ABSTRACT
In practice individual elements are assembled for structural use into frames of various kinds. This chapter examines the design of some simple combinations of components. The rules of component design still have to be observed but there is now the added complication of determining the way in which load is shared by the individual members and the interaction between them at the joints in the structure. The chords need not be parallel; the upper chord may slope to form a pitched roof or north light truss. Depending on the loading and dimensions of the girder the members may be formed from a variety of rolled sections ranging from angles to beams or from built-up sections of varying complexity. The example which follows shows the design of a lattice girder to support a lightweight roof structure over an assembly hall. In skeletal frames formed of assemblies of members there is usually a clear distinction between continuous structures.
