Construction

Question: 

We have been specifying laminated veneer lumber (LVL) beams for some time now. The plans usually state, “Beam to be engineered and supplied by truss manufacturer.” What kind of liability issues do I need to watch out for?

Question: 

Are there any associations that have recommendations for the installation of wood trusses?

Question: 

We are planning to add 1/2 in. cement board and 3/8 in. quarry tile to a kitchen floor. We need to know if the floor trusses will handle the additional weight. The floor trusses are 19.2 in. O.C. and the loading numbers are 40-10-0-5. What do these numbers mean?

Question: 

I am a building inspector and I have a question on information provided on truss design drawings. What does the uplift reaction number represent? Some manufacturers are very specific and state “to provide for mechanical connection of the truss to the top plate with a connector capable of withstanding a specific load.” Others simply list the uplift reaction with no further information. These are the ones that have caused a debate as to what the number actually represents.

Question: 

How important is continuous lateral bracing in roof trusses? Is it detrimental to the roof integrity if it is missing?

Question: 

Are wood trusses designed to be fall protection anchors that would support a worker should he fall?

Question: 

A question has come up concerning sloped roof trusses and fire assembly ratings. Some are reluctant to rely on test results from flat (parallel chord) trusses applied to sloped roof trusses. Do you have any information regarding the suitability of the fire rated ceiling assemblies for sloped roof trusses? Does the “minimum depth” requirement of the parallel chord assembly apply to the minimum depth of a sloped roof truss (i.e., heel height?)

Question: 

I have a 29 x 72 mobile office with a 2-foot deep wooden truss above the ceiling that a client is required to sprinkler. Is there any way to avoid sprinklering above the gypboard ceiling?

Question: 

Manufactured gable ends are actually frames even though they are often referred to as trusses. The webs are “studs” oriented vertically and usually spaced at 12, 16 or 24 in. O.C. The gable end frame is designed to transfer vertical loads from the roof to the continuous bearing wall below. Another way gable end frames are different from trusses placed in the interior of the structure is that frames experience perpendicular wind loads. The sheathed frame transfers the wind loads to the roof and ceiling diaphragms and vice versa.

Question: 

I'm trying to find out who the truss manufacturer was that built the trusses in my home. I was told that there is usually a stamp on the side of the bottom chord. All I found was “2400F 2.0E.” What am I looking for? The other chords only have material stamps. Can you tell me what kind of information I should be looking for to find out who the manufacturer was?