Design

Question: 

Can I put a wood deck (1/2 in. plywood) on top of the bottom chord of a 26 foot span truss 24 inches on center?

Question: 

I am remodeling a 16-year-old ranch style home. The roof consists of 4/12 26 ft. span trusses, 24 in. O.C., over 2x4 stud walls. What is the recommended means of affixing the top plate of new interior partitions to provide the lateral support needed for the partition? Also, I want to hang a soffit above and overhanging the new kitchen cabinets (recessed lighting placed within). What is the recommended means of attaching the soffit to the underside of the trusses so as not to interfere with the designed movement of the trusses under the variable live load experienced (snow load)?

Question: 

I am a structural engineer on a project with a wood trussed roof. I have noticed some variations in the peak height in a run of identical trusses. Do you have any information on tolerances for the final dimensions of manufactured trusses?

Question: 

If the truss design drawing specifies using 2x4 1650F SPF, can 2x4 No. 2 southern pine be used instead? What are some things that need to be checked?

Question: 

I am a truss manufacturer in an area of the country that often has some pretty severe winters. It concerns me how little some of the local builders seem to know about snow load design. What are some of the things that need to be considered?

Question: 

The lumber used in most metal plate connected wood trusses is either visually- or mechanically-graded solid sawn dimensional lumber. However, the Truss Plate Institute's ANSI/TPI 1 allows the use of structural composite lumber (SCL) products such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), laminated strand lumber (LSL) and parallel strand lumber (PSL). These engineered wood products can conceivably compete with sawn lumber and complement it in truss designs.

Question: 

I keep reading about “green” building materials. Is SBCA working on a program for fabricators to get green?

Question: 

What are the requirements on the permanent bracing of bottom chords? Can gypsum board diaphragms be used?

Question: 

What type of construction uses a fire cut truss? Could you describe a fire cut truss?

Ric Thompson, a senior truss designer with Millard Lumber, is used to taking on a challenge. “I don’t do small jobs,” he said. “I only do monsters.” Still, some monsters are more monstrous than others. Ask him about BLUEBARN Theatre, and it’s clear that this project stands out.