> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.paragontruss.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.paragontruss.com/design/how-to/profile-truss/create-girder-and-jack-roof-truss-connections.md). # Create Girder and Jack Roof Truss Connections Before you begin, open Paragon Design. A girder truss carries other trusses, such as jacks, that frame into it. Design the jack first, then the girder, and add a carried component connection on the girder where each jack bears. The connection tells the girder analysis where the jack’s load is applied. ## Create a jack ### Step 1 - Click `Create` and choose `Component` You can also right-click empty space in the scene, or press `Ctrl + Q`, and choose `Component`. ### Step 2 - Choose the `Jack` shape The `Component Insertion` panel moves to `Shape Details`. The `Jack` shape is a closed jack: its tall right end has an end vertical and bears on a hanger. ### Step 3 - Enter the jack's size, such as `6'` in `Length` and `4` in `Slope` A slope of `4` is a 4/12 pitch. `Length` doesn't include the overhang. ### Step 4 - Enter the overhang from your plans, such as `1'` in `Overhang Distance` The overhang is on the left, low end of the jack. The right end has no overhang, so the jack stops at the girder. ![](https://2598702589-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIkcl8vW0QKiqUIx7Xdc%2Fuploads%2Fk2PTO138vXeZGA8s099e%2Fgjc-jack-shape.gif?alt=media) ### Step 5 - Click `Next` The panel moves to `Structural Details`. ### Step 6 - Click `Bearing 2` and choose `Hanger` for `Bearing Type` `Bearing 1` is the double plate bearing at the left end, on the wall. `Bearing 2` is at the right end, where the jack hangs from the girder. The `Jack` shape automatically sets `Bearing 2` to `Hanger`. ![](https://2598702589-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIkcl8vW0QKiqUIx7Xdc%2Fuploads%2FhLY0a0DN4QIgxeN2J48a%2Fgjc-jack-bearings.png?alt=media) ### Step 7 - Click `Insert` ### Step 8 - Click `Analyze`, then click `Analysis and History` to see the results Make sure all checks pass before you connect the jack to the girder. To view the results, see [Run & View Component Analysis](/design/how-to/general/run-and-view-component-analysis.md). ## Create the girder ### Step 1 - Click `Create` and choose `Component` ### Step 2 - Choose the `Common` shape, or the shape your girder needs, and click `Next` Enter the girder's length, slope and other shape details from your plans before you click `Next`. This example keeps the defaults, a 24' girder. ### Step 3 - Enter the number of plies, such as `2` in `Plies` Girders carry more load than other trusses, so they often require two or more plies. ### Step 4 - Click `Insert` The girder is inserted and selected, so the next steps add connections to it. ## Connect the jack to the girder ### Step 1 - Click `Menu` next to `Connections` and choose `Create Carried Component` `Connections` lists the girder's carried component connections, with the number of carried components shown in brackets. The `Add Carried Component(s)` panel opens, with the girder set as the `Girder Component`. ### Step 2 - Choose the jack for Carried Component The `Carried Component` list shows the other trusses in the project, by name. New roof trusses are named `RT-1`, `RT-2` and so on, in the order you create them. ### Step 3 - Choose the jack's hanger bearing for Bearing on Carried Component Each bearing is listed by its X and Y position on the jack. The hanger is the bearing at the right end of the jack, with the largest X. ### Step 4 - Choose `Bottom Chord` for `Carrying Member Type` A closed jack hangs from the girder's bottom chord. Choose `Top Chord` when the bearing sits on the top chord. ### Step 5 - Enter where the jack connects along the girder, such as `6'` in `X Location` `X Location` is measured from the left end of the girder, and must be on a member of the type you chose. To add several jacks at once, enter how many in `Number of Carried Components` and the spacing in `Distance Between Repeated Carried Components`. Keep `Lock (safe from regeneration)` checked so the connection isn't replaced when connections are regenerated. ![](https://2598702589-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FzIkcl8vW0QKiqUIx7Xdc%2Fuploads%2FWoi9QuHyEM6n8PY0c2WG%2Fgjc-carried-component.png?alt=media) ### Step 6 - Click Insert to add the connection The connection appears under `Connections`. {% hint style="info" %} **Open jacks** An open jack has no end vertical at the girder end, and bears on both the top and bottom of the girder's chords. Add two connections for it: one with its top chord bearing `Top Chord`, and one with its bottom chord bearing `Bottom Chord`, both at the same `X Location`. To make an open jack, select the jack, click `Edit Truss`, choose `Convert to Settings` and click `Ok`. Under `Jack Settings`, check `Jack` and `Open`, and set `Carried Side` to the end that meets the girder. Click `Next`, then give the jack a bearing on each chord at that end, such as `Toe Nail` bearings. Click `Add Bearing` and click the chord in the scene to place each one. {% endhint %} ## Analyze the girder ### Step 1 - Click `Analyze` When the analysis finishes, the connection points show on the girder in the scene. ## Remove a connection ### Step 1 - Select the connection under Connections, or click it in the scene The connection's `Carried Component Properties` open, where you can also change the connection. ### Step 2 - Press Delete To remove every connection you added, click `Menu` next to `Connections` and choose `Delete Custom Connections`. `Delete All Connections` also removes connections that were created automatically. Analyze the girder again after changing its connections. ## Watch the video The video designs an open jack by drawing its profile, connects it to both of the girder's chords, then converts it to a closed jack on a hanger with one bottom chord connection. The steps above start from the closed `Jack` shape instead. {% embed url="" %}
Video Transcript: Welcome! In this video we will go over the tools available when working with Girders and Jacks. As you can see we’ve have a pretty standard girder truss, but we need to design a jack and correctly connect it to the girder. Let’s start by designing an open jack. Open the component creation subpanel and use the profile line tools to input our dimensions. The length of this jack is 6 feet with a 4/12 pitch. We can close the profile and move on to the shape details. The plans we are working from note that it has a 1 foot overhang, so we will update this and change the right overhang to 0. If you keep the overhang at 1 foot, the truss will extend beyond the needed dimension of 6 feet. So, make sure you set the right side overhang to 0. Navigate to the bottom of this panel and make sure Jack, and Open are selected and the carried side is set to Right. Click next to move on to the structural details. We need to update the right side bearings. Delete Bearing 2. And click Add Bearing. We can add a bearing on the top chord. Then add one to the bottom chord. Since this is an open jack, Paragon defaults these to Toe Nail. This is what we need so we will click insert. Great, now that we have this jack inserted we need to analyze it and connect it to the girder. Once the jack is analyzed and all checks pass, we can go back to the girder and navigate to Carried Components in the Collections Subpanel. Use the menu button to open the create carried components subpanel. Here we can select our jack and specify which bearing on the jack we want to use. Let’s start with the bottom right bearing. Since we picked the bottom bearing, we need to make sure Bottom Chord is selected for Carrying Member Type. Next, we will use the X location input to specify exactly where we want to place this connection on the bottom chord. We are going to place this jack connection at 6 feet. You can use the Number of Carried Components and Distance Between Repeated Carried Components inputs to insert multiple connections, but for this example we will focus on one for now. Click insert to finalize this connection. We need to add another connection for this jack at the top chord so open the Carried Components subpanel again and repeat the previous steps. This time, we will make sure to select the top right bearing and specify the Top Chord as the Carrying Member Type. And set the X location to 6 feet once again. Click insert to finalize the connections for the jack and analyze the girder. Once the analysis finished you can see the connection points on the truss in the scene. Next we will create a closed jack. We could create another truss from scratch, but for this video we’re going to convert the jack we just made. Select our jack and click Convert to Settings in the Edit Truss menu. A screen message will appear asking, Are you sure you want to go back to the original design settings? Click OK to accept. Navigate to the Jack Settings section. Here we will click and deselect Open. Click next to move on to the structural details. We are going to delete both of the two right bearings. So, click a bearing then delete it from within the bearings box. Repeat this process for the other bearing for the same end. Next we need to add a new bearing under the right end of B1. Click insert. And then we will change this bearing from a double plate to a hanger. Click on the bearing, then in the bearing type pull down, select Hanger from the selection. Now that we’ve converted this open jack to closed, we need to analyze it and connect it to the girder. This process is similar to the open jack but we will only need to specify one connection at the bottom chord for the hanger to be attached to the girder. Click on the girder truss to activate it. Next, click to create a carried component. We will set the carrying member type to bottom chord. Select the bottom end of the truss as the Bearing on Carried Component. Connect this jack at 14 feet. Then insert the connection. Note that the top and bottom chord connections from the Open Jack are still present. To remove a manually defined connection, select the specific Carried Component connection and press Delete on your keyboard. Repeat for the other connection. Next Analyze the girder, and you’re done! Thanks for watching this video on Jacks and Girders and we’ll see you in the next one.
--- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters: ``` GET https://docs.paragontruss.com/design/how-to/profile-truss/create-girder-and-jack-roof-truss-connections.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.