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Article
2007 May
- This project called for a 36' diameter round barn with a gambrel type roof with a 7' diameter hole in the center.
- To create the circular shape, each wall had a 5-degree change in angle, creating a total of 144 separate roof planes and 72 ceiling planes.
- The cathedral ceiling was accomplished using a series of four trusses that intersected all 72 ceiling planes.
Article
2007 May
- A custom home in a suburb of Denver was originally designed with a stick-framed Keeping Room.
- The builder and framer were skeptical about trussing the roof until the designer provided a full-size sample truss.
- The prototype convinced them that the Keeping Room should be trussed.
Article
2007 May
- Component manufacturers don’t all share the same definition of whole house design software.
- As we move closer to fully integrated WHD software, component manufacturers wonder if it will make them more efficient, if they will get paid for their work, and if it will increase their liability.
- The best economic framing solution will likely inform the evolution of the industry.
Article
2007 May
- The SBCRI will have the capacity to hold a 30 foot x 40 foot two-story structure for testing purposes.
- The maximum size structure we can test is 30 feet wide x 32 feet high x 90 feet long.
- A survey on testing topics yielded 464 member responses that provided very important feedback.
- The Truss Plate Institute entered a joint venture with WTCA that will yield TPI/WTCA test plans, data and a testing budget of $500,000 for 2007.
Article
2007 May
- When automated component saws became widely used in the ‘90s, truss tables became the new shop bottleneck.
- Laser projection systems and automated jigging systems offer two solutions to this bottleneck.
Article
2007 May
- The new WTCA Annual Workshop & Conference was held March 21-23, in Las Vegas.
- The new format included four sessions, covering fresh, new topics, with roundtable discussions and time for questions and answers.
- One session was entirely devoted to steel truss manufacturing, which was a first for this event.
- Attendees agreed that the workshop is valuable regardless of where you think you’re at with your business.
Article
2007 June/July
- The Annual SBC Legislative Conference was a success, and is covered on page 26.
- Turn to page 52 to hear why the first Joint Legislative Conference was a huge accomplishment for WTCA and FBMA.
- Avoid falling victim to potential risks of selling turnkey by reading about the contract blunder of Perfecto Truss on page 60.
Article
2007 June/July
- Consider using BCMC as the place to make corporate strategic adjustments.
- A new Chapter Competition encourages chapter member attendance, camaraderie and the potential to hold a chapter meeting.
- Friday small-group roundtables are a new feature at BCMC 2007.
Article
2007 June/July
- SCORE ties all of the programs you are already taking advantage of and puts them to even more use.
- The marketing opportunities offer a chance for you to stand out in the industry.
- You may be close to becoming certified at the Achiever level.
Article
2007 June/July
- WTCA component manufacturers joined with Florida Building Materials Association (FBMA) to participate in a Joint Legislative Conference.
- The two groups met with state lawmakers to discuss issues affecting their combined industries and impacting Florida’s residential housing market.
- WTCA and FBMA staff created talking points for the members to use when meeting with their lawmakers.
Article
2007 June/July
- Perfecto Truss learned the hard way that customer contracts play a big role in the risks by component manufacturers selling turnkey.
- Perfecto did not protect itself from performance risk or sufficiently define its scope of work in the subcontract with the general contractor.
- This one contract with a large multi-family project caused Perfecto to lose millions in company equity.
Article
2007 August
- The focus of this issue is Material Handling and Equipment.
- The annual Supplier Listing begins on page 84.
- Consider in-plant safety with articles on pages 7 and 72.
Article
2007 August
- There are 12 educational sessions for attendees to choose from.
- Session themes include design, steel, wall panels, self-improvement, personnel and accident investigation.
- Early-bird registration deadline is August 25, so register now!
Article
2007 August
- Ten core modules of In-Plant Basic Training will be released in October.
- The course targets employees that are new to the industry, and will be available in English and Spanish.
Article
2007 August
- A few seconds saved per truss can lead to substantial savings by the end of the year.
- It may only take an hour to fix the ma-chine, but you have lost 14,400 seconds of time for a crew of four assemblers.
- Weekly machine evaluations and scheduling breakdowns make it easy to keep track of your long-term maintenance plan and are an excellent way to keep production moving right along.
Article
2007 August
- The wood residue produced by the industry has monetary value.
- Dry wood residue can produce one million BTUs for about one-third the cost of one million BTUs of fossil fuel.
- When misconceptions about wood energy are overcome, the result is decreased fuel costs and additional revenue sources for manufacturers.
Article
2007 August
- Most truss shops use one of four factors that work "on average" to estimate labor.
- Labor estimates based on averages do not take into account complex jobs.
- In the truss industry, the Houlihan Method is one example of lean manufacturing.
- Employing proper time standards provides a solution to estimating labor.
Article
2007 August
- The challenge of automating material handling compared to other industries is the variation from component to component.
- Getting lumber to the saw is generally the most labor-intensive, time-consuming, and error-prone part of material handling.
- A straight line approach from the saw to the build tables with the conveyor running parallel to the press table is ideal.
Article
2007 August
- The topic of whether truss placement diagrams (TPDs) should be sealed continues to be misunderstood.
- The TPD should not to be viewed as an engineering document; it is provided to help the installer locate the trusses within the structure.
- A TPD is generally not prepared within the typical duties of an engineer and is therefore not typically prepared under the engineer’s direct supervision.
- Truss Designers are counseled to only undertake Building Designer responsibilities under a special set of circumstances.
Article
2007 August
- Proper training and management of truck drivers is a way to reduce risk, streamline operations, and enhance your reputation.
- TRUCK is a new fleet management and safety program designed to train drivers about their responsibilities on the road and at the jobsite.
Article
2007 August
- Wood truss operations produce sawdust, which is a form of particulate matter often categorized with sawmills and furniture manufacturers.
- By quantifying the sawdust you actually produce, you can prove baghouse system requirements unnecessary.
- One method to determine quantity is to calculate a source’s potential to emit (PTE) with an emissions factor.
Article
2007 August
- If you are aware of current code language, you can take advantage the opportunities presented to your company.
- Code language must be understandable to all parties in the marketplace in order for uniform enforcement.
- Monitoring code issues on a local level is critical to strengthen our industry’s collective influence on building codes.
Article
2007 August
- Southern Components, Inc. donated the first known set of cold-formed steel components for an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project.
- An insulated foam product was used in the home’s steel wall panels.
- SCI worked with a new builder customer on this project, and hopes to do more business with them the future.