Steel frame building system and truss assembly for use therein

A steel frame building system of the type constructed of a plurality of elongated steel members and having end frames and at least one intermediate frame, wherein each steel member has a longitudinal axis, a web which extends along said longitudinal axis and which lies in a vertical plane, a pair of flanges on opposite sides of and at right angles to the web, opposing ends lying in respective planes substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and a hole pattern in the web and near each end comprising at least a pair of holes with each hole of each hole pair lying on an opposite side of said longitudinal axis and lying along a line substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and further wherein the steel frame building system comprises the following components of which (a)-(l) comprise a truss frame as said at least one intermediate frame and (m)-(w) comprise at least one of the end frames:

• (a) a substantially vertically oriented first column comprising a steel member which has a lower end and an upper end;
• (b) a substantially vertically oriented second column comprising a steel member which has a lower end and an upper end;
• (c) a substantially horizontally oriented bottom chord having a center and comprising at least one steel member which has a first end closely adjacent to the upper end of the first column steel member and a second end closely adjacent to the upper end of the second column steel member;
• (d) a first top chord comprising a steel member which has a lower end closely adjacent to the upper end of the first column steel member and the first end of said at least one bottom chord steel member, and which further has an upper end positioned substantially vertically above the center of the bottom chord;
• (e) a second top chord comprising a steel member which has a lower end closely adjacent to the upper end of the second column steel member and the second end of said at least one bottom chord steel member, and which further has an upper end closely adjacent to the upper end of the first top chord steel member;
• (f) at least one brace comprising at least one steel member fixedly connected between the top chords and the bottom chord;
• (g) a first haunch connecting plate having a first haunch hole pattern and positioned such that holes of the hole pattern near the lower end of the first top chord steel member, holes of the hole pattern near the first end of said at least one bottom chord steel member, and holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the first column steel member are juxtaposed with corresponding holes of the first haunch hole pattern, such juxtaposed holes being hereafter referred to as first haunch juxtaposed holes;
• (h) a plurality of first haunch fasteners received through respective first haunch juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the first haunch connecting plate to the first top chord steel member near its lower end, said at least one bottom chord steel member near its first end, and the first column steel member near its upper end;
• (i) a second haunch connecting plate having a second haunch hole pattern and positioned such that holes of the hole pattern near the lower end of the second top chord steel member, holes of the hole pattern near the second end of said at least one bottom chord steel member, and holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the second column steel member are juxtaposed with corresponding holes of the second haunch hole pattern, such juxtaposed holes being hereafter referred to as second haunch juxtaposed holes;
• (j) a plurality of second haunch fasteners received through respective second haunch juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the second haunch connecting plate to the second top chord steel member near its lower end, said at least one bottom chord steel member near its second end, and the second column steel member near its upper end;
• (k) a peak connecting plate having a peak hole pattern and positioned such that holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the first top chord steel member and holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the second top chord steel member are juxtaposed with holes of the peak hole pattern, such juxtaposed holes being hereafter referred to as first peak juxtaposed holes;
• (l) a plurality of first peak fasteners received through respective first peak juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the peak connecting plate to the first top chord steel member near its upper end and the second top chord steel member near its upper end;
• (m) a third column comprising a steel member which has a lower end and an upper end;
• (n) a fourth column comprising a steel member which has a lower end and an upper end;
• (o) a third top chord comprising a steel member which has a lower end closely adjacent to the upper end of the third column steel member and an upper end at substantially the same vertical position as the upper end of the first top chord steel member;
• (p) a fourth top chord comprising a steel member which has a lower end closely adjacent to the upper end of the fourth column steel member and an upper end closely adjacent to the upper end of the third top chord steel member;
• (q) a fifth column comprising a steel member which has a lower end and an upper end closely adjacent to the upper ends of the third and fourth top chord steel members, the web of the fifth column steel member as well as the webs of the third and fourth column steel members being substantially parallel to one another but substantially perpendicular to the webs of the third and fourth top chord steel members, which are substantially coplanar;
• (r) a first corner connecting bracket having a first portion with holes of a first hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the lower end of the third top chord steel member, and further having a second portion, substantially perpendicular to the first portion, with holes of a second hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the third column steel member, the juxtaposed holes associated with the first corner connecting bracket being hereafter referred to as first corner juxtaposed holes;
• (s) a plurality of first corner fasteners received through respective first corner juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the first corner connecting bracket to the third column steel member near its upper end and the third top chord steel member near its lower end;
• (t) a second corner connecting bracket having a first portion with holes of a first hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the lower end of the fourth top chord steel member, and further having a second portion, substantially perpendicular to the first portion of the second corner connecting bracket, with holes of a second hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the fourth column steel member, the juxtaposed holes associated with the second corner connecting bracket being hereafter referred to as second corner juxtaposed holes;
• (u) a plurality of second corner fasteners received through respective second corner juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the second corner connecting bracket to the fourth column steel member near its upper end and the fourth top chord steel member near its lower end;
• (v) a peak connecting bracket having a first portion with holes of a hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the third top chord steel member and holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the fourth top chord steel member, the peak connecting bracket further having a second portion, substantially perpendicular to the first portion of the peak connecting bracket, with holes of a hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the fifth column steel member, the juxtaposed holes associated with the peak connecting bracket being hereafter referred to as the second peak juxtaposed holes;
• and
• (w) a plurality of second peak fasteners received through respective second peak juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the peak connecting bracket to the third top chord steel member near its upper end, the fourth top chord steel member near its upper end, and the fifth column steel member near its upper end.

A truss assembly of elongated steel members, wherein each steel member has a longitudinal axis and a web which extends along said longitudinal axis and which lies in a substantially vertical plane, a pair of flanges on opposite sides of and at right angles to the web, opposing ends lying in respective planes substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and a hole pattern in the web and near each end comprising at least a pair of holes with each hole of each hole pair lying on an opposite side of said longitudinal axis and lying along a line substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and further wherein the webs of the steel members are substantially coplanar, said truss assembly comprising:

• a bottom chord having a center and comprising a first bottom chord steel member extending from one end thereof to its other end near or at the center of the bottom chord, and further comprising a second bottom chord steel member substantially coaxial with the first bottom chord steel member and extending from one end thereof near or at the center of the bottom chord to its other end;
• a first top chord comprising a steel member which has a lower end closely adjacent to said one end of the first bottom chord steel member, and which further has an upper end positioned substantially vertically above the center of the bottom chord;
• a second top chord comprising a steel member which has a lower end closely adjacent to said other end of the second bottom chord steel member, and which further has an upper end closely adjacent to the upper end of the first top chord steel member;
• at least one brace comprising at least one steel member fixedly connected between the top chords and the bottom chord;
• a first haunch connecting plate having a first haunch hole pattern and positioned such that holes of the hole pattern near the lower end of the first top chord steel member and holes of the hole pattern near said one end of the first bottom chord steel member are juxtaposed with corresponding holes of the first haunch hole pattern, such juxtaposed holes being hereafter referred to as first haunch juxtaposed holes;
• a plurality of first haunch fasteners received through respective first haunch juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the first haunch connecting plate to the first top chord steel member near its lower end and the first bottom chord steel member near said one end thereof;
• a second haunch connecting plate having a second haunch hole pattern and positioned such that holes of the hole pattern near the lower end of the second top chord steel member and holes of the hole pattern near said other end of the second bottom chord steel member are juxtaposed with corresponding holes of the second haunch hole pattern, such juxtaposed holes being hereafter referred to as second haunch juxtaposed holes;
• a plurality of second haunch fasteners received through respective second haunch juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the second haunch connecting plate to the second top chord steel member near its lower end and the second bottom chord steel member near said other end thereof;
• a bottom center connecting plate having a bottom center hole pattern and positioned such that holes of the hole pattern near said other end of the first bottom chord steel member and holes of the hole pattern near said one end of the second bottom chord steel member are juxtaposed with corresponding holes of the bottom center hole pattern, such juxtaposed holes being hereafter referred to as bottom center juxtaposed holes;
• a plurality of bottom center fasteners received through respective bottom center juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the bottom center connecting plate to the first bottom chord steel member near said other end thereof and the second bottom chord steel member near said one end thereof;
• a peak connecting plate having a peak hole pattern and positioned such that holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the first top chord steel member and holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the second top chord steel member are juxtaposed with holes of the peak hole pattern, such juxtaposed holes being hereafter referred to peak juxtaposed holes;
• a plurality of peak fasteners received through respective peak juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the peak connecting plate to the first top chord steel member near its upper end and the second top chord steel member near its upper end;
• and
• wherein each of the connecting plates provides the only structural connection between steel members connected thereby.

An assembly of elongated steel members, wherein each steel member has a longitudinal axis, a web which extends along said longitudinal axis and which lies in a substantially vertical plane, a pair of flanges on opposite sides of and at right angles to the web, opposing ends lying in respective planes substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, and a hole pattern in the web and near each end comprising at least a pair of holes with each hole of each hole pair lying on an opposite side of said longitudinal axis and lying along a line substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, the assembly comprising:

• a first column comprising a steel member which has a lower end and an upper end;
• a second column comprising a steel member which has a lower end and an upper end;
• a first chord comprising a steel member which has a lower end closely adjacent to the upper end of the first column steel member, and which further has an upper end;
• a second chord comprising a steel member which has a lower end closely adjacent to the upper end of the second column steel member, and which further has an upper end closely adjacent to the upper end of the first chord steel member;
• a third column comprising a steel member which has a lower end and an upper end closely adjacent to the upper ends of the first and second chord steel members, the web of the third column steel member as well as the webs of the first and second column steel members being substantially parallel to one another but substantially perpendicular to the webs of the first and second chord steel members, which are substantially coplanar;
• a first corner connecting bracket having a first portion with holes of a first hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the lower end of the first chord steel member, and further having a second portion, substantially perpendicular to the first portion, with holes of a second hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the first column steel member, the juxtaposed holes associated with the first corner connecting bracket being hereafter referred to as first corner juxtaposed holes;
• a plurality of first corner fasteners received through respective first corner juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the first corner connecting bracket to the first column steel member near its upper end and the first chord steel member near its lower end;
• a second corner connecting bracket having a first portion with holes of a first hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the lower end of the second chord steel member, and further having a second portion, substantially perpendicular to the first portion of the second corner connecting bracket, with holes of a second hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the second column steel member, the juxtaposed holes associated with the second corner connecting bracket being hereafter referred to as second corner juxtaposed holes;
• a plurality of second corner fasteners received through respective second corner juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the second corner connecting bracket to the second column steel member near its upper end and the second chord steel member near its lower end;
• a peak connecting bracket having a first portion with holes of a hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the first chord steel member and holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the second chord steel member, the peak connecting bracket further having a second portion, substantially perpendicular to the first portion of the peak connecting bracket, with holes of a hole pattern which are juxtaposed with holes of the hole pattern near the upper end of the third column steel member, the juxtaposed holes associated with the peak connecting bracket being hereafter referred to as peak juxtaposed holes;
• a plurality of peak fasteners received through respective peak juxtaposed holes so as to fixedly connect the peak connecting bracket to the second chord steel member near its upper end, the second chord steel member near its upper end, and the third column steel member near its upper end.