# What the hell is this truss?



## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

I picked up some more of this trussing for $125. I had 10 before, but now I have 30. it seems there is alot of this in Wisconsin and Illinois. anyways there isn't anything on it for a label but the load rating, which if you are curious, for a 40 ft span it is 450lbs center point load. the outer tubes are 1'' and it is 14'' wide. the pattern for the crossmembers are like this [/[/[/ if you can't see it in the pic haha. so on each side they don't oppose eachother, they slant the same way. can anyone give me a brand name for this?


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## derekleffew (Oct 10, 2012)

DJHiggumz said:


> ... anyways there isn't anything on it for a label but the load rating, which if you are curious, for a 40 ft span it is 450lbs center point load. ...


Without a manufacturer's name on the label, all other information is meaningless, and NOT TO be trusted. Likely someone in Wisconsin and Illinois has a relationship with a factory in Asia, or an aluminum welding setup in his/her garage.

It's triangular, right? It reminds me of trussing from a company called, I think, Universal Lighting Truss, that was very popular for light-duty use in the 1980s.


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## avkid (Oct 10, 2012)

You could make some good money selling that as decorative, but nothing else.


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

derekleffew said:


> Without a manufacturer's name on the label, all other information is meaningless, and NOT TO be trusted. Likely someone in Wisconsin and Illinois has a relationship with a factory in Asia, or an aluminum welding setup in his/her garage.
> 
> It's triangular, right? It reminds me of trussing from a company called, I think, Universal Lighting Truss, that was very popular for light-duty use in the 1980s.



it is Universal Lighting Truss, the load rating decal is identical to the one on the page. thanks!


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## derekleffew (Oct 10, 2012)

I didn't realize they were still in business: Universal Manufacturing Company . They stopped promoting themselves in the industry years ago.


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

copyright wasn't renewed since 05 on the site lol


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## porkchop (Oct 10, 2012)

DJHiggumz said:


> it is Universal Lighting Truss, the load rating decal is identical to the one on the page. thanks!



Decal looking identical to a known manufacturer but missing the name sounds like an Asian knock-off to me. If there is no name on the truss and the seller can't provide you with the original purchase documents I don't think you should use it. On the other hand hopefully you can recoup most of your $125 if you sell it off as scrap aluminum.


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

maybe I should clear this up, I don't work at a theatre, but I am a DJ. in this industry there isn't so many restrictions that you may have.


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## Axislights (Oct 10, 2012)

DJHiggumz said:


> maybe I should clear this up, I don't work at a theatre, but I am a DJ. in this industry there isn't so many restrictions that you may have.



DJ or not if it breaks or falls over on someone they're still going to sue YOU.


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

I understand that. that is why I have insurance, to protect me. right now I have it extremely underutilized, I have a total of 120lbs between a 20ft span (5ft overhang over each of the stands). I know it isn't ideal, but it is the cards I'm dealt.


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## avkid (Oct 10, 2012)

Axislights said:


> DJ or not if it breaks or falls over on someone they're still going to sue YOU.



If it's only used like that, I doubt you'll ever have a problem.
It's better than some of the junk the DJ stores are selling as truss.


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## avkid (Oct 10, 2012)

If you have a spare piece you could actually do a load test.
(for informational purposes only)


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

I would love to have a spare piece! I had a chance at 5 10' sections of it for 250, but the guy ended up selling it to a school behind my back. this was before these ones of course


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## derekleffew (Oct 10, 2012)

DJHiggumz said:


> maybe I should clear this up, I don't work at a theatre, but I am a DJ. in this industry there isn't so many restrictions that you may have.


Something you'll never hear an emergency room doctor say: "Oh, in that case, he's not really dead." 

Now granted you're not going to be loading this truss up with 100 lbs. moving lights on 21" centers, then flying it 30' over audience members heads, BUT failure is failure and injury is injury. The mobile DJ industry is not exempt from the laws and effects of gravity. 
It might be noted that most if not all of the safety measures imposed on the theatre and live entertainment industry have come from within, from organizations like USITT, PLASA, and ESTA, not from outside sources. Case in point: there's no specific legal or code requirement requiring the use of a safety cable on every luminaire, but it's standard, accepted practice. I'd guess over 99% of the industry complies. How many DJs use safety cables? Hopefully most, but I really have no idea.

OTOH, there *are* ANSI specifications for portable trusses used to support lighting equipment. ANSI E1.2 - 2006 Entertainment Technology - Design, Manufacture and Use of Aluminum Trusses and Towers.


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

I understand the worry on the issue. I'm not saying that because I have insurance I can do whatever I please, but if I have an accident it falls on my ass because it hurts my business. I take the necessary precautions, because it's my business, and my money invested. If i felt it was not safe, I wouldn't go through with it


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## chausman (Oct 10, 2012)

DJHiggumz said:


> I understand the worry on the issue. I'm not saying that because I have insurance I can do whatever I please, but if I have an accident it falls on my ass because it hurts my business. I take the necessary precautions, because it's my business, and my money invested. If i felt it was not safe, I wouldn't go through with it



It's not just the business that will suffer if it fails. What about any people below it?


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## Cooperhodges (Oct 10, 2012)

I worked lighting for an Ernie Haase & Signature Sound Quartet concert (semi-famous gospel band) and the LD for them brought in some triangular truss. i was actually impressed with its load capacity and how quickly it all went together. We had around 100 ft of trussing set up within 20 minutes. They held up two elation moving heads, suspended from the top of the truss( two pieces were connected via a horizontal cross beam) and did fairly well. Not sure of the original manufacturer, but this truss kind of looks like the stuff they brought in.


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

chausman said:


> It's not just the business that will suffer if it fails. What about any people below it?



Well that is a given


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## Les (Oct 10, 2012)

I'm with Phil on this one regarding the junk sold at "music stores" or heaven forbid, eBay. That "ladder truss" with the cheap plastic couplings -- hate it. 

At least make sure you have nice t-stands, which it appears that you do. Those present the most danger.


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

actually, with the lights hanging off the front of the truss, the pipes flex a little to far for me to feel comfortable. at that gig I set them down a foot. now I am looking for some crankstands to replace them.


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## gafftapegreenia (Oct 10, 2012)

A few well placed sand bags can help to greatly reduce the risk of stands tipping over.


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 10, 2012)

I wasn't worried about it tipping, but the pipe kinking in half from someone leaning on it or something


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## MPowers (Oct 10, 2012)

DJHiggumz said:


> .....but the load rating, which if you are curious, for a 40 ft span it is 450lbs center point load. the outer tubes are 1'' and it is 14'' wide............



FWIW, Total Structures light duty triangle truss with 2" o.d. main tubing, lists the allowable center point load on a 40' span at 146# with a 1.5" deflection. I would be suspicious about the 450# load rating you state. If you can't find a label or name, where did the load rating come from?


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## DJHiggumz (Oct 11, 2012)

No it was actually 250 haha I read it wrong, that is the 18" version.


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## DuckJordan (Oct 11, 2012)

We have some of this truss going through once in a while, 250lbs is not the load limit at a 20ft span. We load tested another set (results vary, nothing exact with load testing using our setup but it does give a ballpark) at 350lbs the truss welds broke and the pipes bent. applying a 5:1 rule gives you 70lbs over 20 ft. So for DJ purposes a few lights spread out over the span, a banner or two would be just fine, just don't hang speakers or large movers through out the thing. Those stands are also only rated to hold 125lbs (including truss weight). But again you are solely on the chopping block if anything happens with the truss. So yes while your insurance will cover a bit of the cost. You will take all of the court issues and you will have to try and prove you did not know that you couldn't put that much weight on, or that it wasn't it working condition at the time of an accident. Likely your insurance will back out and claim that since it wasn't a true accident that they aren't on the line. If you get truss from a manufacture who lists and has the scientific load specs done you have a little more weight behind you should random freak accidents occur.


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