ADT2006 - Steel Joists Needed

[c2k]

Specifically looking for Double pitched top chord steel joists like the Vulcraft SLH Series Longspan Steel Joist. See attachment for a generic pic from the Vulcraft pdf off their website.

I am interested if anyone can point me in the right direction on how to create this. I have figured out how to modify the standard joists, like making additional depths. But unsure as to how the top chord can be modified to have the pitch in both directions.

I have done searches in the forums and have not been able to find any answers on this.
I am really surprised this hasn't came up before. Oh well. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Chris.

[Steve_Bennett]

Glad to see a first time post from you! Try going to the main portion of the ADT/ABS forums (http://forums.augi.com/forumdisplay.php?f=379)and clicking the search button in the upper right corner. Enter Steel Truss in the box and you should get 3 hits as a good starting point.

[c2k]

Thanks for the reply Steve. Ya those were some of the posts I looked at yesterday, but I didn't see what I was looking for. Maybe I just missed it. I was hoping to find that someone had already created a structural member for these, or that I could figure out how to create it myself. But I have not been able to figure it out. It seems that someone out there has this, because the structural & architectural contract drawings on this particular job I'm working on have it shown, but I don't know if they were using an Autodesk product. If it was, the CAD files have been stripped of any intelligent data because it's all just lines now.

I have figured out how to create additional depths beyond the standard 30" joist by making new Steel Joist Panel and End Panel blocks. But I have not been able to find away to modify the top chord to have the double pitch. And because the standard joist just reuses the Steel Joist Panel block to create the internal webbing I don't think that particular structural member will work. It seems for now the easiest thing to do is just fudge these SLH joists in. I just don't have the time to keep experimenting with this right now. If I come up with something in the future I will post it here. Thanks.

[david_peterson]

On the Adesk website there's an example of how you can create a basic dual pitch truss. The problem is that it's not flexible. You have to make it a set length. I believe what they had done was create a SMC and apply it as a mulion to a curtain wall style. So at least you can modify it, but you can't simply difine a lenght.

[c2k]

Thanks David for the info.

[david_peterson]

Sorry about that Chris,

Here's the link (http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/index?siteID=123112&id=3025373&linkID=2475897) to the location I was refering to.
Enjoy