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NFC Executive Director Chris Tatge and SBCA staff member Jim Vogt demonstrated on the BCMC show floor just how quickly a structure comes together with wall panels.
- Solar panels—devices that convert solar energy into electricity or heat—are often installed in trussed and conventionally framed roofs.
- To determine if a truss can withstand the load of a solar panel, add the value of the panel to the maximum top chord dead load capacity.
- If a panel can be applied to a conventionally framed roof with the same design load capacity as a truss system, the application should also work in the trussed roof.
- 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.
- In today’s market, wall design is generally performed using code prescribed tables and provisions.
- When a building of conventional construction contains structural elements exceeding the prescriptive code, these elements shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice.
- 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.
- A hybrid wall panel manufacturing system coordinates machinery options with expandable production software platform.
- The initial capital investment for wall panel manufacturing equipment is closely tied to your return on investment.
- The software package available through the hybrid approach offers expandability and works well with automated and manual equipment systems.
- 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.
NFC members weigh in during wall panel roundtable
Explore the two different methods used to calculate a wall panel’s capacity to resist applied lateral loads.
- The 2012 IRC does not provide sufficient details on how to connect wood trusses to braced wall panels.
- SBCA has developed a couple of details and will continue to develop standard details that provide code-compliant connections between roof/floor trusses and braced wall panels.
- Component manufacturers can provide framers with specialty or standardized blocking panel products to reduce the time needed to install the blocking between trusses for these connections.
- The 2009 IRC contains new provisions in Section R602.10.6 to use blocking for connecting braced wall panels to floor truss and roof framing applications.
- Lateral load can be transferred from bottom chord bearing floor trusses is by attaching wood structural panel wall sheathing to the ends of the trusses, ribbon board, and the top plate of the wall below.
- Section R602.10.6 also includes prescriptive blocking provisions for roof trusses of varying heel heights for seismic design categories and wind speeds.
- Component manufacturers can reduce waste
- Wall panel manufacturers, equipment and education had a big presence at BCMC 2007.
- Demonstrating the cost savings and increased efficiency of using panels is how one manufacturer sells builders on the product.
- By viewing every aspect of his operation through the eyes of his customers, one manufacturer has discovered the key of wall panel success.
- 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.
- The IRC requires vertical joints in braced wall panel sheathing to be connected to a common stud.
- SBCA has submitted a code change proposal that would allow a wall panels designed to the IRC to be built with the sheathing flush at the edges.
- The proposal will be heard at the May 2010 ICC Final Action Hearings.
Framers and CMs can make for a powerful partnership, but it takes work.
- Look forward to improving economic conditions for the construction industry in 2007.
- Don’t miss wall panel manufacturing articles on pages 38 and 48.
- A new column, Build Strong Relation-ships, spotlights manufacturers forging new relationships with various professionals in the marketplace.
- WTCA-NY put together a productive day-long event to build relationships and provide education.
- Use of galvanized box nails may result in shear walls with a shear capacity significantly below the nominal unit shear capacities given in SDPWS.
- Thus, the majority of WSP shear walls have a shear capacity with a high degree of design value variability. This may have unintended consequences that are unknown and unappreciated by the professional engineering and/or building design community.
- Once SBCA and SBCRI were certain their testing and engineering analysis was consistent and repeatable, they were persistent in bringing all WSP shear wall performance issues to the attention of APA, AWC, ICC-ES and ICC.
- Continuous studs are required to eliminate hinge points in gable end walls per the 2009 IRC.
- The “all walls” language has been clarified by allowing mixing of braced wall methods.
- The wall bracing section of the 2009 IRC has been extensively rewritten and reorganized.
Annandale Millwork & Allied Systems ventured into the components industry differently from most manufacturers as our original business centered on doors and millwork. We diversified into wall panels in the early 1980s and eventually into roof trusses. From the beginning, we’ve always looked to use innovative processes to solve common construction problems.
- Wall panel technology has come a long way since the 1960s.
- It is important for all component manufacturers to have basic knowledge of wall panels.
- WTCA offers various resources to help educate the industry about wall panels.
- WTCA is developing a quality control program for wall panels.
- WTCA Wall Panel QC is being modeled after the quality control panel for roof trusses, In-Plant WTCA QC.
- A group of beta testers is providing feedback as the program is developed.
- This issue focuses on wall panel manufacturing. Turn to pages 20, 32 and 36 for wall panel-related articles.
- Two industry moguls leave the industry in 2008; check out their stories starting on page 44.
- Find out what’s going on inside SBCRI on page 42.
- When doing a material take-off for wall panels, identify the different wall types for each level.
- Wall panel manufacturers should have a pricing method that accounts for direct labor costs and plant overhead costs before adding a material markup and profit margin.
- Identify primary and secondary customers, most likely the general and framer.
- Some framers have the perception that panelizers are taking work from them, when in reality panels give them the ability to do more work because of decreased cycle times.
- Long-term marketing of wall panel products is best accomplished with comparisons of on-site versus off-site framing cycle times.
- Once you use wall panels, you realize how easy, safe and efficient they can be. You never want to go back.
- A framer-friendly mentality is essential for success.
- Start small—before launching a wall panel line, consider adding subcomponent product lines as a low-cost way to feel out the market demand.
- Increase your chances for success by turning framing contractors and builders into wall component advocates.
- Value engineering your walls may help you find the competitive advantage needed to create a niche in your market.