Roof Truss Design — Florida Engineering

Roof trusses in Florida must be designed for: wind uplift loads (which can exceed the dead load of the truss in high wind areas), wind lateral loads (which create horizontal forces on the truss), and the connections between the truss and the wall plate (hurricane straps). Roof trusses in Florida are typically designed by the truss manufacturer using truss design software. The truss manufacturer's engineer seals the truss shop drawings. The structural engineer of record reviews the truss shop drawings to verify that the trusses are consistent with the structural design.

Hip roofs (where all sides of the roof slope toward the ridge) perform better in Florida's high wind environment than gable roofs (where two sides of the roof are vertical). Hip roofs have lower wind pressure coefficients and are less susceptible to wind damage. Many Florida insurance companies offer discounts for hip roofs. Pineland Engineering designs both hip and gable roof systems for Florida projects and advises on the wind performance and insurance implications of each.