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SBCA - Northeast

SBCA - Northeast (SBCA-NE)
c/o Shawn Simonds, Chapter President
LaValley Building Supply, Inc.
PO Box 267 • Newport, NH 03773-0267
603-863-1050
Email Shawn

SBCA and Chapter Membership Application (699 KB)

SBCA’s Chapter Focus for September 2009

Take a Lesson from . . . SBCA – Northeast
Our May 2009 issue of Chapter Focus encouraged everyone to take a lesson from Montana: If your chapter is stuck in a rut, try imagining that you have a clean slate in front of you and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to do. It just might inspire you more than you think.

But Montana’s not alone in providing inspiration to fellow chapters. We can also take a lesson from the Northeast Chapter and its commitment to education.

Since the first Building Component Safety Information (BCSI) booklet was published in 2003, the Northeast Chapter has distributed 2,626 copies, not counting the copies purchased by individual members!

Chapter members have made it clear to building officials, fire service professionals, architects and engineers that they are ready, willing and able to deliver top notch educational presentations and supply publications.

Anyone who requests information on our industry from SBCA – Northeast will come away with a chapter membership roster and a copy of BCSI.

A few of the places where SBCA – Northeast is known are:

• Annual New England Fire/Rescue/EMS Expo
• Eastern States Building Officials Federation
• Building Officials of Western Massachusetts
• Southeastern Massachusetts Building Officials
• New Hampshire State Fire Academy
• Structural Engineers Association of New Hampshire
• University of Massachusetts—Amherst building officials conference

And SBCA – Northeast supplies more than BCSI. Two years ago, the chapter made a $4,000 contribution to the Carbeck Structural Components Institute. In return, it received 500 CDs on the Fire Performance of Wood Trusses, and those CDs were distributed within months.

Providing education to people who are not well acquainted with the component industry gives them an inside look at who we are and what we do. They get to see how our industry really works and you develop a connection with them to provide input and advice in the future. Why not take a lesson from Northeast and make connections in your marketplace?

“Thanks again to the Northeast Chapter for the copies of the BSCI booklet. The information provided in these documents is invaluable to code enforcement officers and a great educational tool for the contractors and home owners we work with on a daily basis.” Tod Rosenberg, Code Enforcement Officer, Topsham, ME

“I believe in this enough that as long as we can afford to do it, we’ll continue to provide BCSI to the marketplace.” Brad Ferris, President, SBCA – Northeast

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS APPEARING IN STRUCTURAL BUILDING COMPONENTS MAGAZINE:

September/October 2009
Education, codes and technical information dominated the agenda at the Northeast Chapter's July meeting. First up, the members were given a recap of the chapter's participation at a meeting of Berkshire County building officials. A challenging and noteworthy debate on distinguishing between ground snow loads and applied roof snow loads was resolved at the meeting and cemented with a new SBCA Tech Note,“Prescriptive and Engineered Design Provisions of the Massachusetts One- and Two-Family Dwelling Code.” In addition to resolving this issue, the building officials greatly appreciated the educational presentation given by the chapter and have already requested another! Second, members discussed attending a meeting in Derby, CT to comment on a proposed ordinance on labeling buildings with engineered lumber. Everyone agreed that presenting our industry’s position on these issues was of crucial importance. Third, a recap was provided of the chapter's booth at the New England Fire/Rescue/EMS show on June 26–28 in West Springfield, MA. Educational materials including the Carbeck CD and brochure were distributed. Several attendees requested plant tours and planning had already begun on a tour for the Worcester, MA Fire Department.

November 2008

Brice Hereford and Brad Ferris at the New England Fire/Rescue/EMS Expo.

This summer, the Northeast Chapter participated in the 2008 New England Fire/Rescue/EMS Expo, and by all accounts it was a big success. Chapter members spoke with over 200 fire fighters and handed out Carbeck CDs and literature. Importantly, they also made some great contacts with training officers, and the chapter expects to do follow-up trainings in several localities. By request, they are also planning a demonstration/tour, to be held in Massachusetts, that will clearly portray the effects of fire on a structure with equivalent loads. Thank you to everyone who supported the chapter’s participation in the Fire/Rescue/EMS Show and especially to the folks who worked at the booth and on the educational presentations: Kirk Grundahl of WTCA, Brice Hereford of FastenMaster, Chris Smith of LaValley Building Supply, Jeremiah Longe and Cregg Smith of Wood Structures, John Goodrich of Truss Engineering Corporation, and Brad Ferris of S.R. Sloan. The chapter has already booked its booth space for the 2009 New England Fire/Rescue/EMS Show!

June/July 2008
Education was the watchword at the Northeast Chapter’s spring meeting. The members were given an update on the chapter’s recent educational efforts including: a truss plant tour and barrel burn demonstration for the Acushnet, MA Fire Department in March; a presentation for the Eastern States Building Officials Federation Conference in Sturbridge, MA in April; truss plant tours being arranged for the Laconia, NH Fire Department and the MA Call/Volunteer Firefighters Association; and the chapter’s upcoming booth at the big New England Fire, Rescue & EMS show in June. Members were encouraged to contribute any additional names or groups that should be contacted to offer tours and seminars.

Under legislative issues, it was reported that the chapter and staff are looking into a building labeling placard on commercial buildings built in Vermont and providing educational materials to members of the fire service. As for Massachusetts, there were no new developments to report on House Bill 2331 proposing a special commission to investigate the use of structural building components in construction.

Under building code issues, WTCA staff member Ryan Dexter, P.E., was on hand to discuss current technical and code issues as well as deliver his presentation on the updated ANSI/TPI 1-2007. At members’ request, following the meeting a comparison between Sections 2.3 (Responsibilities where the legal requirements mandate a registered design professional for the building) and 2.4 (Responsibilities where the legal requirements do not mandate a registered design professional for the building) was prepared and distributed to all.

At the meeting, John Goodrich was awarded a plaque for his service as Chapter President from 2004 to 2007. His outstanding efforts in the job were greatly appreciated.

March 2008
At its January meeting, the Northeast Chapter elected new officers. Moving into the position of President was Brad Ferris of S.R. Sloan. John Jacksics of Universal Truss agreed to stay on as Secretary, and Shawn Simonds of LaValley Building Supply came on board as Treasurer. The chapter members extended a hearty thanks to John Goodrich for his service as Chapter President, recognizing his commitment to keeping the chapter involved in the marketplace while personally providing seminars and attending local meetings.

The Northeast Chapter continues to have a very busy Education Committee. Presentations were delivered in November to a group of building officials in Athol, MA and at a meeting of the Eastern States Building Officials Federation. Already lined up for 2008 were: a truss plant tour and barrel burn demonstration for Chief Kevin Gallagher of the Acushnet, MA Fire Department in February; a seminar for the Building Officials of Western Massachusetts in February; another seminar for the Eastern States Building Officials Federation Conference in April; and a booth at the New England Fire Rescue and EMS Show in June. The members agreed to continue sponsoring these presentations and providing pertinent publications from WTCA.

Also at the January meeting, the chapter members welcomed a guest speaker from WTCA’s Professional Leadership Academy. Discussing how to Survive and Thrive in a Down Market, Bill Bean of The Randall Wade Group offered short segments on the services available to members through the Professional Leadership Academy and provided some take-home value in the areas of planning and leadership training. The members appreciated the presentation and thanked Bill for his attentiveness to member needs.

The Northeast Chapter welcomes guest speakers for its chapter meetings. Anyone interested in speaking at its quarterly meetings in April, July or October may contact Brad Ferris or Anna Stamm of WTCA staff.

December 2007
Like its counterpart in New York, the Northeast Chapter was focused on education this fall. At its October meeting, the members were able to review the status of several programs the chapter was accomplishing, including:

• the New Hampshire State Fire Academy tour and live demonstration at LaValley Building Supply in September;
• the Southeastern Massachusetts Building Officials seminar on October 17;
• a seminar for building officials in Athol, MA on November 7;
• the Building Officials of Western Massachusetts seminar on November 15;
• two events for the Eastern States Building Officials Federation conference,
• one on November 30 in Rhode Island
• and another in the works for its annual conference in April;
• and the big New England Fire Rescue and EMS Show in June.

November 2007
On Tuesday, September 18, LaValley Building Supply, Inc opened its doors and welcomed members of the New Hampshire State Fire Academy as well as two local fire officials. We started with a presentation on the history of trusses and some basic truss and plate information, plus information on the ASTM E119 fire test. The next stop was the design office to show where the process starts, then on to the plant. We were also pleased to present a live fire demonstration made possible by the Carbeck Structural Components Institute—the Fire Barrel Demonstration of Metal Connector Plates. With the help of our chapter, the WTCA–Northeast, we were able to provide lunch for everyone; and, with the assistance of WTCA and WTCA–Northeast, we were able to provide each person with a packet stuffed full of information about trusses.

The tour went very well and the results far exceeded my expectations. Many members of the group asked if we would be willing to come to the local fire departments with the same information as well as deliver a presentation for training officers and inspectors at the State Fire Academy. The contacts we have made from this one tour will be invaluable.

Our chapter and my company have tried for years to start building a relationship with the fire service and I feel we have done just that. Between our persistence at the local level and the resources available through WTCA and Carbeck, we are able to make a difference. Thank you to everyone who helped with this event and I look forward to future presentations.

Continuing with a tradition begun last year, the New York and Northeast Chapters held a joint summer meeting in Springfield, MA. Since several members had asked about mold treatments, the guest speaker was Dave Wirth of BluWood Northeast A discussion took place on the current state of above ground wood framing protection against the effects of mold, fungi and wood ingesting insects, as well as limiting moisture absorption. The members appreciated the interesting presentation.

The other central topic on the meeting agenda was education. The Truss Technology Workshop (TTW) resources from WTCA were reviewed: live seminars, online courses, web-based presentations and plant tours. The Northeast Chapter members discussed the current slate of educational programs in their states: Structural Engineers Association of New Hampshire (SEANH), Southern Massachusetts Building Inspectors, Building Officials in Athol, MA, and the annual presentation and booth at the University of Massachusetts—Amherst building officials conference in the fall. [See also the Chapter Spotlight.] The New York Chapter members reviewed their educational programs in the works, too: the Capital District and Rockland Chapters of the New York State Building Officials Conference (NYSBOC) and a program for architects and engineers in Hauppauge, NY.

June/July 2007
Education was central at the Northeast Chapter’s spring meeting. Chapter President John Goodrich reminded members that the chapter had purchased numerous copies of BCSI and the Carbeck Fire Performance CD, so they were always available for members’ use in presentations. Likewise, members were encouraged to say “yes” when asked about giving presentations and then rely upon the chapter and WTCA staff for assistance. Grassroots training is essential, and the chapter is committed to funding sessions and providing materials and plant tours. Of the upcoming educational sessions planned, the group would be delivering a presentation on BCSI for the Structural Engineers Association of New Hampshire in May, then a fire presentation with a possible fire test demonstration for the New England Fire-Rescue-EMS show in June. The chapter also started planning for this year’s building officials conference at University of Massachusetts–Amherst, for which it expects to offer two presentations and have a booth in October.

The Massachusetts Building Code was on the agenda. With assistance from WTCA staff, the chapter is monitoring and commenting on the sections of the code that affect our industry. Members have been attending public hearings and will continue to do so to make sure that our industry’s voice is heard on the issues which affect us. Also in Massachusetts, another bill has been introduced proposing a special commission to investigate the use of structural building components in construction as it relates to fire fighter safety. Since the commission would not include anyone from the building industry or anyone familiar with components, these developments are being watched closely by the chapter.

Under chapter business, a motion was made to amend the chapter’s bylaws with the revised WTCA bylaws language. This will expand the definition of regular member to include all structural component manufacturers as well as engineered wood products dealers/resellers engaged in the business of reselling manufactured engineered wood products either directly to end users (e.g., contractors or builders) or directly to lumber yards or other building material distribution or retail centers (but excluding those engineered wood products dealers/resellers engaged in the business of reselling to truss, wall panel or subcomponent manufacturers). The motion passed without objection.

March 2007
The January Northeast Chapter meeting kicked off with elections. Voted to stay in their jobs for another year were: John Goodrich of Truss Engineering Corporation as President, Brad Ferris of Romaro Structures as Treasurer and John Jacksics of Universal Component Corporation as Secretary. Chapter members also discussed a revision to their bylaws to expand the category of regular member to include more than just wood truss manufacturers. They intend to explore how other chapters and WTCA are incorporating cold formed steel manufacturers and engineered wood products companies into the definition of regular members and return to this issue at the April 18 chapter meeting.

On the educational front, an update was given on the chapter’s very successful November presentation for the Ascutney, VT fire department. Chris Smith of LaValley Building Supply conducted the presentation, plant tour and a live fire test. Given the excellent feedback from the event, the chapter expects to schedule programs for additional fire departments in the northeast. Members reviewed their plans to be involved in various tradeshows this year, too. These events include the Southeastern Massachusetts Building Officials Conference, the Northeast Retail Lumber Association show and the annual building officials event at UMass—Amherst. Truss plant tours were endorsed as another great way for any chapter member to become more involved. The chapter will provide monetary assistance to any member needing help with an educational program or tour. To launch its 2007 educational efforts, the members decided to purchase 500 copies of the new BCSI 2006. Furthermore, the chapter voted to make a $4,000 contribution to the Carbeck Structural Components Institute, for which they will receive 500 CDs on the Fire Performance of Wood Trusses.

December 2006 SBC Magazine
The Northeast Chapter continued to monitor the review of the Massachusetts Building Code and comment on the sections of the code that affect our industry. Chapter members have attended the public hearings and submitted addenda to the proposed code. The Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) that oversees code development seemed receptive to our proposals. The chapter will continue to provide input in this process to make sure that our industry’s voice is heard on the issues which affect us.

An issue has arisen regarding the use of seals and signatures in Massachusetts. Massachusetts code officials are requiring signed seals on drawings. Using the Texas law on electronic seals as a model to follow, the chapter is working with engineers to resolve this problem.

Regarding the movements to label buildings with truss construction, the Maine bill is effectively dead. The Massachusetts bill was passed by the House and referred to the appropriate committee in the Senate, but it may also die in committee. There is a chance that it may resurface before the end of the year, but it is not likely.

The Northeast Chapter has several educational opportunities to pursue. A presentation was prepared for the fire officials in Ascutney, Vermont on November 14. The Southeast Massachusetts Building Officials would like a presentation for its spring conference. At the October chapter meeting, members also reviewed the WTCA Board Resolution requesting chapters provide truss plant tours to the groups that would benefit from more information and a better understanding of our industry.

June/July 2006 SBC Magazine
The Northeast Chapter has been very active this year confronting building labeling challenges in Massachusetts and Maine. The status of these challenges was discussed in depth at the chapter meeting in April. In addition, members reviewed the new Carbeck CD on Wood Truss Construction and Fire Performance. It was agreed that the chapter would donate $1000 to Carbeck and begin distributing the CDs. Also on the educational front, planning has begun on the chapter’s educational presentations this year, specifically for U-Mass, Sturbridge and NRLA events. The next chapter meeting will also be educational for component manufacturers—together with the New York Chapter, the Northeast Chapter will host WTCA Legal Counsel Kent Pagel for his presentation on Successfully Negotiating an Acceptable Customer Contract. This joint Northeast/New York Chapter meeting will be held in Springfield, MA on July 19.

September/October 2005 SBC Magazine
At the May Northeast Chapter meeting with Dan DeDentro of the Rhode Island Code Enforcement Committee, members clarified several problems and inconsistencies they were experiencing regarding the enforcement of the bottom chord live load according to IRC 2003. After the meeting, the chapter and staff team was pleased to report success in obtaining a “blanket variance” to the Rhode Island residential code that allows the use of the 2004 IRC supplement bottom chord live load requirements. Following up on this success, the chapter began pursuing similar variances in neighboring states. Though unable to attend the July chapter meeting, the chapter’s contact in the State of Connecticut has been receptive to the chapter’s position and members are optimistic about the direction this will take. The main topic of discussion at the July meeting was the chapter’s educational programs. The education committee reported on the success of its seminar for the Eastern States Building Officials Federation (ESBOF). The attendees were eager to take copies of the Carbeck CD and BCSI 1-03, and the program was so well received that the chapter has been asked to repeat it (and lengthen it) in October. This will mean that the chapter has multiple presentations to deliver in October, since it always has an October program at U-Mass in Amherst for building officials. The members present authorized the expenditures necessary to upgrade the chapter’s tabletop booth and spend up to $2000 on WTCA publications for the events. Moving from building official to fire education, it was noted that one of the chapter members has joined his local fire department. Immediately he began educating them and now has had calls from several neighboring towns for educational programs. From this, the chapter will expand its fire education efforts. In other business, a plaque was presented to Dave Denoncourt of Steenbeke & Sons in appreciation of his contribution to the chapter by attending the WTCA Open Quarterly Meetings. The next chapter meeting will be held on October 19.

April 2005
The main topic in January was setting the agenda for the year, and all agreed education was an excellent focus. The chapter will reach out to homebuilders and contractors and continue its programs for building inspectors. Maintaining a presence at educational seminars has helped keep a consistent application of the codes. More education helps bridge the gap with joist and rafter framing in those instances where it appears they are nearly exempt from the same codes as are aplied to trusses. For its April meeting, the chapter will invite the Rhode Island code enforcement committee to attend. Under chapter business, the members agreed to begin providing monetary support for the national board representative to travel to WTCA Board meetings. Annual chapter dues for the company sponsoring the rep will be paid by the chapter and a plaque to thank them for their support will be purchased. Following the meeting and a poll of the chapter members, it was determined that the upcoming meetings in 2005 will be switched to lunch meetings and the meal will be paid by the chapter. The next meeting will be held at noon on April 20 at the Holiday Inn Worcester.

November 2004
The Northeast Chapter has been continuing its educational efforts this summer and fall. In late August, chapter members delivered a presentation at the Structural Engineers of Rhode Island Special Inspections seminar. Focusing on design responsibilities and quality assurance, they handed out several copies of the BSCI 1-03 booklet, WTCA 4-2002, and even a few Fire Performance CDs. The Deputy State Building Commissioner for Rhode Island was in attendance too, so chapter members were able to continue a discussion on the sealed truss design drawings at time of permit. Periodically building officials have insisted on this, but the dialogue between WTCA-NE and the state is helping resolve this issue. In October, the chapter returned to the University of Massachusetts for the annual New England Building Officials Education Association conference. In preparation for the event, the chapter donated $2000 to the Carbeck Structural Components Institute and received 250 fire Performance CDs. It also purchased 250 BSCI 1-03 booklets, five lots of WTCA 4-2002 (250 copies), and three lots of the Fire Performance brochure (150 copies). The WTCA-NE booth is always a popular stop during this annual conference at UMass.

September/October 2004
For its summer meeting, the Northeast Chapter invited several local building officials to a roundtable discussion. While a few committed to attending yet were unable during this busy time of year, the chapter was pleased to welcome Don Lucas from the Town of Old Saybrook, CT. For roughly two hours, Don answered as many questions as he had answers for regarding sealed truss drawings, paperwork bracing and truss installation. He also asked some very important questions of the manufacturers in attendance. In addition, Don discussed how the State of Connecticut building officials are going to handle the changes in the new building codes, and he invited everyone present to attend their next meeting in August. The chapter thanks him for sharing his time and knowledge with everyone that evening. Chapter members will continue to pursue a meeting with Vermont officials regarding fire safety and trusses. Plans are underway to attend the October 4 meeting of the Massachusetts building officials association and distribute BSCI 1-03 booklets. Under new business, the chapter has issued a call for nominations for officer positions. Anyone wishing to further the purposes of the association is welcome to run for a position.

June/July 2004
In April, the New York and Northeast Chapters again held back to back quarterly meetings. With a focus on industry initiatives that support your business, the guest speaker at both meetings was WTCA Executive Director Kirk Grundahl. Covered in the presentation were the many programs that WTCA has developed to give its members leading-edge information and resources, including: BCSI 1-03, Truss Knowledge Online (TKO), In-Plant WTCA QC, Operations Safety Certification, the Approved Insurance Broker Program, and the upcoming Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

At the New York meeting, building labeling also took center stage. The law was passed that buildings with “truss type construction” must be labeled, but the regulations to implement that law have yet to be finalized. After months of work, the proposal developed under consensus rulemaking again hit a snag. Instead of proceeding through the final stage unchallenged, an objection was raised, opening everything back up for public comment and revision. Once again, the chapter pledged to be involved in this process in an effort to craft rules that are as equitable as possible. At the Northeast meeting, the agenda included firefighter education. Discussed were the strategies that the chapter will be taking to reach out to fire officials and the tools they will be using: the Carbeck "Fire Performance of Wood Trusses" CD and member plant tours. Combining these two elements is the key to a successful firefighter educational program. In July, the chapters will again hold back to back meetings: the New York meeting will be held on July 15 in Rensselaer, NY and the Northeast meeting will be held on July 14 in Worcester, MA.

March 2004
With a guest panel of engineers, the Northeast Chapter held its winter meeting the afternoon of January 21. Joining the chapter members for a discussion on sealed drawings and what they mean to different professionals in the construction field were Bill Hickey of H.L. Turner Group, Jeff Tirey of Tirey & Associates, and Paul Becker and Todd Neal of Becker Structural Engineering. The panel of engineers enlightened the group in that they face a similar situation as manufacturers when it comes to designs. They are being driven to smaller job margins, which equals less billable time for review; and they cannot afford to review shop drawings three or four times. Also, their impression was that sealed drawings meant a professional engineer developed the shop drawings. What this meant to them was better accuracy and less review time required. We informed them that in most cases it was not a professional engineer but a truss technician preparing drawings. Manufacturers often do not receive a full set of drawings for the take-off. When questions are asked of the customer, manufacturers are often told not to worry about it and to just generate drawings for a submittal. Positive discussion prevailed. The engineers would try to place important design details onto one sheet in an effort to ensure that manufacturers receive all of the necessary information. Requiring sealed drawings for review would also be reconsidered. As a method of ensuring better accuracy, some chapter members suggested specifying that only TTT certified technicians prepare drawings for review. The bottom line agreed to by all, however, was that we all need to work together and we all need to watch costs.

In addition, the chapter discussed its recent Education Committee programs and reiterated its commitment to use chapter funds toward education and training seminars at trade shows and local professional group meetings. The members present were able to review the new BCSI 1-03 booklet, “Guide to Good Practice for Handling, Installing & Bracing of Metal Plate Connected Wood Trusses,” and corresponding B1 Summary Sheet. Importantly, the open position of Chapter Secre-tary was filled as John Jacksics of Universal Trusses accepted the nomination and was elected unanimously. Finally, the remaining meeting dates for the year were set: April 14, July 14, and October 13, all to be held at the Holiday Inn in Worcester, MA.

January/February 2004
In October, the Northeast Chapter held its regular quarterly meeting at the Holiday Inn in Worcester, MA. Discussed were many topics including BCMC, BCSI 1-03, In-Plant WTCA QC, and the effects of the new preservative treatments. Chapter members also passed a motion to have new graphics made for its tradeshow booth that it would be using at its educational programs in the fall.

The first fall program was the New England Building Officials Conference at UMass-Amherst in October. Josh Bartlett of Wood Structures presented a session on trusses that included code issues, sealed drawings and design responsibilities. Between this presentation and the chapter’s display booth, hundreds of samples of TTBs and BCSI 1-03 booklets were provided for the building officials attending the day long event.

In November, WTCA-NE delivered a presentation for nearly three dozen members of the Structural Engineers Association of Vermont (SEAVT). Dave Denoncourt of Steenbeke & Sons spoke on the responsibilities in designing with MPCWT with some pointers on bracing. Roger Cote from Steenbeke’s as well as Shawn Simonds, Chris Smith and Tom Caggige from LaValley Building Supply provided additional support. Dave Denoncourt’s bracing model was a hit with the SEAVT engineers. The chapter’s bracing model “steals the show” with any audience—engineers, contractors or whomever. This presentation for SEAVT also made for an interesting comparison with the chapter’s May presentation to the similar association in New Hampshire, SENH. It was interesting to see the different re-actions from the two organizations, SEAVT and SENH, on the responsibilities presentation. The engineers from New Hampshire were against the idea of accepting responsibility for anything above the plate while the Vermont guys seemed to understand the why and how a lot better. All in all the evening went well. The chapter sold a few BCSI 1-03 booklets and handed out ANSI/TPI/WTCA 4-2002, Permanent Bracing TTBs and BCSI-B1 Summary Sheets. It was apparent that SEAVT appreciated the contact with the chapter, and arrangements were made for a tour through LaValley’s truss plant. One of the engineers also expressed a desire for WTCA to become more involved with the National Structural Engineers Association. The more we can breach the communication barrier with these guys and make them our allies, the better off we’ll be.

August 2003
In April, the Northeast Chapter meeting covered many important business matters. Dave Denoncourt was elected President. John Goodrich moved into the position of Vice President, and Pete Sieben was made Secretary. The motion was also made and passed to have Josh Bartlett Co-Chair the Education Committee with Brad Ferris. The E+-ducation Committee requested feedback on which programs it should concentrate, such as educating local HBAs and participating in the annual meeting of the Structural Engineers of New Hampshire (SENH). The chapter also voted to have WTCA-National handle its administration. Other discussion included the new programs available from WTCA such as Truss Technician Training online. Then in May, WTCA-NE delivered its program for the SENH meeting. With a presentation based on ANSI/TPI 1-2002 and ANSI/TPI/WTCA 4-2002, the focus was design responsibilities and bracing responsibilities. With 65 practicing structural engineers in the audience, the question and answer period was lively and informative. Overall, the evening went very well and much information was exchanged. For more information on upcoming meetings, contact Anna at WTCA-National.

December 2001
At its quarterly meeting in October, the Northeast Chapter welcomed several representatives from the Engineered Wood Products arena. The chapter meeting was a great opportunity to explain to them the Structural Component Distributors Association and its primary purpose. Everyone agreed that this type of educational opportunity was truly needed in the industry and said that they would take this back to their individual companies to take it up the ladder. WTCA-NE is actively engaging these folks to join our chapter as associate members and join our efforts in the area of educating the specific, building officials and contractors on design responsibilities, fire issues, mold issues and the like. Another meeting was scheduled for November 28. It was hoped that at least one representative from each of the EWP suppliers would attend and start to lay some groundwork for the group.

CHAPTER HIGHLIGHTS APPEARING IN WOODWORDS MAGAZINE:

September 2001
The Northeast Chapter held its summer meeting at the Holiday Inn in Worcester, MA on July 18. Many important issues were discussed including separating marketing issues from the education committee so that the education committee may devote more time to developing programs. In related educational news, the chapter was also gearing up for the New England Building Officials conference at U-Mass Amherst in September. It expects to distribute approximately 100 customized Component Industry Information binders to building officials at the conference. Among the other issues discussed at the chapter meeting were the May WTCA Open Quarterly Meeting held in Washington, DC, the recent meeting on the Softwood Lumber Agreement between representatives of WTCA and the Coalition of Fair Lumber Imports, the TPI Bracing Committee, and the spread of IBC in the northeast. Lastly, the chapter meeting featured a presentation by James Rongoe, PE, on the differences between BOCA and IBC. A lively question and answer period followed. The next meeting will be on October 17. The topic will be the SCDA and working together with other engineered structural component manufacturers, distributors and retailers.

June/July 2001
The Northeast Chapter held its spring meeting on April 18. Highlights of the meeting included a lively discussion about the historic winter of 2000–2001, probably a “100 year snowfall event” in New England. Also discussed were the reactions to such a winter from the perspective of the public, contractors, code officials, architects and engineers.

Stan Sias, Tim LaChapelle, Joe Plourde and Lou Daviau reported on the educational programs presented to the Connecticut Building Officials through the State’s Office of Education and Data Management. Over the course of four presentations, more than 210 Building Officials and/or Fire Officials were educated about the benefits of building with engineered wood components. The program was derived from several different Truss Technology Workshop programs on the WTCA’s CD-ROM. Topics covered included truss history, design responsibilities, HIB, inspections and bracing. The programs were well received by the attendees and the organizers from the state. Additional educational opportunities are being planned with the New Hampshire Building Officials and the New England Building Officials Conference.

The next meeting of the chapter will be July 18, and the topic is “Differences in the Structural Provisions—BOCA vs. IBC–2000.” Mr. James Rongoe, P.E., will be the featured speaker. Mr. Rongoe is a practicing engineer in Darien, CT and a member of the Structural Committee for the International Building Code.

May 2000
Recently, WTCA-NE decided to do a survey of it's members to get an idea of where all the area truss technicians were in terms of Truss Technician Training (TTT) and certification. In order to preserve the confidentiality of the companies, WTCA-National created this survey and is currently working on collecting responses from WTCA-NE members. The information collected from this survey will be reported back to the chapter and will be used to help plan future Truss Technician Training workshops in the Northeast area.

March 2000
The WTCA-NE held a meeting on January 19 with guest presenter Kirk Grundahl from WTCA. Kirk discussed all current WTCA activities with an emphasis on the goals for this year. The Chapter also participated in the NRLA trade show in February.

December 1999
The WTCA-NE Chapter scheduled meeting dates for 2000 are January 19, 1-4 pm (Kirk Grundahl, speaker); May 17, 4-6 pm (dinner to follow); September 20, 4-6 pm (dinner to follow). The Chapter will also be attending the Northeast Retail Lumber Association (NRLA) function on February 10-12.

November 1999
Jerry Vulgaris reported that the chapter has been dealing with fire placard issues. Stan Sias added that a group was able to convince a legislative committee in Maine to table a placarding bill. Massachusetts is looking at labeling buildings, but only those with roof or floor trusses. The chapter is watching legislative activity in each of the Northeast states. Members need to step up and visit the local firefighters and their educational sources and continue to “put a human face on the component industry.”

There was also discussion at the September meeting about Qualtim's managing STCA. To approach this issue from the most informed perspective possible, the chapter will try to schedule Kirk Grundahl as the guest speaker for the next meeting on January 19.

August 1999
In Maine, legislation had been introduced that would require truss construction placards. This legislation was defeated without leaving the committee. The annual dues for component members increased from $25 to $200, and for associate members, the dues increased from $200 to $300. A professional classification was created, with annual dues of $100. Lou Daviau was named chair of the education committee. The chapter will be participating in two upcoming shows, including Build Boston and the Building Officials Conference at the University of Massachusetts. A Truss Technician Sales Training Course will be held on August 17, and a TTT Level I is scheduled for August 18-21. The next meeting is scheduled for September 22 at 4 p.m.

June/July 1999
The last meeting was May 19 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The chapter discussed voting topics and future event scheduling.