The first known studies of Space Frame construction systems were those made by Alexander Graham Bell between 1898 and 1908 with the aim of creating the hulls of some naval and air vehicles. Bell aimed to perform these constructions by creating the lightest and strongest structures with tetrahedral Geometry.
For more than 100 years , many engineers have worked on the details of structure in this field, and many different types of structure have survived to the present day. One of the most important of these is the one developed by Dr. Ing. Max Mengeringhousen in 1943 and recorded into literature with the name of MERO system where full body high quality steel spheres are used as nodal point elements. In addition, a large number of construction systems and the node details have been developed and implemented by engineers.
Space frame construction systems are systematic and optimal constructions consisting of Rod elements and nodal elements. By the principle of combining all rod elements in nodes, the moments are avoided in nodes, and accordingly, the rod elements that make up the structure are calculated only by the assumption that they resist against tensile and compression only. Optimized and extremely light and strong roof constructions can be designed as a result of these assumption.
The basic element that includes the prefabricated structure attribute which space frame systems have is the modular system concept making up the structure. The module type making up the structure can be square, rectangular, triangular, hexagonal in shape when the selection made at the design stage.
In module selection, economy, ease of manufacturing and installation, structural analysis requirements to be performed under the loads exposed to the system, geometric conditions (axle intervals, etc.) and aesthetic elements should also be taken into account.
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