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Roof trusses

Bowstring truss

A bowstring truss has a curved top chord and a straight bottom chord, like a bow and its string, and spans large open halls.

Also known as bowstring truss, bowstring roof truss, arched truss, barrel vault truss

The arched top chord carries load efficiently over long spans, which made the bowstring a classic for warehouses, hangars, sports halls and agricultural buildings. The bottom chord ties the ends of the arch together.

Related curved forms include barrel vault trusses, where the ceiling itself follows a curve.

Related terms
Truss typesRoof trusses come in many shapes, such as fink, mono, attic, scissor and girder trusses, each suited to a different roof form, span or use of the roof space. Girder trussA girder truss is a strengthened, often multi-ply truss that carries the load of other trusses or of a point load. GlulamGlulam (glued laminated timber) is a structural timber product made by gluing layers of timber together with the grain running in the same direction.
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