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Roof trusses

Howe truss

A Howe truss has vertical webs and diagonals that slope towards the centre, a pattern used for longer spans and heavier loads.

Also known as howe truss, howe roof truss, howe type truss

In the Howe arrangement the diagonal webs work in compression and the verticals in tension. It was first patented for bridges and is used in roof trusses where the span or load is larger than a standard fink truss handles efficiently.

A double Howe adds further verticals and diagonals for even longer spans.

Related terms
Double Howe trussA double Howe truss extends the Howe pattern with extra verticals and diagonals, for long spans and heavy loads. Fan trussA fan truss has webs that fan out from points on the bottom chord to the top chord, giving the top chord extra support. Fink trussA fink truss is the standard pitched roof truss, with internal webs arranged in a W; it is the most widely used truss type for houses. Web (truss web)Webs are the internal members of a truss that connect the top and bottom chords and divide the truss into triangles.
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