Parametric study on RHS truss girder design to Eurocode 3 with various truss spans and steel grades

Abstract

The weight of steel structure is the prime consideration in reducing the cost of construction. To lower the cost, designing the steel structure with optimized weight is the elementary strategy. The truss girder is a truss that serves as the primary member that span over roof and other structure that carry heavy loads. The truss weight is often controlled by section size, steel grade, and the connection method. This paper aims to conduct parametric study on truss girder design using rectangular hollow section (RHS) in accordance with Eurocode 3 for various span length and steel grades. The design procedures consider both ultimate limit state (ULS) and serviceability limit state (SLS). A design spreadsheet is used to analyse and obtain the most economical RHS. The results from this study are presented in steel weight and weight per unit span. The comparison from this study shows the weight of the truss girder is proportional to the truss span. The percentage of weight increment in the range of 67–638%. The increment in steel grade may reduce the steel weight of truss girder, where the reduction is in the range of 1–9%.