Search
If you are interested in promoting your roof truss packages to framers who still prefer to stick-frame a raftered roof, here are some tools you can use to begin that discussion.
Learn more about the training programs that SBCA offers. SBCA's Truss Knowledge Online (TKO) website lets professionals train anytime, anywhere with flexible online courses.
“We need to take every opportunity to sell more trusses!” That was the sentiment of many of the component manufacturers (CMs) sitting around the table at the most recent SBCA Marketing Committee meeting in Tampa, Florida.
John Howlin, Truss Plant Manager at BuilderUp, is gearing up for winter in Maryland. Like many component manufacturing operations, John’s production and yard workers are exposed to the elements so they take cold weather safety seriously.
“Creative problem solving is key, just like when designing trusses, the answer isn’t always so clear. You have to evaluate the situation and come up with a solution to accomplish the goal.”
American Truss in Houston, Texas is roughly 888 miles from Plum Building Systems in Osceola, Iowa. Under normal circumstances, it’s hard to imagine these two companies would have much reason to collaborate.
One of the primary missions of SBCA is to help component manufacturers (CMs) gain greater market share. Traditionally, those efforts have been aimed at turning roof rafters into roof trusses, and that focus has paid significant dividends.
“Inviting elected officials into our manufacturing plants and building relationships with them can make a world of difference for individual manufacturers and the industry,” says Larry Dix, owner of Apex Truss in Warsaw, Virginia.
It’s a beautiful sight—trusses being braced properly, of course. That’s what Bob Dayhoff of Shelter Systems Limited and Chair of SBCA’s E&T Committee saw while celebrating his 32nd wedding anniversary with his wife in Hawaii. “It was a welcome sight to see prefabricated trusses being used in construction and being safely erected and correctly braced to boot!” said Dayhoff.
Building Designers need to account for the dead and live loads of fire sprinkler systems, in addition to the other load requirements imposed under the model building codes. Truss Designers are responsible for incorporating the additional load from the fire sprinkler systems into the truss design. The information in this Research Report is applicable to both floor and roof systems. Only vertical loads from fire sprinkler systems are discussed; lateral loads, where required, should be evaluated separately by a Registered Design Professional.
The March 2012 issue of SBC highlighted the benefits of assembling wood roof trusses on the ground. Here, we see an example using cold-formed steel trusses for a Winco Foods Store in Mesa, AZ. Westco Steel Systems designed the store’s roof so the contractor could build each section on the ground and hoist it into place as a fabricated section.
Six bedrooms, seven full bathrooms and three half baths. A three-car garage, elevator, theater, exercise room, billiards room, library and six fireplaces. Is this a description of a quaint bed and breakfast? No, it’s a residence, a mansion in fact, in need of a roof. Initial plans for this 18,203 sq ft mansion called for a stick-built roof, but the team at Riverside Roof Truss in Danville, VA, proved the benefits of component construction both conceptually on paper and in the field.
A lay-on gable frame is typically connected from the top during truss placement, but after sheathing is installed, this connection is no longer visible for the building inspector to verify. This creates a need for an alternate connection that is visible from below. The goal of this Research Report is to analyze a simple, cost-effective, toe nail connection between the lay-on gable frames and supporting truss system that is visible after sheathing is installed.
- The Component Manufacturers Division voted to split from the Truss Plate Insti-tute in 1983 to establish itself as the association we know today as the Wood Truss Council of America.
- Throughout their history, WTCA Presi-dents have faced adversity, worked to improve the association’s financial outlook, struggled to increase membership, and fought to secure credibility.
- WTCA is now a well-respected and influential organization, thanks to the direction and leadership of Past Presidents.
- 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.
No, this isn’t the latest haul from a fishing expedition; it’s actually trusses on their way to a jobsite. Northwest Building Components, Inc. in Rathdrum, ID, designed, manufactured and delivered the trusses for this project expecting to drop them off at the jobsite, which was a fishing cabin. Only when the driver arrived at the delivery location, a boat dock, did he realize this wasn’t a run-of-the-mill delivery.
There are circumstances when the deflection requirements for a specific structure that utilizes floor trusses as structural members are questioned. The current residential and commercial building codes provide minimum design requirements for loads and for deflection of structural floor members, which also apply to floor trusses. The building designer may specify more stringent requirements. This research report will focus on manufacturer or trade association deflection requirements for a number of floor topping/covering related products
- A good place to start a training program is by covering basic truss industry terminology, along with your company’s terminology and approach to serving customers’ technical needs.
- Example math and complete truss design problems using sample plans are a good way to coach new designers and bring them up to speed with your business practices.
- Each new hire and, in general, all staff needs to know who is responsible for client communication at each stage of a project.
- WTCA-NE President John Goodrich and other chapter members found volunteers to attend a hearing where legislation about building labeling was to be proposed.
- WTCA-NE chapter members attended the hearing to making sure that our industry’s voice and policies would be heard in the midst of this legislative process.
- The myths surrounding labeling on truss construction can provide the fire service with a false sense of security and has many negative implications on the truss industry.
- Local chapter members need to monitor their local issues so
The modern truss was invented in the 1900s, but using triangles in construction has been a common practice for ages. While on vacation, a member of SBC staff stumbled upon this interesting truss-like ceiling at the Duomo di Pistoia or Cattedrale di San Zeno in Pistoia, Italy. This ornately decorated portion of the roof spans a large section of pews running from an entrance up to an altar.
When Jim’s Apple Barn, the largest candy store in Minnesota, wanted to expand by way of adding a confection-filled planetarium to the end of a blazing yellow barn already bursting with sweets, it had a difficult time finding a truss company willing to take on the project. “We were the only ones that said yes,” recalled Trevor Ebinger, a member of the Manion Lumber & Truss sales staff. “It was quite an undertaking.”
- 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.
SBCA’s QC Committee and Board have undertaken a critical industry project entitled Digital QC and SBCRI’s 3rd Party Digital QA, which defines a quick and accurate method for component manufacturers to evaluate the quality of a truss anywhere and at any time.
A few years ago, Lumber Specialties, a component manufacturer in Dyersville, IA, wanted a way to show proper bracing in a residential home. They asked Jason Gross, an intern in their design department at that time, to build an exact scale model of a roof truss system to accurately show diagonal bracing, lateral restraint, and T-bracing per BCSI.
On his drive to SBCA’s July Open Quarterly Meeting in Nashville, TN, Past President Scott Ward (Southern Components) stopped in Trussville, AL. While not the legendary birthplace of today’s modern metal plate connected wood truss, might it be the perfect place to host a future BCMC?
SBCA staff realized early on that the various truss design software provider’s output of their QC information was in many different, non-standardized formats. Today, the TPSX output standardizes the information allowing SBCA’s Digital QC program to quickly and easily integrate the files.
- Two engineers involved in the design of structural building components respond to a previous Technical Q&A on bearing area.
- Both give their perspective on bearing area and ways that component manufacturers and truss designers can help engineers with this issue.
- Each engineer discusses his preferred method for dealing with insufficient bearing area.
Code compliant use of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses (MPCWT) to support brick veneer can be accomplished by both individual designs and by adhering to the recommendations that follow within this report. This discussion focuses on a common use of MPCWT’s; the gable end at the transition from a wider section of a building to a narrower section.
Controlling sound transmission in buildings through wall, floor and ceiling assemblies is important for the comfort level and enjoyment of building occupants as they live, work and play in these buildings. This report aims to explore the methods one can use to reduce sound transmission in assemblies constructed with wood trusses.
In 2007, SBC Magazine highlighted the projects of M-Truss & Components in Las Vegas, Nevada, including the steel framed house above. A decade later, companies like Cascade Mfg Co in Cascade, Iowa continue to find design professionals with great interest in steel components.