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Preventing "Uh Oh" in the Office - Part 2

  • The standard video display terminal consists of a screen, a keyboard and a central processing unit (CPU).
  • Providing workstations with adjustable features allows individuals to choose the settings that work best for his or her body.

East Meets (& Builds) West

  • East met West when Chinese Jiangsu Jifco Holdings went equipment shopping for a new truss and wall panel manufacturing facility in the U.S.
  • Even though there were no skilled sawyers, operators, assemblers, or truss technicians available in China, Jay Halteman (Wood Truss Systems) was amazed at the Chinese’s capability and devotion to the project.
  • For the new plant in China, Halteman chose what he believed to be the most reliable automated equipment that was also the easiest to operate and had extreme durability.

Wall Girders - Part 2

  • Many contractors see wall girders as an ideal solution because costly beams and field framing are eliminated.
  • Wall girders must meet the provisions for wall construction in the IBC or IRC.
  • The primary issue that must be considered is out-of-plane bending when some or all of a wall girder is exposed to wind pressure.
  • No matter which approach is chosen with wall girders, it must account for all the applied loads, connections and permanent bracing.

WTCA Update: Post Katrina Housing Analysis

  • Current damage estimates for Hurricane Katrina are between $150 and $200 billion, four times the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
  • Close to 250,000 housing units were destroyed in metropolitan New Orleans alone.
  • By 2008 only about 100,000 of the housing units lost to Katrina will be replaced in Louisiana.
  • Over the next three years, housing starts for the Gulfport-Biloxi and Pascagoula (Mississippi) areas will exceed pre-Katrina estimates by about 22,000 units.

Education & Awareness Leads to "Truss Truce"

  • A little education can go a long way in showing framers the overall time, labor and material savings of wall panels.
  • In order to make wall panels cost effective, the builder’s framer has to buy-in to the concept.
  • It’s true, wall panels may not be a fit in every market, but there are many markets throughout the U.S. that have yet to realize the full potential of these components.

Back to the Basics

  • The beginning of a new year is the perfect time to renew your focus on a safety program.
  • Finding the time to take care of little things that have the potential to turn into big hazards can make each day more safe.

Industry Veterans Speak: On the Past, Present & Future of the Components Industry: A Look at Innovation

Commitment to Efficiency Propels Grassroots Innovation at Clearspan Components

  • Clearspan Components in Meridian, MS is one of the oldest wall panel manufacturers in the country, servicing the multi-family housing industry.
  • The company embraces a culture of grassroots efficiency in its wall panel and roof and floor truss shops.
  • A custom-built internal database organizes the company’s processes from sales to design to production to delivery to invoicing.
  • The “finished goods identification and control system” addresses the issue of skilled labor on the jobsite.

BCSI Celebrates 5 Years

AC 440 Acceptance Criteria

AC 440 Acceptance Criteria Sidebar

Parting Shots

Time sure has flown by since construction began in October 2013 on the BCMC Build house. The photos above compare the work done during the show with recent progress on the project, and the home is tentatively scheduled for completion in February.

Faces of the Industry

Name: Seth Stormoen
Company: Blenker Building Systems
Position: Project Manager
Years in the industry: 14

Transparent Understanding of the Rules Clarifies the Path to Innovative & Value-added Engineering

  • Everyone buying raw materials for structural components or conventional framing applications is purchasing design values and related properties for use in engineering equations to resist loads for a given load path.
  • It is not well known that lumber design values are global in nature and not specific to the piece of lumber being used.
  • Design values written into the building code become the law, whether they are scientifically correct or not.
  • If the law is treated forthrightly as written, professional engineers have great value in the market.

Parting Shots

On October 7, 2013, the Truss Manufacturers of Texas (TMAT) hosted a golf tournament at the Quarry Golf Club in San Antonio to raise money for Operation Finally Home and BCMC Build, who constructed a home for Pfc. Cody Nusbaum. This charity event raised $10,000 for the project.

Growth Is Good

  • This year, SBC expanded from 24 to 28 pages, thanks to the commitment of our industry’s suppliers who advertise in the magazine. 
  • Be sure to check out the weekly email newsletter, SBC Industry News, which offers insight into general industry news and trends involving CMs, suppliers and the economy. 
  • If you find yourself doing something a bit differently, or you complete a project you’re particularly proud of, let SBC staff know so they can share it with the industry. 

Storming the Capitol: Bringing Focus onto the Components Industry

Component manufacturers (CMs) and their suppliers went to Capitol Hill this May to help their Congressional lawmakers understand how the structural component manufacturing industry can be a valuable bellwether for our nation’s economic health. Indeed, the improving economy was evident in the increase over last year’s conference attendance. This year, 59 lawmakers were visited, but more importantly, 19 states were represented by 31 attendees.

Run Your Business, Not Your Retirement Plan: Understanding the Current Landscape of Employer-Sponsored Retirement Plans

Now more than ever, employers need to make sure they are doing things properly with regard to their defined contribution retirement plan fiduciary responsibility.

The Affordable Care Act: What's Next?

As an employer, it is not a good time to procrastinate and wait to see what happens with ACA. Seek out an advisor who can look at your business and provide you with the information you need to handle the ACA with confidence.