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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.
Article
2007 Sept/Oct
- This issue of SBC contains the BCMC 2007 Show Guide starting on page 50.
- Learn about how to increase cold-formed steel truss market share with some tips from Cascade Mfg Co on page 24.
- Read "Record Retention—Reason & Risk" on page 28 for an update on how long you should keep important documents.
- New methods for determining bracing requirements for wood trusses are examined on page 94.
Article
2007 Sept/Oct
- CFSC is nearing the completion of a cold-formed steel version of BCSI.
- The Council has established addition priorities that include the development of a standard design responsibilities document.
Article
2007 Sept/Oct
- Converting structural steel to its cold-formed steel equivalent showcases the flexibility, efficiency and cost saving benefits of the product.
- Steel truss component manufacturers will generally have a difficult time competing with a non-pitched bar joist product at wide on-center spacings.
- Schools and assisted living facilities are good candidates for conversion.
Article
2007 Sept/Oct
- The grand opening of SBCRI took place on June 28 in Madison, WI.
- Attendees were amazed at the capabilities and potential of the new facility.
- Component manufacturers and suppliers agree that SBCRI is long overdue and will play a huge role in the future of the structural building components industry.
Article
2007 Sept/Oct
- The Extreme build helped Northeast Panel & Truss dispel misconceptions about wall panels and led their builder customer to embrace the product.
- The experience convinced Amedore Homes that wall panels are quality products that are also efficient and economical.
- The project couldn’t have been completed in the given timeframe without the use of wall panels, roof truss and floor trusses.
Article
2007 Sept/Oct
- Cold-formed steel is gaining respect and popularity in the industry thanks to challenging design projects and diverse construction applications.
- M-Truss worked on a luxury condominium project in Las Vegas that called for steel radius trusses and radius wall panels.
- Companies like M-Truss have been successful by demonstrating the bottom line savings of cold-formed steel in the ease of installation and reduced labor costs.