The most important in brief
The support rod is the load-bearing element of the grid mesh. It must rest on and transfer the load into the substructure. For design, the supports, point load and construction height are decisive, because each support rod height only permits a certain clear span.
At Lichtgitter AG (Switzerland) we repeatedly see in practice that the term is clarified only in the drawing or during measurement. Exactly there most errors occur when a grid mesh visually fits but is statically set incorrectly. Many expect that appearance mainly decides; in fact supports and load are the critical points.
What is the support rod in a grid mesh?
The support rod is the load-bearing bar in the grid mesh. It takes the load and transfers it via the support to the substructure. The filler rod, on the other hand, mainly serves stability and appearance, but does not take on a static function.
The support rod is the load-bearing element of the grid mesh and therefore must necessarily rest on.
Why are supports, point load and construction height so important?
The load-bearing capacity of a grid mesh depends not only on the material but also on the load, construction height, mesh spacing, materialization and the support situation. The combination of a clearly defined support and the required point load is particularly critical. If these specifications are missing, the load-bearing capacity is quickly designed incorrectly.
- Supports: The support rod must be able to work from support to support.
- Point load: The governing individual load must be known for the design.
- Construction height: It limits the possible load effect and the span.
- Mesh spacing: It influences the load distribution in the grid mesh.
- Materialization: Steel, GFK or other executions behave differently.
How can the term be classified simply?
In layman’s terms: the support rod is the backbone of the grid mesh. It functions like the beam under a small bridge, while the filler rod acts more as a supplementary connection. For planning, this means: not just the visible mesh counts, but the direction in which the load is actually transferred.
| Term | Function | Relevant for static calculation? |
|---|---|---|
| Tragstab | Carries the load and transfers it to the support | Yes |
| Füllstab | Stabilizes and defines appearance | No |
| Auflager | Takes the load from the Tragstab | Yes |
| Unterkonstruktion | Continues the forces | Yes |
What reference exists for the design?
In our material, SIA 261 was cited as the normative reference. In practice, it is important that the height of the Tragstab cannot be chosen arbitrarily, because each height has a maximum clear span. Ignoring this limit risks incorrect dimensioning despite seemingly suitable measurements.
Practical rule from planning
Always specify Tragstab, Auflager, Punktlast and construction height together. This is exactly where the most misunderstandings arise, because a single value is not enough for static assessment.
When does the term come up in project practice?
When drawing the project and taking measurements, the Tragstab becomes especially relevant. In our view, this is the moment where it becomes clear whether the planning and execution specifications truly fit together. The most common misconception: a grid mesh is ordered by outer dimensions without properly checking the static support situation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I notice that the Tragstab was planned incorrectly?
Why is the sheer overall dimensions of the grid mesh not enough?
Is the filler rod completely irrelevant to static?
For planning, the answer in short: always understand the Tragstab as the load-bearing element and never view it in isolation. Those who capture supports, point load and construction height together prevent the typical design errors already in the early project phase. This is where the difference lies between a suitable solution and a merely seemingly suitable order.
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Lichtgitter AG (Schweiz), Herrliberg