Trussing or Strengthening.
When a beam of timber is long in proportion to its breadth and thickness, it will bend by its own weight, and will be incapable of supporting much additional load; it may be strengthened by trussing, in different modes, of which we will only describe that usually adopted for girders, intended for floors. The beam is sawed longitudinally into two equal beams, each, of course, half the thickness of the original: these halves are reversed, end for end, so that if there were any weak part in the original beam, this may be divided equally between the ends of the compound beam made up of the two halves when bolted together. A flat truss, usually of oak, with iron king-bolts and abutting plates, resembling in form and principle a timber roof or bridge, is placed between the two half beams, and let into a shallow groove cut in each half to receive it; the compound beam, with this truss in the middle, is then bolted together again by means of iron bolts, with washers and nuts, and consequently becomes rigid by the construction of the truss. The truss is not entirely let into the double beam, as the full effect of strength may be obtained without the necessity for cutting the groove in each half beam of half the thickness of the oak truss; consequently, when the girder is completed, there is a slit all along it, through which the truss is seen lying in its place between the two sides.
Iron trusses are often used instead of oak, and beams are frequently strengthened by screwing a thin flat iron truss on one or both sides, let into the beam for about half the thickness of the metal.
This mode of strengthening a beam by trussing is only adopted in floors, where it is necessary to limit the depth of the truss to that of the beam, to obtain a level surface by means of joists laid across, and supported by, the beam. But it is obvious that much greater strength may be imparted to a long beam by making it the base of a triangular frame, as is done in roofs, in various manners, when the slanting sides of the triangular frame carry the battens or laths for supporting the tiles or other covering.
The annexed is the simplest form of a roof, and will help to explain the subject of carpentry in other respects. The beam A, called the tie-beam, is of such a length as to rest on the side walls of the house at each of its ends, and is supposed to be of such dimensions in depth and thickness as would render it inadequate to support much more than its own weight. The two sloping rafters B B, are called principals; they are mortised into the tie-beam at their ends by a joint, shown in the lower figure, by which they are provided with a firm abutment, to prevent the ends from slipping outwards; and in order to prevent the principal from starting upwards out of the mortise, it is strapped down to the tie-beam by an iron strap, bolted or screwed to both timbers.
P is termed a king-post, and is cut out with a head and foot, the former to receive the upper ends of the principals, which, being cut square, abut firmly against the sloping face of the head. The sloping principals hold up the king-post, and the tie-beam is supported from the latter by a stirrup-shaped strap, that goes under the beam, and is bolted, or screwed, to the post on each side. To prevent the principals from bending by the strain, or by the weight of the roof covering, the struts C C, are placed, abutting against the bevelled part of the foot of the king-post, and are strapped to the principals, or mortised into them.
The number of tie-beams, with their trusses, &c., of course depends on the length of the roof, or the material with which it is to be covered. A longitudinal scantling, or thin beam, called a purline, E, is laid lengthwise, resting on the principals over the ends of the struts, and is secured to the former by a spike, or else by being notched down on to the principal. These purlines support the common rafters R, which abut at their feet against a longitudinal scantling S, lying on, and halved down on, the tie-beams; at their upper ends, the rafters R rest against a ridge-piece, or thin plank, let edgeways into the head of the king-post. The rafters are placed about a foot apart, and on to them are nailed the laths or battens to carry the tiles or slates.