The Report excludes structural systems such as common trusses on building frames, which can appropriately be divided into a series of planar frameworks with loading in the plane of the framework. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) report also specifies that the three-dimensional character includes flat surfaces with loading perpendicular to the plane as well as curved surfaces. Another characteristic of latticed structural system is that their load-carrying mechanism is three-dimensional in nature. Rolled, extruded or fabricated sections comprise the member elements. It should be noted that virtually the same structure defined as space frame here is referred to as latticed structures in a state-of-the-art report prepared by the Task Committee on Latticed Structures, which statesĪ latticed structure is a structure system in the form of a network of elements (as opposed to a continuous surface). Macroscopically a space frame often takes the form of a flat or curved surface. In some cases, the constituent element may be two-dimensional. It is best to quote a definition given by a Working Group on Spatial Steel Structures of the International Association on Shell and Spatial Structures :Ī space frame is a structure system assembled of linear elements so arranged that forces are transferred in a three-dimensional manner. Thus it is appropriate to define here the term space frame as understood throughout this section. Sometimes, structural engineers and architects fail to convey what they really mean by the term. However, in a more restricted sense, space frame means some type of special structural action in three dimensions. In a very broad sense, space frame is literally a three-dimensional structure. If one looks at technical literature on structural engineering, one finds that the meaning of the space frame has been very diverse or even confusing.