COMBINED LATTICE AND VIERENDEEL GIRDER IN LONG-SPAN STEEL FRAME

Abstract

A lattice girder frame was compared with a combined lattice and Vierendeel girder frame on a single-story building with a frame span of 62.0 m, column height of 15.0 m, and ridge height of 17.3 m. The lattice girder frame has the advantage of being a cheaper solution when considering steel usage. In contrast, the combined girder frame is a less complex production that has the advantage of cheaper labor costs in relation to the higher material consumption costs. The T-joint in Vierendeel girders, designed in accordance with EN 1993-1-8, was analyzed because of its key importance when designing the overall frame. Guidelines for the preliminary selection of the chord and post member cross sections in the Vierendeel girders based on their geometrical compatibility are given in this paper. This paper also describes a method for selecting the optimal static system for combined girder frames to achieve a more uniform bending moment distribution along the frame girder by adding additional posts.