SBC Industry News
Natural Disasters Plus Labor Shortage Equals Big Trouble
Given the acute construction labor shortage that was already at play before recent natural disasters, reconstruction and its repercussions in residential real estate could pose yet another disaster.
Economist Predicts High Lumber Prices Likely Here to Stay
Builders “have no choice” but to pay higher prices for lumber despite the dramatic price hikes in recent months, housing expert Ivy Zelman says.
2016 Multifamily Completions Analyzed in 3 Charts
The Census Bureau recently released 2016 multifamily completions data from the Survey of Construction. A total of 159,000 housing units, or 49 percent of all multifamily completions, were in buildings with 50 or more units, more than any other building type.
New Homes Sold in September at Fastest Pace in 10 Years
After hitting a new low in August, new home sales surged in September to their fastest pace in the past decade, according to the latest report released jointly by the U.S. Census Bureau and the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Simpson Creates New Rod-to-Steel-Beam Connector
To lower construction cost and streamline installation time on mid-rise wood construction projects, Simpson Strong-Tie has launched the new Strong-Rod Systems rod-to-steel-beam connector (ATS-SBC).
Industry Mourns Loss of Legal Counsel Holt Gwyn
Allen Holt Gwyn, civic leader and nationally-renowned construction lawyer, arbitrator and mediator, passed away Monday, September 18, 2017.
Bracing Demonstration Focuses on Practicality
If you’re at the BCMC show, make sure to stop by the bracing demonstration and experience it yourself.
FrameFAST Helps Framer Be “Innovative, Safer, Faster”
For a framer that builds well over 2,500 units per year, the stakes associated with being buttoned-up in all aspects of the job get higher.
Wood Framed Wall Insulation Calculator Explained
by Tim Ahrenholz
37 States See Housing Permit Growth Over Past Year
Between August 2016 to August 2017, 37 states and the District of Columbia saw a growth in the total number of permits issued.
2 Software Giants Look to Better Link Design & Fabrication
Project Frog has announced an alliance with Autodesk to develop a transformational cloud-based platform to standardize and simplify data flow between the architecture studio, the factory and the jobsite.
This $32K House Can be 3D Printed in 8 Hours
A new Ukrainian homebuilding startup called PassivDom uses a 3D printing robot that can print the walls, roof, and floor of PassivDom’s 380-square-foot model in about eight hours
CLT Manufacturer Quadrupling Production Capacity
SmartLam plans to quadruple its production from about 20,000 cubic meters annually to more than 80,000 cubic meters with the new facility. It also hopes to develop additional engineered wood products.
West Coast Roseburg Buys 158K Acres of SYP Timberlands
A unit of Roseburg Forest Products recently bought 158,000 acres of timberland in parts of North Carolina and Virginia.
DOC Wants to Eliminate These Unnecessary Regulations
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has identified 20 sets of regulations and permitting issues as being a top priority for reform and immediate action to begin unleashing of the domestic manufacturing industry.
Potlatch Finalizing Deal to Purchase Deltic
U.S. forest products company Potlatch Corp is nearing an all-stock deal to acquire smaller peer Deltic Timber Corp, people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.
Simpson to Increase Connector Plate Production
Simpson Strong-Tie announces that it has expanded production of its truss connector plates as part of the company’s strategy to better serve its customers with increased efficiencies in product manufacturing and delivery.
Industry Mourns the Loss of Phyllis Chambers
Phyllis Caroline Schwartz (February 23, 1922-September 25, 2017) was born in Chicago just one year and six months after the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment.
BCMC Showcases Bracing Demo, Hope You Can Attend
At the BCMC show in Omaha, SBCA will be setting up two roof truss systems comprised of five identical 50-foot trusses.
SBCA & TPI Meet, Agree Upon Association Realignment
On September 28 and 29 three members of Structural Building Component Association’s (SBCA) Executive Committee and three members of the Truss Plate Institute’s (TPI) Board of Directors met in Atlanta to discuss realigning various scopes of work and responsibilities.