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Remember back, if you can, to the last time this country’s housing market’s sluggishness resembled what we’re experiencing today. From 1988-1992, the U.S. experienced an economic recession. It wasn’t nearly as profound or prolonged as our current situation, but nonetheless many of you probably remember (or have been told) how bad the housing market was. Housing starts experienced a 45 percent drop over that timespan. When housing recovered swiftly from 1992 through 1994, lumber prices skyrocketed.
- Determining production cycle time, the amount of time required to process an order from start to finish, is key to meeting customer needs.
- The old paradigm suggested that similar jobs be manufactured at the same time; the new paradigm focuses on meeting customer needs with a “just in time” mentality as efficiently as possible.
- Is an urgent request viewed as a pain-in-the-neck rush job or an opportunity to exceed expectations and have a customer for life?
What kind of energy bill might an owner receive the first year in a LEED Platinum home? Try a $50 surplus!
Dear SBC,
This recession has lasted so long, we may have forgotten how we used to build houses, and that may be a good thing. Experience could be our worst enemy.
In stand-up comedy, timing is everything. Bringing an issue before Congress works much the same way. If you present your stance on an issue too early, lawmakers and their legislative assistants will look at you with confusion evident on their faces. If you present your views on an issue after they’ve already addressed it, you fail to engage them in a meaningful conversation. However, if you present a problem just as they are beginning to hear it from other sources as well, you can hook them just the way a good one-liner can.
- Lack of available credit for building projects is a major barrier to the homebuilding industry’s recovery.
- Congress is considering a measure to address this barrier in the Home Construction Lending Regulatory Improvement Act of 2011 (H.R. 1755).
- SBCA Legislative Conference attendees had the good fortune of being on Capitol Hill the same day the bill was being introduced.
- The strength axis of a structural panel is the direction parallel to the grain of the wood fiber in the face and back surfaces of the panel.
- The strength axis is usually the long dimension of the panel.
- The IBC provides two tables with the allowable spans and loads (psf) for wood structural panel sheathing installed continuous over two or more spans with their strength axis perpendicular and parallel to the supports.
As of June 16, OSHA intends to begin enforcing residential fall protection guidelines first put in place in 1994. The change comes from a 2010 decision to lift a set of interim guidelines OSHA imposed in December 1995.
- Plywood and OSB design values are given; those that are doing repairs in your office should have a good feel for the similarities and differences.
- Plywood and OSB generally have similar design properties with a key exception of fastener strength where plywood will require more fasteners to be used.
- If a truss repair specifies only OSB, plywood should not be substituted without written permission from the registered design professional who prepared the truss repair design drawing.
So much has changed in just a few short years for component manufacturers supplying single and multi-family residential construction projects. It’s no surprise that the legal landscape we face while operating our businesses in this volatile market has changed as well. As you refocus to take advantage of opportunities as the housing market recovers, I encourage you to consider these legal trends.
We received a lot of positive feedback from readers about an article in the April issue regarding a component manufacturer’s product defect negligence lawsuit. While this is not the industry’s first escape from a negligence or breach of warranty finding as a result of proper risk management procedures, it’s a very timely lesson for us. As SBCA Legal Counsel Kent Pagel explains in Important Legal Trends for 2011, the building industry is in another litigious cycle. Many of you pointed to the moral of the story: That the value of providing SBCA Jobsite Packages with all component orders cannot be overstated.
- The fact that ten truss technicians may come up with ten completely different designs for the same project is evidence that components are not commodities.
- It is very important to confirm that the applied loads are the loads that the EOR or building owner has specified.
- Using unique ways to share design best practices is a great way to develop skills and build strong teams.
- Every component design department should have a small reference library of important technical documents.
- It is generally best to make sure your designs conform with the most current versions of the IBC and IRC.
- However, building code adoption is at the discretion of the authority having jurisdiction.
- SBCA’s vision for a testing facility is to create new methods to value engineer structures.
- Finding out about load paths through building components has been the focus of SBCRI’s work.
- The ability to do forensic testing in SBCRI is a useful risk management strategy.
- Sending a Jobsite Package with each truss delivery is a good way to share safe installation and bracing recommendations with framers.
- In the near future, SBCA is committed using SBCRI testing to optimize BCSI guidelines.
- We hope to change bracing design by combining temporary and permanent bracing into one step.
- Information about installation tolerances can be found in the B1 Summary Sheet.
- SBCA members can use wfd.sbcindustry.com to post jobs and review résumés—free!
- Devote 15 minutes every week to look at SBCA’s resources, read Industry News Headlines and catch up on email.
- Standard metal connector plates are suitable for use in lumber with moisture content of 19 percent or less and in building applications with no exposure to corrosive substances.
- Connector plates used in trusses exposed to high humidity or caustic chemicals may need to be treated to prevent corrosion.
- A variety of protective coatings can be applied to truss places in situations where special protection is necessary.
- It is critical to reinforce basic saw safety techniques like wearing PPE, housekeeping and machine guarding regardless of skill level or experience.
- Remember to have concentration and patience when operating any saw.
- Take a proactive approach to preventing injuries by properly maintaining all saws.
(includes corrected tables for print version)