Truss + Bracing Cost

When designing trusses, we want to minimize cost. Part of that involves reducing the truss cost as much as possible. We do this by making changes in the Design program, analyzing the truss, and then comparing the cost in the "Analysis Results" window to the previous version. If the cost is lower, we save the truss and keep trying until we're satisfied we've reached the best price. If the cost is higher, we discard those changes, and keep trying.

However, the total cost of a truss includes more than the material, screws, labor, etc. It also includes the cost of the lateral web bracing. Normally, USC trusses are less expensive, but require more bracing. USD trusses are more expensive, but require less bracing. The designer's job is to find the best balance of those options.

To that end, I've created a simple spreadsheet that calculates the total cost of a truss design, including lateral web bracing. The link is here. Once you have a working TRZ in the Design program, you can use this spreadsheet to find the most cost-effective option.

Here's how to use it:

1. Enter the Basic Info (Truss Spacing, Truss Quantity).
2. Enter the Total Cost (for all trusses, from the Analysis Results window) into the Total Cost column, in the row of the first iteration.
3. Count the number of Braces onscreen, enter the number in the Braces per single Truss column.
4. Try to modify the truss in Design in order to make it more cost-effective.
5. Enter the new Total Cost and number of Braces into the next iteration row.
6. Repeat steps 4 & 5, keeping cheaper designs, discarding more expensive versions, until you've reached the best outcome.

I hope that this explanation is clear and useful. Please let me know if you have any other suggestions for this tool, or ideas for other tools that would make our Design process better.