CM Toolkit Search

Safety - The Proof Is in the Numbers

  • President Steve Stroder gives an example of how SCORE helped reduce accidents at one of his company’s facilities.
  • Collectively, the industry can raise the bar on safety through the SCORE program.
  • The goal of SCORE is to provide industry best practices and generate data to help CMs track and manage their facility, following the belief that, if you measure something, improvement will follow. 

Guidelines for Truss Collapse Investigations

  • Be proactive and develop a plan to strategize how you might deal with a truss collapse and the subsequent investigation.
  • Information is critical; visit the site, take lots of photos and document as much as you can.
  • Remember that the only company looking out for your company’s best interests is your own. Take action with this in mind, and ultimately, it will save everyone money and time.

Resolved to Be Safer

  • The beginning of the year is a great time to ensure your forklift drivers are up-to-date on their training.
  • For several years, OSHA has been pursuing more stringent regulations for the collection and disposal of “combustible dust,” including sawdust.
  • Hearing conservation is a very serious concern, and one that can affect the component manufacturing industry.

A Not So Tall Tale

The story of how one Michigan truss plant is on track to realizing that elusive happily ever after.

SBCA: Vanguard for U.S. Light-Frame Construction

  • SBCA brought concerns over SYP visual grades to the forefront nearly two years ago.
  • SPIB conducted testing, without requesting input from SBCA and other interested parties, which resulted in a recommendation to reduce Southern Pine design values by as much as 30 percent. This could have a considerable negative impact on light-frame construction and the U.S. economy.
  • The key to solving this issue is communication; SBCA is working with a strong coalition to develop a more reasonable solution.

Lumber for Scaffolding

  • Only scaffold-grade lumber should be used for erecting scaffolds.
  • Scaffold-grade lumber meets strength criteria determined by the grading rules set by a recognized lumber grading agency or independent lumber inspection agency and meet the minimum requirements of OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926.
  • The characteristics required for scaffold-grade lumber, such as number and size of knots, slope of grain and juvenile wood, are higher and more stringent than those for construction lumber.

Parting Shots

 

BCMC Build House completedBCMC Build house completed

Fall Protection Made Easy(er)

It’s time to get out your winter coats. The bottom line for OSHA’s new residential fall protection rules is that framers are expected to make their approach to fall protection much like snowflakes: no two jobsites are exactly alike.

Braced Wall Revolution

  • The ICC and AWC have published and through code adoption provide as law nominal unit shear capacity values, which are to be applied in accordance with the installation requirements of the building code and/or the code referenced WFCM and SDPWS.
  • Our goal at SBCRI has been to provide a technically reasonable foundation upon which to make engineering judgments when designing braced wall panels for lateral load resistance.
  • True creative innovation can only take place within the light frame construction industry when there is an accurate technical foundation.

Together We Can Turn the Tide

  • Meet SBCA’s new president, Steve Stroder.
  • SBCA developed SCORE and other programs to help CMs run their companies as safe, productive, and risk-free as possible.
  • Banding together and implementing these tools not only benefits individual companies, it elevates our industry. 

Bearing Area

  • The Building Designer providing accurate wall or beam/header information in the Construction Documents is essential in order for the Truss Designer to arrive at the correct bearing width.
  • There are two key bearing related considerations—bearing capacity of the truss and bearing capacity of what the truss is sitting on; often, the bearing capacity of this material is an unknown and an assumption must be made.
  • The options for dealing with insufficient bearing need to be considered and specifically dealt with on a case-by-case basis.

Parting Shots

Deborah Jones BCMC Build HomeDeborah Jones

Remembering Stan Suddarth: A Peerless Industry Standard

"If I have one hand in the oven, and my other hand is in the freezer, on average, I would think I’m doing alright!” This was a typical analogy used by Dr. Stanley K. Suddarth, Ph.D., P.E., in this case, to demonstrate the potential problems associated with using averages in calculations. When Stan Suddarth passed away on June 9, 2011, in Newburg, Oregon, he left behind a significant legacy in academia and the structural building components industry. In 1986, he was one of the first two inductees into the SBCA Hall of Fame in recognition of his considerable contributions to the industry. 

Are You Ready to Ramp It Up?

Grab a sneak peek at the wealth of educational sessions being offered at BCMC 2011 in Indianapolis!

BCMC 2011 Show Guide & Exhibitor Preview

Don't miss all that this year's show has to offer in Indianapolis!

More Stories about Stan Suddarth

The structural building components industry mourns the loss of Dr. Stan Suddarth, Ph.D., P.E. Most of those in the industry who knew him, knew of his great intellect and appreciated his straight-forward communication style.  Below are two stories from Stan’s life, as recalled by his son, Steve, that may shed additional light on him as a man. Please feel free to use the comment section below to share any memories you may have of Stan for our readers to enjoy.

Mr. Truss Gets on Top of Fall Protection at SBCA's Annual Meeting

Mr. Truss kicked off the 2011 SBCA Annual Meeting at BCMC in Indianapolis with some important information about fall protection.

Laying the Groundwork to Survive & Thrive

  • Joe Hikel’s main focus for this year was to establish better connections with the supply chain. The foundation has been set.

  • Collaborative work on the lumber design value issue and forging relationships at all levels of the supply chain goes a long way toward helping the industry survive today and thrive in the future.

  • Hikel’s personal return on investment on time working within SBCA has been invaluable, both in business opportunities and the personal reward from the relationships formed.