System design that delivers longer spans and fewer load paths

The most striking spaces are often those that feel open and effortless, where design ambition is supported by sound engineering. Achieving this balance can be challenging, as structural demands typically introduce restrictions that limit openness and flexibility.

One of the main constraints lies in load paths. Conventional solutions often require additional internal walls or columns to carry weight, introducing interruptions that can dilute the intent of a design.

Longer spans, fewer interruptions

Advances in engineered flooring systems are changing what is possible. Open-web truss solutions, such as MiTek’s Posi-Strut, make it easier to achieve longer clear spans with fewer load-bearing walls. Loads are transferred efficiently over greater distances, creating opportunities for wide, uninterrupted spaces.

This approach opens the door to fluid interiors, cleaner sight lines, improved natural light and greater adaptability over time. With services also able to run easily through the open-web design, the result is both efficient and practical during construction and over the life of the building.

Bringing form and function together

Good design is about more than what a space looks like — it is also about how well it works. For residential, commercial and mixed-use projects alike, systems that can support design ambition whilst meeting New Zealand’s stringent building standards are invaluable.

Posi-Strut’s open-web design offers this dual benefit. By allowing services like HVAC, plumbing and electrical to be threaded through the floor truss without excessive drilling or notching, the system protects structural integrity whilst making service installation faster and more straightforward. The outcome is a structure that looks the way it was intended, performs as required and builds more efficiently.

The balance between creative freedom and practical delivery is where Posi-Strut excels. It removes unnecessary compromises, supporting bold design intent while giving builders a robust, reliable framework to deliver it. In effect, it enables form and function to move forward together, not one at the expense of the other.

A foundation for freedom

Design freedom does not need to come at the expense of structural efficiency. By leveraging engineered solutions that enable longer spans with fewer interruptions, spaces can achieve both impact and integrity.

MiTek Posi-Strut brings engineered support to architectural freedom, providing a smarter foundation for design that inspires.

Click here for more information