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Article
2005 August
- The Canadian-U.S. softwood lumber dispute causes business uncertainty and lumber cost volatility.
- Congress needs to hear from our industry every chance we get that we are in favor of an enduring negotiated trade agreement.
Article
2005 August
- After a long struggle to keep in compliance with covenants in their credit agreement and a failed recapitalization attempt, Trussway’s only option was to restructure the company financially.
- Their financial restructuring was completely via a five-month pre-packaged Chapter 11 filing process.
- Trussway’s financial storm dating back to 1998 has finally blown over, and the company is enjoying financial health, prosperity and growth in its core multi-family segment.
Article
2005 June/July
- A major WTCA initiative to conduct re-search and testing of structural component performance has been launched.
- The data derived from this work will help influence new building code enactment and may provide new marketing opportunities for component manufacturers.
- Stay tuned for more updates on this initiative in future issues of SBC Magazine.
Article
2005 June/July
- Hot weather combined with working in a truss plant means you should drink as much water as possible.
- Heat exhaustion is a common ailment and is easily treated. If ignored, it could be a precursor to heat stroke.
- Heat stroke is very serious and can lead to death.
Article
2005 June/July
- Dead loads are projected horizontally for truss design.
- Truss technicians must be clear on whether they need to adjust the input design dead load values for slope or if the software will do it for them.
- Slope adjustments become more critical with steeper pitches.
Article
2005 May
- Attention to posture, conditioning, avoiding obesity, alcohol, drugs, smoking, and minimizing stress will take help you in maintaining a healthy back!
- Truss plants have many awkward loads to lift and carry, so lifting care is very important.
Article
2005 May
- Consider this framework for evaluating our industry’s position in the competitive landscape of the construction industry.
- There are basic forces that govern industry competition: the threat of new entrants, bargaining power of suppliers and custo-mers, and the threat of substitue products.
- Our industry brings value by providing a service/product bundle that lowers costs and raises quality.
Article
2005 May
- ANSI/TPI 1-2002 has several new provisions that you will need to get used to as you change over from the 1995 version.
- Some floor truss designs created with 1995 provisions may develop "chunk-out" errors when they are re-analyzed with ANSI/TPI 1-2002.
- Doubling the particular web or chord in that section will solve the problem.
Article
2005 April
- Our industry does not have any "Powerful People," but we can make a difference in our industry by meeting with our legislators locally. We do not need to be powerful to make a difference.
- Like the grassroots in your lawn, component manufacturers are many and mostly small, but in aggregate, our influence can be powerful.
Article
2005 April
- Bob Becht, "Mr. Truss Photo," takes digital technology to plant safety.
- Showing safety and health issues in a PowerPoint® presentation helps the staff create innovative policies to improve workplace safety.
Article
2005 April
- Three basic questions can help a homeowner determine whether or not a wall is load bearing.
- A carpenter or engineer should be consulted before a homeowner proceeds with a partition wall removal.
Article
2005 March
- WTCA meetings give you access to people with dozens of different ways of thinking about many of the exact same problems you face every day, at a very low cost, compared to consulting services.
- Get your MCA using the excellent management development tools a WTCA meeting provides.
- Gain the ability to better predict your future based on WTCA meeting discussions.
Article
2005 March
- Many employers won’t hire ex-felons.
- The industry has a chronic shortage of skilled truss technicians, so setting up a prison design department was the perfect solution for Stark Truss.
- The truss industry has several success stories of helping former felons reintegrate into life.
Article
2005 March
- Differential deflection is not a structural problem, but can be a significant appearance issue.
- Designing the roof or floor system to account for dead and live load deflections of adjacent trusses is critical to providing sound solutions.
- Strongback bridging can help distribute loads and reduce deflection issues.
Article
2005 Jan/Feb
- Are you seeing the same objections to wall panels that you had with selling trusses?
- Labor demographics today will drive wall panel sales much like labor savings drove truss sales in the 1950s.
Article
2005 Jan/Feb
- Did you know that you should drive an empty forklift backward UP an incline and forward DOWN an incline?
- The building components industry provides the ultimate fork lift truck lifting, driving and loading challenge due to the wide variety of load types.
Article
2005 Jan/Feb
- WTCA has a great deal of information that can help make the inspection of trusses easier to understand and perform.
- Truss designers and truss manufacturers only provide individual truss inspection information.
- The roof or floor truss system inspection information must come from the owner, builder/framer or building designer.