Compared to space frame structures, tubular truss structures eliminate the need for lower chord longitudinal members and spherical joints, allowing them to meet the requirements of various architectural forms, especially advantageous for constructing arches and arbitrary curved shapes. They offer uniform stability in all directions, saving material usage.
Steel tubular truss structures, developed from space frame structures, possess unique advantages and practicality compared to them, while also being more economical in terms of steel consumption. Compared to traditional open-section steel trusses (H-beams and I-beams), tubular truss structures have a more uniform material distribution around the neutral axis, resulting in good compressive, bending, and torsional resistance as well as high stiffness. They eliminate the need for gusset plates, simplifying construction.
Most importantly, tubular truss structures are aesthetically pleasing, facilitating design and decorative effects. Tubular truss structures offer excellent overall performance, high torsional stiffness, and an aesthetically pleasing appearance. They are relatively easy to fabricate, install, rotate, and lift. Steel tube roof trusses made from cold-formed thin-walled steel sections are lightweight, have high stiffness, save steel, and fully utilize material strength. They are particularly economical when used in compression members and support systems controlled by slenderness ratio. Buildings employing this structure are primarily public buildings. This structure features an attractive appearance (it can be built in flat, arched, or arbitrary curved shapes), convenient fabrication and installation, good structural stability, high roof stiffness, and good economic benefits.