# Forum Home Renovation Roofing  BARAP roof trusses

## Trav

Hi all 
Does anyone know what BARAP roof trusses are?  I'm looking at a house that has this kind of roof construction.  I vaguely understand the construction of a normal cut roof, but I have never heard of this kind of structure before.   
My second question is then about the load bearing characteristics of the roof.  If it is a truss, does that mean that the internal walls are not loadbearing? 
Thanks 
Trav

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## jackiew

I suggest you search on google for barrup truss. 
I think it uses cables.

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## jackiew

Barrup Trusses 
Each beam running perpendicular to the trusses includes a barrup truss which is made up of a strut and cable made of cast-iron on the underside. This works by placing the cables in tension, causing the strut to be in compression and creating an upward force in the middle of the beam, in effect creating a extra support in the centre of the beam. This enables a minimal section beam to span further or a beam section to be reduced for the same span.

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## ozwinner

> Barrup Trusses 
> Each beam running perpendicular to the trusses includes a barrup truss which is made up of a strut and cable made of cast-iron on the underside. This works by placing the cables in tension, causing the strut to be in compression and creating an upward force in the middle of the beam, in effect creating a extra support in the centre of the beam. This enables a minimal section beam to span further or a beam section to be reduced for the same span.

  You cheated, and cut and pasted that from some where.  :Biggrin:   
Al  :Smilie:

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## ozwinner

Most roofs with a barrups in them will be the old stick built type ( built on site ), so there will be some internal walls that are load bearing.  
Al  :Smilie:

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## IanA

Barrups or bressumers were commonly used in a traditional cut and pitched roof where the floor plan was designed with no consideration for supporting the roof. (No wall conveniently located to carry a prop to an underpurlin.) 
With the advent of customers wanting large living/family/kitchen areas, it was often necessary to beef up some of the main roof members. Usually the underpurlins and the hip rafters. 
Lower pitched roofs were also becoming common and there was often insufficient space to fit a heavy strutting beam. 
Barreps have become relatively rare now, because of the extensive use of factory manufactured roof trusses. 
If you look in your roof space you should be able to figure out where the greatest roof loads are concentrated. Take great care if you are thinking of altering a section of wall carying heaps of load. (Especially if you have a tiled roof.)

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## jackiew

> You cheated, and cut and pasted that from some where.   
> Al

  i don't believe in re-inventing the wheel   :Biggrin:    ok I should have quoted my source   :Shock:   ( except I'll probably never find it again )

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## Trav

thanks all.  Moral to this story is to get up in the roof and have a look 
Have a good weekend. 
Trav

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