Varco Pruden Buildings announced the launch of its newest product, WideBay Trussed Purlin – a competitive alternative to bar joist available exclusively for VP Builders.

Developed to provide an easy-to-install, cost-competitive alternative to bar joist, WideBay offers significant advantages in material, design and production that give VP Builders unique selling features to compete with bar joist and other long-span options.

Production of WideBay will take place in three Varco Pruden locations – St. Joseph, Missouri; Laurinburg, North Carolina; and Monterrey, Mexico.

Designed to allow up to 60 feet of spacing between frame lines, WideBay is an ideal and innovative option for projects requiring clear, open interior space for equipment placement, racking and storage or where column free space is needed for sporting events or concerts.

Based on standard spacing of 5-foot on-center, these sturdy members are installed with bolts and require no welding, which offers a cost advantage during fabrication and erection. The standard G-30 Galvanized finish doesn’t require field or factory painting and the acrylic coating helps protect the structural appearance for long-term, maintenance-free performance. Engineered for strength, WideBay Trussed Purlin can accommodate roof snow loads up to 40 pounds per square foot at a 5-foot on-center spacing for a 60-foot span. Adjusting the span and spacing can accommodate higher loads.

Builders will find shakeout easier with less double handling because members are bundled and loaded in by-bay sequence. With its lightweight, rigid design, WideBay can be assembled on the ground for superset erection.

The advanced system provides more options, too. Available in depths of 30, 34 and 40 inches and a selection of five gauges, WideBay offers exceptional loading solutions. Designed to support several roofing options, WideBay is compatible with VP’s SSR, ThermoDeck and HWR roof systems. The product is also designed to work with SLR architectural metal roofs or EPDM when using VP’s Deck Frame system.

WideBay Trussed Purlins can be used with all VP structural framing designs including Rigid Frame, Continuous Beam and Continuous Truss. Like all VP products, WideBay is backed by Varco Pruden’s warranty for defects in material and manufacturing. The product’s sturdy design and bolted connection reduce construction time and allow for quick project completion.

“WideBay is truly a groundbreaking product and the manufacturing process is one of the most sophisticated in the industry. We are proud to introduce a new frame system that offers both convenience and functionality,” said Varco Pruden President, Chuck Haslebacher. “Quality, design and innovation are benchmarks of every VP product and our newest addition, WideBay, couples our proprietary technologies with premium materials to deliver unprecedented results.”

“A reduction in construction time, cost and labor helps make WideBay a strong alternative to bar joist. We take the upmost pride in delivering high quality, economical, feature-driven products to the market, and our WideBay is no exception,” said Haslebacher.