Effect of direct member loading on space truss behaviour

It is inevitable that every space truss structure would be under some form of direct member loading. At least the structure self weight certainly affects the members directly, and in structures involving top concrete slabs or cladding, their weight is also likely to apply some lateral pressure on the members. In spite of that, direct member loading is usually ignored in space truss designs and assumed to lead only to a negligible effect on truss performance. This study is intended to explore this point and identify the actual effects that can arise fi-om direct member loading, and eventually provide an answer to the question of whether the current design practice is satisfactory or certain modifications would be needed. After presenting two analytical techniques to allow the study of space trusses with laterally loaded members, the paper describes a wide parametric study involving practical-size space trusses with different configurations, aspect ratios, boundary conditions and number of chord panels.