge drainage obstructions, roof trusses with slopes of 1¹/₂:12 or greater may be designed for a live load of 20 psf (958 Pa) and a minimum total load of 45 psf (2155 Pa). Adjustment of the allowable design stress for load duration shall be in accordance with National Design Specification for Wood Construction except that load duration factor for wind loads shall not exceed 1.33.

2319.17.2.1.4 The allowable deflection under live load for trusses shall not exceed span/360 for plastered ceilings, span/240 for unplastered finished ceilings, or span/180 for trusses without a ceiling.

2319.17.2.1.5 Flat roof trusses shall be designed for not less than the loads set forth in Section 2319.17.2.1.3 above, except that the dead load on the top chord may be taken as 10 psf (479 Pa) in lieu of 15 psf (718 Pa), and the total load reduced to 50 psf (2394 Pa). Adjustment of the allowable design stress for load duration shall be in accordance with National Design Specification for Wood Construction except that load duration factor for wind loads shall not exceed 1.33.

2319.17.2.1.6 Where gable end trusses are permitted in this code, they shall be designed for a minimum live load of 30 psf (1436 Pa) and a minimum dead load of 15 psf (718 Pa) on the top chord. The minimum load of 10 psf (479 Pa) on the bottom chord may be omitted where continuous support is provided. In addition, the gable end trusses shall be designed to sustain wind load as specified in Chapter 16 (High-Velocity Hurricane Zones) but not less than 30 psf (1436 Pa) perpendicular to the plane of the truss. Such trusses shall use a rationally designed system to resist lateral wind loads and be anchored to the substructure at intervals no greater than 4 feet (1219 mm) on center to resist the uplift forces and shall be designed to transfer the loads to the substructure. The design of the system used to resist the lateral loads imposed on the truss shall be prepared by the engineer or architect of record.

2319.17.2.1.7 When girders exceed two members and when girder reactions exceed the capacity of standard connectors or hangers, these reactions shall be shown on the drawings and the connection must be designed, signed and sealed by a registered professional engineer or registered architect proficient in structural design and such design shall be included as part of the shop drawings.

2319.17.2.1.8 All trusses shall be properly braced to act as a system. Such bracing shall be included as part of the design document.

2319.17.2.2 Materials and specifications.

2319.17.2.2.1 Trusses shall be fabricated applying the design values listed in the standard Design Values for Wood Construction of the American Forest and Paper Association.

2319.17.2.2.2 Top and bottom chords shall be of No. 2 Grade or better. Web members shall be of No. 3 Grade or better. A chord member is defined as the entire top or bottom truss member which may consist of shorter spliced pieces.

2319.17.2.2.3 For trusses spanning 20 feet (6 m) or less, the minimum percentage of grade-marked members among top and bottom chords shall be 50 percent.

2319.17.2.2.4 For trusses spanning more than 20 feet (6 m) the minimum percentage of grade-marked members among top and bottom chords shall be 75 percent, and there shall be a minimum of one marked web on each truss.

2319.17.2.2.5 All lumber shall be 2 inches by 4 inches (51 mm by 102 mm) nominal or larger, and no 2 inch (51 mm) nominal member shall be less in size than 1 ¹/₂ inch (38 mm).

2319.17.2.2.6 The moisture content of all lumber used in wood truss fabrication shall not exceed 19 percent.

2319.17.2.2.7 Connector plates shall be not less than 20 gauge galvanized steel meeting ASTM A 653/A 653M or A 924/A 924M, and shall be identified by the manufacturer’s stamp. The size and location of all plates shall be shown on the truss design drawings. Connectors shall have product approval.

2319.17.2.2.8 All connector plates over 3 inches (76 mm) and 25 percent of 3 inches (76 mm) or less, as per TPI standards, shall bear the name, logo or other markings, which clearly identify the manufacturer. Semiannually, plate manufacturers shall certify compliance with the provisions of Section 6 of the Truss Plate Institute, TPI, National Design Standard for Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Construction, with respect to the grade of steel, thickness or gauge of material, and galvanizing to ASTM G 60 as a minimum. This certification requirement shall be satisfied by submitting by an approved independent laboratory to the certification agency.