Engineered Wood Products

Remedy For Bouncy Floor Trusses

Question: 

We are experiencing problems with bouncy wood floor trusses. I'm wondering what the industry standard is on deflections (live and total load). Also, do you have any ideas on how to decrease the deflection without affecting the profit margin significantly?

Post Fire Retardant Treatment

Question: 

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

One Hour Fire Rated Assemblies

Question: 

The Gypsum Association “Fire Resistance Design Manual” (GA-600-12) lists file RC2601 with two layers of 5/8 in. gypsum wallboard (GWB) on wood joists.

Design Responsibilities

Question: 

My company supplied roof trusses for a hotel project. The building inspector shut the project down because the trusses were not designed to account for additional snowdrift loading. The construction plans did not contain any snowdrift loading information. The architect is claiming it is our responsibility to determine drift loading, therefore we must fix the problem. Do you have any documentation to help us dispute the architect’s claim?

Sprinkler Loading

Question: 

Does the NFPA sprinkler standard address sprinkler loading? If so, how and where do I buy it? What other information do you have on sprinkler loading? How do other truss companies price jobs for sprinkler loading the plans do not include a sprinkler layout or even say what size/type of sprinkler system will be used?

Penetration Of Fire Walls

Question: 

Can a roof truss penetrate a one-hr. tenant separation wall without having a one-hr. rated ceiling? The building official insists that the 2x4 chords are combustible and nullify the integrity of the one-hr. rated partition that is constructed in an attic above an 8 in. C.M.U. bearing wall. The partition consists of gypsum board attached to 2 x 4 stud framing. The building official insists that a ledger must be attached through the gypsum board to support the trusses each side of the wall. This is almost saying that any rated assembly must have bearing only on other rated assemblies.

Fall Protection

Question: 

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

Fire Rating For Sloped Roof Truss Assemblies

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?)

Snow Load

Question: 

I am a truss manufacturer in an area of the country that often has some pretty severe winters. It concerns me how little some of the local builders seem to know about snow load design. What are some of the things that need to be considered?

Industry Standard Responsibilities

Question: 

What is the industry standard for ordering residential roof truss systems: Should the general contractor/builder field measure before ordering trusses or should he rely on the blueprint? Who is responsible for their accuracy – the plan service, the truss manufacturer, the builder/general contractor or the framing contractor?