Hip Roof Rafter Ties

As long as the main ridge has ties the hip ridge and rafters cannot go anywhere.

Hip roof rafter ties.

A hipped roof can be designed without rafter ties or internal columns by using the wall plates as tension members and the roof deck for stability. Seems the only way the hip and the hip side wall could fail would be if the ridge fails pushing down the hip rafters and pushing out the hip wall. The hip ridges are supported by the main ridge. An example of retrofitting mid span rafter ties is at sagging roof repair where sagged rafters are jacked straight and mid span horizontal 2x lumber is nailed in place replacing older collar ties that were located near the ridge.

One way to avoid rafter ties is to use a post at each end of the ridge beam but that clutters up the internal space and may not be an acceptable solution. This is what i was thinking. Without roof deck the four hip members together with a four foot long ridge beam form an unstable structure when hinged at all six nodes. When ceiling joists run perpendicular to the rafters inspectors may find rafter ties installed above ceiling joists as framing members every 4 feet running above the ceiling joists connecting opposing rafters.

Simpson strong tie category roof truss and rafter connectors ties and straps for cold formed steel construction. A rafter tie forms the bottom chord of a simple triangular roof truss.