Enter the height of the truss and the width of the truss into the calculator to determine the top chord length.

## Top Chord Length Formula

The following formula is used to calculate a Top Chord Length.

TCL = SQRT ( (B/2)^2 + H^2)
• Where TCL is the Top Chord Length
• B is the base of the truss
• H is the height of the truss

The units of the chord length will be the same as those used for the base and height.

To calculate the top chord length, square half the base and square the height, at these two results together, then take the square root of the sum to get the top chord length.

## What is a Top Chord Length?

Definition:

A Top Chord Length is a measure of the length of one side of the length of a truss chord used in building houses.

## How to Calculate Top Chord Length?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines how to calculate a top chord length.

First, determine the base of the truss. In this example, the truss has a base of 20 ft.

Next, determine the height of the truss. In this case, the truss has a height of 15ft.

Finally, calculate the Top Chord Length using the formula above:

TCL = SQRT ( (B/2)^2 + H^2)

TCL = SQRT ( (20/2)^2 + 15^2)

TCL = 18.027 ft