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Article
2006 June/July
- Our industry supports immigration reform that emphasizes security while also recognizing manufacturers’ workforce needs.
- Immigrant populations play a vital role in helping meet our workforce demand.
- There is a lot we can do on the local legislative front. Get involved on the state and local district level by making contacts with your lawmakers.
Article
2006 June/July
- Without the diagonal brace, the only thing the lateral member(s) ensures is that the webs to which they are attached will be-have as a unit and buckle together in the same direction if and/or when the buckling load is reached.
- The single diagonal brace and web reinforcement options satisfy the need for bracing individual trusses and truss members, but not the stability bracing of the entire building system.
- BCSI-B3 Web Member Permanent Bra-cing/Web Reinforcement provides indus-try recommendations and methods for restraining web members against buckling.
Article
2006 June/July
- There are a host of insects and spiders that can unexpectedly attack and leave you itchy, sore or even worse.
- Insects and arachnids inflicted 36,100 nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses on workers from 1992 to 1997.
- Anaphylaxis is an extremely dangerous reaction to a bug bite or sting, can be fatal and MUST be treated immediately.
Article
2006 May
- Back in the ‘80s, truss technicians had to input the lengths, bearing locations and any concentrated loads on a truss other than a standard truss.
- Today’s truss design software helps streamline truss technicians’ work, but fundamental design, engineering and building code concepts are still important.
- Design technology gives us the capability to take designs to the next level and spec in a wide range of products from wall panels to steel trusses.
- The time has come to embrace all structural building component materials.
Article
2006 May
- Chainsaws are powerful; according to Lowe’s, "you won’t find a tool with more power per inch."
- Chainsaws were designed to cut only wood, so make sure that all other objects are cleared from the area before using them.
Article
2006 May
- BCSI-B2 provides temporary bracing guidance for trusses spaced up to 24 inches on-center.
- BCSI-B10 offers temporary bracing guidance for wide on-center trusses such as those used in post frame buildings.
- Truss Designers note on Truss Design Drawings that truss top chords must be laterally braced by the roof sheathing to prevent the top chord from buckling.
- When purlins are specified, check with the Truss Designer to determine the maximum unbraced length of the top chord between purlins to avoid top chord buckling.
Article
2006 April
- WTCA chapters offer an excellent venue to get to know your competition and even work together.
- Local chapters provide an environment where relationships and friendly rivalries develop.
- Working together and focusing on making the structural building components industry stronger increases its stature, and everyone reaps the benefits.
Article
2006 March
- Having a reputation for being a good employer can often be your best recruiting tool.
- Some of our best employees hear about the company from word of mouth.
- Hiring a new employee may be a quick fix to a staffing problem, but by investing in your current staff, you reap long-term benefits.
Article
2006 March
- Phone lines, network cables and electrical cords can pose tripping hazards in aisles and walkways.
- Like nail guns and metal banding in the truss plant, some office related "tools" also pose a safety hazard.
- Using good old-fashioned common sense is the best way to be safe in any work environment.
Article
2006 Jan/Feb
- The founders of our industry are probably asking, "Where’s my truss industry?"
- We must continue to sell value in order to keep this industry strong.
- One of the only possible negatives to selling more engineering and integrated services is if component manufacturers begin to dilute the value of components by not "up-selling" the value provided.
Article
2006 Jan/Feb
- As wall panels gain popularity, questions pertaining to sealed engineering requirements have increased.
- Can walls built in the shop rely on the prescriptive provisions of the building code?
- In the future, it is possible that component manufacturers will be responsible for providing sealed design drawings for their wall panel designs.
Article
2005 December
- The Western Lumber Grading Rules permit combinations of like-named U.S. and Canadian species groups, which allows mills that have access to logs from the U.S. and Canada to mix them during production.
- The most common combinations are Douglas Fir-Larch, Hem-Fir and Spruce-Pine-Fir.
- The applicable design values for a given U.S. and Canadian species group combination that component manufacturers should use in their software are the lower of the two individual country values for each design value category (see Table 2 on page 76).
Article
2005 December
- It’s time to reconcile your OSHA recordkeeping logs.
- If an injury or illness resulted from an event or "exposure" that happened at work, assume it is work related.
- There are some exemptions to what is defined as work related, such as an employee using company property for personal tasks outside his/her assigned work hours.
- A fatality is ALWAYS recordable.
Article
2005 December
- Generally, wall girders cannot be used in second story framing because it is nearly impossible to brace the compression top chord of a girder when it is placed in a wall.
- The top chord(s) of girder trusses can experience very high compressive forces, which can cause the chord to buckle out of plane.
Article
2005 November
- An in-plant quality control program helps you quickly identify issues with a press or how someone is doing their job through the management information that the data provides.
- The program may take an investment in time and money, but monitoring the benchmarks and charts and catching a problem and solving it in a timely manner is well worth it.
- Proof of such a program can potentially help lower your insurance premiums.
- Certain U.S.
Article
2005 November
- Safety training can help your employees develop the skills they need to recognize and understand on-the-job hazards.
- Training should be developed for new and existing employees alike.
- Training records can be of great value when evaluating trends in injury and accident rates.
Article
2005 November
- The requirements for fire generally take precedence over those for sound.
- What is good for fire performance may not be good for sound performance. The reverse is also true.
- Determining sound ratings is a building designer or specialty engineering re-sponsibility, so be sure not to take on any design work responsibility that falls beyond your scope of work.
Article
2005 Sept/Oct
- Kendall Hoyd’s term as WTCA President is nearly complete.
- A time of transition and growth is upon WTCA.
- Activities such as research and testing, legislative work, participation in building code development, or training program development will increase the efficiency of WTCA members as the industry growths.
Article
2005 Sept/Oct
- Motor vehicle traffic crashes were the eighth leading cause of death among all ages in 2002.
- You can play a key role in reducing accidents by making sure that you and your vehicle are in suitable driving condi-tion—before getting behind the wheel.
- Beware of drowsy driving: 37 percent of drivers surveyed by the National High-way Traffic Safety Administration admitted to falling asleep at the wheel at some point in their driving career.
Article
2005 Sept/Oct
- Homeowners and building officials alike often wonder if damaged trusses should be replaced or repaired.
- If a truss is damaged or altered it does not need to be replaced but it must be repaired.
- It is important to repair a damaged truss because truss members can quickly become overloaded if a truss is damaged or altered.
Article
2005 August
- Bevel cutting can be a very dangerous operation in the truss plant especially since 90 percent of One Minute Poll respondents say they use a table saw.
- There are about six different methods of installing valley trusses that are used in the field.
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.