Ridge Beam Roof Construction

Floor beam span tables of residential structural design we will now look at roof rafter and beam design.

Ridge beam roof construction. Ridge beams and boards modern raising ceiling joists jlc technical steico construction roof rafter collar tie calculations structural ridge beamtimber steel framing manual single span ridge beamglulam ridge beam span table elcho. Continuing on from part 3. Yes either a ridge board or a ridge beam is necessary and required by the building code where roof rafters meet at the the center of their span. The ridge board runs the length of the building and provides support for the tops of the rafters helping the whole roof structure work together as a system.

Timber frame ridge beams. The ridge beam is typically a larger member like a 4 x 12 and carries the gravity load of the roof joists just as the bearing wall or header does at the envelope. The image below shows a cross section of our simple 12 x 13 house from the joist span tables section of this tutorial. Timber framing is a traditional method of framing that uses heavy timbers instead of standard board lumber.

Here we have a wood framed gable roof. A classic example of the exposed ridge beam structure can be seen on our magnolia residence which is currently in construction. Ridge beam sizing is based on the span of the beam between supports and the amount of roof load supported by the beam. Let s consider a basic gable wood roof framing design.

Its the way i was trained to build sheds. The difference between them is that a ridge beam is a structural member that bears half of the live and dead loads of the rafters on either side of it but a ridge board is not structural. The loads on the ridge beam are carried by vertical posts at the beam ends down through the building structural walls to the building foundation. The ridge board must be set as perfectly as possible so take your time and use careful measurements.

Ridge beams are required by code if the roof slope is less than 3 in 12 irc section r802 3. A structural ridge beam is a horizontal beam placed at the peak or ridge of a roof and is designed to carry much of the live and dead loads or weight of the roof structure by itself. Framing in a ridge beam in shed roof construction is not hard. A ridge board is a non structural member that serves as a prop for opposing rafters to rest against and connect to.

Here s a picture of a gable style shed using a ridge beam.