Chapter - 9

SLOPING ROOFS
 SLOPING ROOF

 Sloping or Pitched roof is a type of roof which

is provided with some slope as structure
covering. We know that the roofs are
generally provided at top to cover and
protect the structure from different weather
conditions. Pitched roofs are generally used
where rainfall is heavy. If buildings are
constructed with some limited width, then
also we can go for pitched roofs.
COMPONENTS OR ELEMENTS OF
PITCHED ROOFS
 Span
Span of roof is the clear distance between the two
supports on which roof is positioned by some other
elements.

 Ridge
The apex of the angle which is developed at top by
the inclined surfaces at the top of slope.

Rise
The vertical distance or height of top of ridge from
wall plate is called as rise.
 Wall plates

Wall plates are provided at top of wall or supports. And

these are generally made of wood and are used to fix the
common rafters.

 Pitch

Pitch is nothing but slope of roof with the horizontal plane

and is calculated as the ration of rise to span.

 Eaves

The bottom edge of sloped roof surface is called as eaves

from which rain water is drops down during raining.
 Hip

Hip is a place where two sloping surfaces meet, where

exterior angle is more than 180o.

 Hipped end

At the end of a roof sloped triangular surface is formed

which is called as hipped end.

 Valley

It is also a place where two sloping surfaces intersects

but the exterior angle is less than 180.
 Verge

Verge is the edge of gable roof which runs between ridge and
eaves.
 Ridge board

Ridge board is a wooden member which is provided long the ridge

lie or apex of the roof. Common rafters are supported by this ridge
board. This is also called as ridge beam or ridge piece.
 Common Rafters

Common rafters are wooden members fixed to the ridge board

perpendicularly. They run from ridge to the eaves. These are fixed
to the purlins at intermediate points. Batten or boarding’s are
supported by this rafter. In general, the spacing between rafters is
30 to 45 cm.
 Purlins

Purlins are wooden or steel members supported by truss

or wall. If the span is large they are used to support the
common rafters.
 Hip rafters

These rafters are provided at the hip end. And they run
diagonally from ridge to the corners of the wall.
 Valley rafters

Valley rafters run diagonally from ridge to the eaves. They

are provided in sloping positions to bear support valley
gutters. The ends of purlins and jack rafters will receive by
the valley rafters.
 Jack rafters

The rafters run from hip to the valley are called as jack
rafters and usually they are short in length.
 Eaves board

The ends of lower most roof covering materials are

rests on eaves board. It is made of wood and usually
25mm x 25mm thickness and width. It is placed at the
feet of common rafters.
 Barge board

To hold the verge formed by the common rafters a

wooden board is used which is called as barge board.
 Post plate

Post plate is similar to wall plate. Post plates are parallel

to the face of the wall and run continuous. Post plates
provide support for the rafters.
 Battens

Battens are usually made of wood and they are nailed to

the rafters to give supports for the roof covering material.
 Template

Template is a masonry block made of concrete or stone

which is placed under the truss to provide larger load
area of the wall.
 Boarding’s

Boarding’s are similar to battens and these are also

used to give support for the roof covering material
by nailing them to the rafters.
 Truss

Truss is frame which consists of triangles and

designed to support the roof tops.
 Cleats

To support the purlins, short sections of steel or

wood are fixed to the rafters and these sections are
called as Cleats
TYPES OF SLOPING ROOFS
NORTH LIGHT ROOF
 Gable Roof
Gable roof designs are one of the more simple styles
when it comes to roofs. The gable roof style looks like an
inverted/upside down V.
Pros: Gable roofs will easily shed water and snow,
provide more space for the attic or vaulted ceilings and
allow more ventilation. Their inherently simple design
makes it easy to build them and cheaper than more
complex designs.

Cons: Gable roofs can be problematic in high wind and

hurricane areas. If the frames are not properly
constructed with adequate supports, the roof can
collapse. High winds can also cause materials to peel
away from gable roofs. If there is too much of an
overhang, winds can create an uplift underneath and
cause the roof to detach from the walls.
GABLE ROOF
 HIP ROOF
 A hip roof has slopes on all four sides. The sides are all
equal length and come together at the top to form a ridge.
 Pros: Hip roofs are more stable than gable roofs. The
inward slope of all four sides is what makes it more sturdy
and durable.
 They are excellent for both high wind and snowy areas.
The slant of the roof allows snow to easily slide off with no
standing water.
 Hip roofs can offer extra living space with an addition of a
dormer or a crow’s nest.
 Cons: Hip roofs are more expensive to build than a gable
roof. It’s a more complex design that requires more
building materials. Also, with the addition of a dormer,
additional seams can make it easier for the water leaks to
form in the valleys, if a roofing system is not properly
installed.
HIP ROOF
 MANSARD ROOF
 A mansard roof, also known as a French roof, is a four-sided roof with
a double slope on each side that meet forming a low-pitched roof.
 The lower slope is much steeper than the upper. The sides can either
be flat or curved, depending on the style.
 Pros: Mansard roofs can help create a great deal of extra living
space. Using the space as a full attic or living quarters, called a
garret, is very popular. The style lends itself to either open or closed
dormers for more aesthetic appeal.
 Mansard roofs are great for people wanting flexibility to make future
home additions. When first designing and building a home, you can
actually save money by having a simple mansard design to start off.
– You can then add on a garret or dormers at a later date. This will
not only add value to the house, but it also allows homeowners to
easily make additions as their needs change.
 Cons: A low pitched portion of a mansard roof isn’t ideal for areas
receiving heavy snowfall.
 Mansard roofs cost more than typical roofs because of the
embellishments and details that go into them. But, the added space
and character can more than make up for the extra cost of initial
construction.
MANSARD ROOF
 GAMBREL ROOF
 A gambrel, or barn roof, is much like mansard in a sense that it has two
different slopes. The difference between the two is that the gambrel only
has two sides, while the mansard has four.
 Similar to mansard, the lower side of the gambrel roof has an almost
vertical, steep slope, while the upper slope is much lower.
 Gambrels are not only seen on top of barns, farm houses and log cabins.
They are also seen on Dutch Colonial and Georgian style homes, as well.
 Pros: Much like the mansard, the gambrel provides extra living space for a
garret, attic or loft. Plus it’s simple to frame out.
 The gambrel only uses two roof beams, along with gusset joints. Since the
construction is quite simple with fewer materials needed, this helps to keep
the cost of a roof down.
 Gambrel roofs are also a great idea for outdoor sheds and storage buildings.
Their shape can provide more storage without taking up more space.
 Cons: The gambrel roof is not recommended for heavy wind areas or
regions that receive significant snowfall. The open design can cause the
roof to collapse under extreme pressure.
 Gambrel roofs also need to be constructed well, waterproofed at the ridges
and maintained on a regular basis. It’s a good idea to have a gambrel roof
inspected each year to check for damage from storms, heavy rainfall or
snow.
GAMBREL ROOF
 SHED ROOF
 Skillion is also referred to as a shed roof or lean-to. It is a
single, sloping roof, usually attached to a taller wall. – It
can be thought of as half of a pitched roof, or as a more
angled flat roof.
 Skillion roofs are mostly used for home additions, sheds
and porches. However, they are also now being used on
the entire structure of more modern style homes.
 Pros: Skillions are easy to assemble and use much fewer
building materials than other roof types. Their steep
pitch allow snow and water to easily run off, which
makes them excellent for high rain and snow regions.
They can also be used purely for design purposes to add
architectural interest and aesthetic appeal.
 Cons: If a roof pitch is too high it can result in ceilings
being too low. Also, homes using only a skillion roof can
have problems in high wind areas.
SHED ROOF
 WOODEN TRUSSES

 King Post Truss

 Queen Post Truss

KING POST TRUSS
 KING POST TRUSS

 It has a vertical king post joining the middle of

its tie beam on to the ridge of the rafters. These
trusses normally use angle struts as extra
members for joining the king post with the
rafters. It is a closed type truss.
 The Wooden King Post Truss Consists Following
components:

 Tie Beam
 Two Inclined principal rafter
 Two struts
 King post
 Ridge Beam

 In king post truss, purlins are supported by the

principal rafter. The purlins support the closely
spaced common rafters. The slope of common
rafters is same as that of the principal rafter. The
common rafters support the roof covering.
 In king Post truss, The Bottom chord of the truss acts as
tie beam and this tie beam receives the ends of the
principal rafters and prevents the wall from spreading
out due to thrust. The vertical king post is used to
prevent the sagging of tie beam at the centre of a span.
The Struts are connected to the tie beams and the
principal rafters in the inclined direction. The Struts are
used to prevent the sagging of principal rafters. Ridge
beam is provided at the apex of the roof to provide end
support of the common rafters. The trusses are
supported on the bed blocks of stone or concrete which
are fixed in the supporting walls.
 The Spacing of King Post truss is limited to 3
m centre to centre. The truss is suitable for
spans varying from 5 to 8 metre. It is not
suitable for the long span. The king post
truss does not provide storage space
because the frames are usually exposed and
do allow extra room.
 King post truss is used when there is a need to
support the weight of an expansive roof. This roof
provides not only functionally, but also adds
beauty as well. The king post truss is also used for
simple roof lines and short span bridges. It is used
in aircraft construction. In aeroplanes, the king
post supports the top cables and helps to support
the weight of the plane’s wings. Trusses are
elements where its entire member takes either
only compression or tension member are not in
bending.
KING POST TRUSS
 QUEEN POST TRUSS

 The queen post truss mainly comprises of

two vertical queen posts which are
connected at equal distances from the
middle of its tie beam to its rafters. A
horizontal member further connects them at
the heads. The queen type truss is more
suitable for greater span widths as compared
to the king post truss.
QUEEN POST TRUSS
 Queen Post Truss Consists of Following
Components:
 Two Queen posts
 Two Principal Rafters
 Struts
 Tie Beam
 Straining beams
 Straining sills
 Purlins
 In this roof, The Queen posts are the tension

members which are used to prevent the sagging

of tie beam. The upper ends of the queen-posts
are kept in position by straining beam. The
straining beam receives the thrust from the
principle rafters and also keeps the junction in a
stable position.
 A straining sill is fixed on the tie beam and also
fixed between the feet of Queen post. This
straining sill is used for reducing the thrusts from
struts. The principal rafters, Straining beams,
struts and straining sill are in compression
whereas the queen posts and tie beam are in
tension. Purlins are horizontal wooden members
laid on principal rafters on wall-to-wall to support
common rafter of a roof which is fixed with cleat.
 Queen post truss is suitable for 8 to 12 meters. This
truss is made from a variety of materials such as
timber or steel. The Queen post truss is simpler and
lighter in weight. It does not put weight on the
centre of the main tie beam, as the king post truss.

 Queen post truss is used when there is a need to

cover large areas. It is relatively low-cost and can be
made to fit almost any size or slope of the roof. It
can also provide striking ceiling design that
differentiates a home.
 STEEL TRUSSES
 Fink Truss

 Fan Truss

 Northlight Roof Truss

FINK TRUSS
 FINK TRUSS
 The Fink truss in its most basic form has web members
that follow a V-pattern which can be repeated several
times. As the top chords are sloping downward from the
center, the V pattern becomes noticeably smaller. As
Fink trusses rely more on diagonal members, they can be
very efficient at transmitting loads to the support.

 Derivatives of the Fink truss include the Double Fink and

the Fan truss types. Double Fink trusses are essentially
Fink trusses that repeat the pattern twice on either side.
If the most basic Fink truss can be characterized by a
double-V, then a double fink would look like a double-W.
Fan trusses are essentially Fink trusses that have its web
members ‘fan out’ from the joints at the bottom, usually
the addition of vertical members.
 FAN TRUSS

 The Fan Truss comes with a very simple

design and it’s made out of steel.
 On top of that, the main characteristic here is
that the top chords are split into smaller
lengths, as this allows the build to obtain
purlin support. Also, you get a medium span
with this type, around 10-15m, which is more
than enough for most projects.
FAN TRUSS
 NORTH-LIGHT TRUSS
 One of the oldest and resistant trusses is the North-Light truss.
This is because of the proper ventilation it provides, and the
spread has 20 to 30-meter span. Due to its durability and
versatility, North-Light Truss is used in large spaces and allows
maximum light to reach the space.

 These are just a few of the steel trusses which are used in
construction. Bowstring, lenticular, vierendeel, octet, flat, scissor
truss are few other types of trusses which are used. Based on
construction needs, choose a structural steel fabricator who
provides fabrication of different types of steel trusses.
NORTH-LIGHT TRUSS
NORTH-LIGHT TRUSS