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• When the IRC provides a solution that cannot be supported by testing of real buildings in a code-compliant application of braced walls, more accurate and technically correct engineered solutions will never be able to compete.
• There is some resistance in the market to establishing standard factors for product equivalency or system performance because it may result in non-wood products graining an advantage over traditional OSB market share.
• A top testing priority for SBCA is “Framing the American Dream III,” which seeks to test a typical stick framed roof and compare its performance to an identical engineered truss roof.

I had an interesting conversation recently with an engineer that I have known for at least 15 years.

• Combining fiber reinforcement with finger jointed lumber could be a win for both the lumber and component industries. 
• With in-line framing, CMs can remove studs and plate material, and spread the stud spacing out to 24", which, in some cases, allows for better insulation methods.
• The key to new product development is generating sales revenue immediately by establishing design values and engineering reports that give assurance of the product’s equivalent code-compliant performance.

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), more commonly referred to as “Obamacare,” first sailed through the treacherous waters known as the U.S. Congress in March 2010. In July 2012, strong waves and adversarial winds threatened to scuttle its hull on the rocks of the U.S. Supreme Court. Somehow, though many are still left wondering how, it coursed through those rocks with nary a scratch. In one final test, a mutiny against this ship’s captain was proposed last November, but, in the end, it was turned aside.

• The truss industry follows the requirements of the building code and ANSI/TPI 1 for general project scope of work concepts.
• The Truss Designer identifies the location of required individual truss member lateral restraint and diagonal bracing on each Truss Design Drawing.
• The JOBSITE PACKAGE can prove invaluable in documenting that the CM provided industry best practices on truss bracing, particularly when a project goes in a bad direction.

When Goldilocks went to the bear’s house, it took her a while to find something that fit her just right. Fortunately, whether you’re a large manufacturer, a small one, or somewhere in between, a formal in-plant QC program is always a perfect fit. In this second article of our series looking at QC, we reached out to component manufacturers of all sizes and asked them about their experiences using the In-Plant WTCA QC program and TPI’s third-party inspection services.

• From NAHB’s perspective, the ALSC/SPIB Southern Pine design value effective date of June 1, 2013, is optional until local building departments enforce those values.
• Scott Ward shares a first-hand experience of the devaluing of engineering where the new lumber design values apply only to the “truss people.” 
• Engineered components result in a safer, more reliable, better quality, and more affordable structure; now we need to demonstrate definitive proof, and SBCRI was built for a time just like this.

• A key SBC industry value proposition is to sell a value-added product by providing unique engineering and supply-chain management solutions to customers.
• SBCA members should have passion for and speak with a united voice in advocating for supplier and supplier association initiatives that positively support the SBC industry.

A good headline and photo draw in the reader's interest, but in reality, this is a very scary photo. This news item on the home page of MSN.com caught the attention of Steven Spradlin, President of Capital Structures in Fort Smith, AR. Most notably, this is a great real-world jobsite example of framer engineering that doesn't comply with construction site safety requirements. To put it in Spradlin's words, “Holy crap, someone call OSHA!” (This is what he wrote, so it’s probably a paraphrase of what he actually said.)

Quality. It’s the word you want each and every one of your customers to attribute to your products. It’s a word that implies reliability, a characteristic that builds trust and respect. It’s also a concept that points to superior craftsmanship that differentiates you from your competitors.

• Scott Ward first implemented In-Plant WTCA QC in 1998 and has more than a decade of experience with the program.
• He reflects on the benefits he first saw when implementing the QC program and how QC helps differentiate his business based on the unique quality of their production.
• The In-Plant WTCA QC program’s biggest impact for Ward’s company has been training employees and reducing customer product issues and related costs.

Ed Callahan, Jr. passed away on January 20, 2013, one day shy of his 80th birthday.

• A repair may not be needed if, after adding the holes, visually graded lumber still meets an adequate grade according to the appropriate grading criteria.
• The Combined Stress Index (CSI) is the summation of axial and bending stresses divided by their respective allowable stresses, which represents the structural “efficiency” of the member; the CSI shall not exceed 1.00.
• Coordinating with trades before construction is a good way to avoid holes and notches in trusses, and the costly repairs associated with them.