Design

Quality marks are not substitutes for grade marks—FRTW will include both!

This Research Report will look specifically at the sill plate requirements according to the 2009, 2012, and 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) and International Building Code (IBC) and clarify if a sill plate is required in the following conditions:

  • Flat truss bottom chord bearing on ICF wall.
  • Flat truss top chord bearing on ICF wall.
  • Roof truss bearing on ICF wall.

This research report will focus on manufacturer or trade association deflection requirements for a number of floor topping/covering related products where deflection requirements may impact serviceability.

This presentation provides information on changes to ASCE 7-16 relating to wind loading.

Lumber Design Values

No matter the species, component manufacturers (CMs) purchase and rely on the accuracy and reliability of many different lumber design properties, including: bending (Fb); shear parallel to grain (Fv), compression perpendicular to grain (Fc^), compression parallel to grain (Fc), tension parallel to grain (Ft), and modulus of elasticity (E and Emin).

Just as there’s no one-size-fits-all housing solution, there’s no one-size-fits-all business model for CMs. For the sky-high prices and seasonal swings in the Greater Yellowstone area, tiny houses are uniquely suited to the needs of both buyers and builders.
Teton Truss Tiny Houses
Quality marks are not substitutes for grade marks—PTW will include both!

Metal plate connected wood trusses are sometimes used in applications or environments that require the trusses to be designed and constructed with chemically treated lumber. The two most common types of chemically treated wood used in trusses are preservative treated wood (PTW) and fire retardant treated wood (FRTW).

This presentation provides an overview of fire-rated assemblies that include wood trusses. Topics covered include assembly testing, Harmathy’s rules, and an examination of fire performance in the field. 

Question: 

I have a four-year-old house with glued open-web trusses. Both the truss manufacturer and the builder have admitted to me that the trusses were installed wrong. I have a problem with the suggested repair. I have hired a structural engineer and he suggested installing a 2x10 between each truss and removing the old truss. This would have to take place on both the first and second floors because all the trusses were installed wrong. The manufacturers want to install six strongbacks on each floor, hoping this will tighten them up.

Question: 

Is a Class A fire rating (provided by our liquid spray-on fire retardant) acceptable in certain situations?