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Preemptive Design

Can designing with lateral resistance in mind improve production QC?

The Hidden Costs of Optimization, Part I

  • When analyzing a girder truss, the Truss Designer needs to keep in mind the assumptions the truss analysis program makes regarding reaction capacities.
  • It is the Building Designer’s responsibility to verify the capacity of the bearing surface, but the Truss Designer must ensure that the truss-to-bearing connection has a chance of being made without crushing.
  • The article provides a series of concepts to use if a truss needs to be designed without knowing the bearing surface type and its feasibility of providing adequate support for the trusses.

Field Splices

  • Field splices provide a means of connecting two truss sections together creatively at the jobsite, to allow manufacturing, shipping and installation greater flexibility in serving customer needs.
  • A field-spliced truss should be designed as one component so that the proper load transfers at the splice.
  • Correct installation is important to avoid increased deflection of the field-spliced truss and potential long-term serviceability problems.

Parting Shots

Most holiday trees have probably been taken down by now, but when we received these photos from Sun State Components, we just had to run them. A few years ago, a production manager at the Surprise, AZ, facility created these ingenious truss ornaments from balsa wood and silver gum wrappers. “We wanted to add something unique to our tree and customize it for the truss industry,” said Davi-Ann Farmer, Engineering Department Manager at Sun State. She added that these ornaments are a favorite every year, and always receive comments from customers.

Parting Shots

Congratulations to Truss Systems Hawaii, Inc. whose photo received the most votes in SBC’s Online Photo Contest. 

Why Track Leading Indicators?

Mike Boswell—production manager of Plum Building Systems—and Chris Lambert—a general manager with Builders FirstSource—both understand how critical it is to cultivate a safety culture that empowers their employees. One way they accomplish this goal is by proactively measuring the success of their safety programs with the often underutilized practice of near-miss reporting.  

Who’s Your Audience When You’re in IT?

Chris Cozart of Builders FirstSource, John Holland of Clearspan Components, Greg Dahlstrom of Villaume Industries and Jason Hikel of Shelter Systems—all members of SBCA’s IT committee—used their BCMC presentation to cover several aspects of managing your company’s technology needs: change management, effective documentation, cybersecurity and industrial hardware.  

Why Market Now?

In many areas of the country, business is thriving. CMs have all the work their crews and plants can handle without drumming up new sales or making new connections in their marketplaces. Jess Lohse—president of Rocky Mountain Truss and 2015 president of SBCA—and Jason Blenker—president of Blenker Building Systems—say today’s boom is a perfect time to market components. 

Why Are Some Design Choices Better than Others?

Dan Morris—a field service engineer at Apex Technology—and Kelly LaBlance—a technical manager with Builders FirstSource—are both convinced that developing and maintaining a design QC process has helped their companies. Their expertise in analyzing designs and finding creative solutions to solve or even prevent problems was on display as they guided BCMC attendees through common design mistakes and the issues they cause in the field. 

Why Measure?

Joe Hikel—co-founder, president and CEO of Shelter Systems—and Dan Holland—president of Clearspan Components—are both committed collectors of operational data. With different size plants in different markets, even with different sales goals, the two find common ground in describing why metrics are so critical to effective management. 

Building Better

If a new product can solve age-old building challenges, it can work anywhere—and help CMs become the go-to suppliers in their markets.

Selling Smarter

Using components to solve old challenges in new ways means time and cost savings for builders and framers—and an expanding business base for component manufacturers.

By CMs, for CMs

What has become very clear to me in the last few years as I’ve served on the Executive Committee is that SBCA is an organization that is run by component manufacturers (CMs). 

Building the Framing Future - Today!

This issue is full of some of the most valuable nuggets of advice presenters and attendees discussed at BCMC.

 

 

Parting Shots

SBCA Announces Annual Award Winners

Faces of the Industry: Erik Sterling & Scott Kauffman

“When people say, ‘this roof doesn’t work,’ that’s what we love to hear. Because we can make it work. We like to truss the untrussable.”

You Make This Industry Great

You have a lot more to offer the component manufacturing industry than you think. Beyond the skills and experience that allow you to do your job well, you have knowledge and a unique perspective from which other component manufacturers (CMs) could benefit. The pages of this issue are filled with tips, tricks and lessons learned, shared by speakers and attendees alike during the education sessions at BCMC this past October in Knoxville.

Lean Manufacturing...Where to Start?

Greg Griggs—southeast VP of component operations with Builders FirstSource—and BJ Louws—president of Louws Truss—both see untapped potential for productivity gains in inefficient plants. They introduced BCMC attendees to a few basic concepts of lean manufacturing: Kanban, Kaizen, 5 S and waste walks. They also made sure attendees left with a very clear picture of the value of good instructions and of the wasted effort in an inefficient workflow.