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July 2024 #16300 Page #33
What is Camber and Why is It Important? By Glenn Traylor
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n the truss industry, camber refers to the gradual curvature of a chord member either naturally occurring or created to alleviate the natural deflection of a truss structure. That sounds simple enough, but there are key elements about camber that should be considered.
Camber in Action All structures, regardless of type or form, will sag. To use the engineering term, we say they “deflect” under loading. This is principally a design concern and parameter. If it doesn’t flex, it’s brittle. If it’s brittle, then you have another problem. Deflection is generally not a problem if the design can accommodate for the deflection. Deflection can exist as an entire structure or can be experienced in segments. An example would be the bow of a wood element between panel points. Common examples of structures that are designed to accommodate potential bowing are flat bed trailers that haul freight around the country or the bridges across which the trucks drive. Deflection is a problem because it can cause appearance issues or create ponding issues. Deflection also creates movement in structures that can translate into breaching the building envelope. When a board crowns up, it is considered good. Crown down looks like a failure. Inducing camber means to create a curve and build it into the structure to counteract calculated and anticipated behavior.
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