Space frame engineering is one of the most widely used styles for large span architectural space. It has advantages such as large span, less steel, nice appearance, light weight, high strength, good seismic resistance, fast and easy installation, standardized processing etc. Space frame is widely used in gymnasium, theaters, exhibition halls, factories, railway stations, airports, toll stations, etc. project. Its rich expression supply architects with a powerful way to achieve mechanical and aesthetic unity.

Space frame structure can be divided into two-tier plate type space frame structure, single and double shell type space frame structure according to different shape. Plate type space frame and double shell type space frame’s bar is divided into top boom, bottom chord and web members, mainly sustain tension and pressure. Single layer shell type grid’s bar, In addition sustain tension and pressure, but also to sustain bending moment and shear force. Most of China's current space frame structure is plate type net rack structure.

 

 

There are three main categories of plate type space frame structure:

(1). The first category comprises by plane trusses: Two to the orthogonal space frame, the two diagonal to the orthogonal space frame, the two diagonal to the diagonal space frame and three-space frame.

(2).The second category comprises four-corner vertebral unit: Square Pyramid grid, diagonal square pyramid space frame, checkerboard grid square pyramid-shaped, star-shaped pyramid space frame.

(3).The third category comprises triangle vertebral unit: triangle cone space frame, time triangle cone space frame, honeycomb shape triangle cone space frame.

There are steel space frame, reinforced concrete space frame, steel and reinforced concrete combination space frame according to materials, steel space frame used more among them.