What is the correct term for the horizontal member of a truss at its top and bottom?

What is the correct term for the horizontal member of a truss at its top and bottom?

• A. Chord
• B. Web
• C. Diagonal
• D. Fink

Answer: (A)

In a truss, the horizontal members that run along the top and bottom are called chords. They form the boundary that carries the primary load paths from end to end, with the top chord typically in compression and the bottom chord in tension (though loading can change that). The interior members that connect the chords are the web members, which include diagonals and verticals. A diagonal is just one of those web members oriented slantly, and a Fink describes a specific truss configuration, not the general term for the horizontal members. So the correct term for the horizontal members at the top and bottom is chord.

In a truss, the horizontal members that run along the top and bottom are called chords. They form the boundary that carries the primary load paths from end to end, with the top chord typically in compression and the bottom chord in tension (though loading can change that). The interior members that connect the chords are the web members, which include diagonals and verticals. A diagonal is just one of those web members oriented slantly, and a Fink describes a specific truss configuration, not the general term for the horizontal members. So the correct term for the horizontal members at the top and bottom is chord.