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Roof trusses

Piggyback truss

A piggyback truss is a tall truss made in two parts: a base truss and a separate cap truss fixed on top of it on site.

Also known as piggyback truss, piggy back truss, multi-piece truss, cap truss, two-part truss

Some trusses are too tall to press in one piece or to transport by road. The solution is to split them horizontally: the lower truss has a flat top, and a small pitched cap truss sits on it and is fixed down on site.

Piggyback trusses are common on large, steep roofs such as agricultural, commercial and multi-family buildings.

Related terms
Flat truss (parallel chord)A flat truss has parallel top and bottom chords, used for flat or low-slope roofs and sometimes for floors. Apex (ridge)The apex is the highest point of a pitched truss, where the two top chords meet under the ridge of the roof. 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.
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