Timber iQ October - November 2018 // Issue: 40 | Page 25

COVER STORY
Pre-fabricated timber roof trusses are in vogue, believes MiTek Industries South Africa.
connectors are made from galvanised steel, varying in
thickness from 1mm to 1.2mm dependant on the application.
Stainless steel products can also be supplied on request.
“In order to provide the safest solution, MiTek’s
sophisticated design and engineering software package
analyses the forces that pass through each connection
based on the load cases submitted. Globally, MiTek’s 1mm
galvanised M20 connector plate is widely used in the
manufacture of the majority of the roof trusses,”
explains Viljoen.
The appropriate sized plate is specified by MiTek’s design
and engineering software and is then pressed into the
timber chords of the truss in factory-controlled conditions
with state-of-the-art machinery used by licensed MiTek
fabricators. All MiTek connector plates are manufactured
under ISO9001:2015 guidelines.
HEIGHTENED VERSATILITY FOR ALL SECTORS
Ideal for all types of residential roof structure applications
from small to large spans, timber roof trusses are also
well-suited for attics, creating extra living space at a lower
overall building cost, a benefit still underutilised in
South Africa.
In the commercial environment, timber roof trusses are
suitable for most of commercial roof structure applications
up to about 17m clear span, thereafter transportation can
become challenging (site splicing is however an option).
All MiTek structural connectors are made from galvanised steel.
They are also ideal for steep pitched roof structures.
For the industrial sector, it’s possible to use timber in some
scenarios, depending on truss span, roof pitch and so on but
MiTek’s Ultra-Span light gauge steel framing option is
generally better suited for industrial roof structures, low
pitch scenarios and low-cost housing roof structures.
With special engineering input from MiTek’s professional
team of engineers it is possible to create very large and
unusual timber roof
structures (within
limitations), notes
Viljoen.
// OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 23