How many rafters are needed for a plain gable roof on a 24' x 48' rectangular building with rafter spacing of 16" on center?

To determine the number of rafters needed for a plain gable roof on a 24' x 48' rectangular building with a rafter spacing of 16" on center, we can start by calculating the total length along which the rafters will be placed.

First, a gable roof typically has two slopes, one on each side of the building. Since the building is rectangular and measures 48' in length, we will consider rafters on both sides of this length. Given that there are two symmetrical slopes, we will need to calculate the number of rafters required for one side and then double it for both sides.

The spacing of the rafters is 16 inches, which needs to be converted into feet for ease of calculation. Since 16 inches is equivalent to 1.33 feet (16/12 = 1.33), we can figure out how many 16-inch spaces fit into the length of one slope of the roof.

To calculate the number of rafters needed along one side of the building, we first convert the total length of the building (48 feet):

1. Convert the length in feet to the same unit as the spacing:

• 48 feet / 1.33 feet per r