Week 12

Week 12.  The roof construction process is complete.  1.  Trusses installed.  2.  Ridge and minor beams installed.  3.  Caibros/Rafters installed at 60cm on center.  4.  Ripoa/Battons installed at 34cm on center to correspond to roof tile dimensions.

Truss Install

The installation of the truss is a muli step process where as each truss is set upside down on the bond beam and turned up individually using long sticks.  The sticks are used as braces to temporarily hole the trusses upright.  A long stick (rat run) is placed on the collar tie of each truss to stabilize the bottom and an angle brace is installed to keep it upright.  On center dimensions are measure out on the rat run and the truss is plumbed up with the brace.  This is a temporary measure until the ridge beam is installed.  The rat run also acts as scaffolding in this scenario.

Roof Monitor

The roof framing includes a roof monitor that is positioned as a means to ventilate the building and take on indirect natural daylighting.

Roof Framing

Hardware

Hardware is strategically used.  In the truss it is located at all joints and to hold down the viga/beam cleat (left).  Straps are used at the shiplap of viga/beams that break off of the structural trusses and columns (top right).  Rebar that is extended past the beam is bent over to tie it down to the column (Bottom Right).

Roof Tile

Roof Tile Delivered!

Trusses

Trusses are completed and await metal hardware that are applied at all the joints for additional support.  Pictured above (top) are the millwork (our lumberjack-left) and fabricator (right).  Trusses will be installed after the bond beam is poured and given time to set properly.    

Truss Build

Week 8 has included the building of the four main structural trusses that will be exposed to the interior space and carry the weight of the framing and roofing loads. John and I designed the truss to a specific angle specified by our solar systems engineer and began the build. They are currently cut to fit and tacked together with screws and will eventually receive metal strapping and hardware at all planar connections. The wood type is Piuva, a Brazilian hardwood and is rough sawn at best. It is milled to size with a chain saw (plain sawn technique) and the accuracy is excellent given the tools and conditions. Attention is paid to thickness when cutting stock for the king post and intersecting cords and crowning for all sloped and horizontal members is in the upward direction. The king post is left un-cut at the top where it will receive the ridge beam so fine adjustments can be made according to the varying dimensions of material that it will receive.