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Abstract Steel three-dimensional lattice trusses are highly efficient technical solutions to cover large spans, especially when single members are not provided with intermediate restraints able to prevent lateral-torsional buckling phenomena. In the present paper, a compound structure made of steel lattice beams and structural glass slabs is proposed for protection of monumental and archaeological sites. Due to both the risk exposure of monumental heritage to be protected and the use of structural glass, the definition of an appropriate design criterion is mandatory in order to avoid brittle collapse mechanisms. The attention is herein paid to the design procedure, with a brief description of basic ideas behind and the main focus on the parametric capacity design of the structure. The proposed procedure, whose validity is quite general, has been herein implemented by linear numerical analyses, which represent the basic step for further refined analysis aimed at erecting a full-scale prototype to be experimentally tested. Highlights • Steel 3D trusses are a highly efficient technical solution to cover large spans. • A steel lattice beam – glass slab compound structure is proposed for protecting monumental and archaeological sites. • An appropriate design criterion towards vertical loads is proposed in order to avoid brittle collapse mechanisms. • The proposed procedure is verified by linear and non-linear numerical analyses • The results will be used for further refined analysis aimed at erecting a full-scale prototype to be experimentally tested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial truss beams are an extremely efficient typological solution for covering large spans, especially in the cases where members do not have lateral restraints capable of preventing flexural–torsional buckling phenomena In this study the structural behaviour of innovative steel 3D lattice beams in combination with structural glass slabs, used as roof decks, is investigated for protection of historical assets and archaeological sites. After a brief description of the novel structural system, the attention is focused on the experimental activities carried out for the mechanical characterization of both material and structure. In particular, four-point bending tests are carried out on full-scale prototypes in order to both validate the design procedure and calibrate numerical models useful to extend the achieved results through Geometrically and Materially Nonlinear Analysis with Imperfections (GMNIA analysis). • Four-points bending tests on innovative 3D built-up lattice beams were performed under monotonic loads. • The prototypes showed a ductile behaviour with full yielding of the bottom chord. • The experimental response evidenced the robustness of the design criteria developed by the authors for sizing purposes. • The experimental study allowed for the evaluation of the reliability of some capacity models implemented in Eurocode 3 to predict the elastic and plastic behaviours of systems like those under investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]