Truss Plates

Trusses In Corrosive Environments

Question: 

I am a building designer on a salt storage building project. I would like to use metal plate connected wood trusses in the design. What should I specify for the metal connector plates?

Information On Frt Roof Trusses

Question: 

I need to obtain some information on fire-retardant-treated roof trusses.

Fire Rating For Truss Assemblies Built With 2x3 Lumber

Question: 

Are there any published studies or guidelines on the fire rating of floor trusses built with 2x3 lumber?

Cottonwood Lumber In Truss Construction

Question: 

I am developing a sustainable community in southeast Iowa. We have an abundance of cottonwoods nearby. I plan to have them sawn into dimensional lumber on the site and dry it there as well. I would like to use this material for trusses. A truss plate manufacturer informed me that because he had no data for cottonwood, he was unable to design trusses using it. Can you offer any advice?

Lumber Substitution

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?

Wood Three Hour Fire Assembly

Question: 

Is it possible to construct an assembly for ceiling between first and second floors using 2x with few layers of gypsum to obtain a 3-hour fire rating?

Lumber Grades In Truss Design

Question: 

In truss manufacturing, can hemlock, fir and spruce be used instead of Douglas Fir/Larch? What grades can be used: Structural Light Framing (Select Structural through #3) only, or Light Framing (Construction through Utility) as well?

Trusses Exposed To The Elements

Question: 

We are having a house built and on a recent visit we brought along a friend who builds houses for a living. He noticed that the trusses were wet and a bit moldy. The wood seemed warped, brown, and had white splotches on it. We are worried that it would later make the roof uneven. How could we tell how long the trusses have been exposed to the elements? What options do we have from here? Do we request new trusses, or can these be repaired?

Charring Of Trusses

Question: 

Our home caught fire last month and burned partly through a tongue and groove ceiling to the trusses. Some are charred. Our contractor did a moisture meter test. An engineer for the insurance company said the trusses were only smoke damaged & the moisture meter test is invalid (it can be set to read anything). I found one article on charred trusses, but it’s pretty vague. We do not feel safe with the insurance engineer’s assessment because some of the trusses are obviously charred. We hired an engineer who agreed with us.

Old Fire Retardant Treated Lumber

Question: 

I have recently heard of a problem with fire-retardant-treated wood (FRTW) trusses that were manufactured and installed in 1965-1980. I was searching for more information, since my job involves the protection of property in our member school districts. I had heard that the trusses make of FRTW during that time period can or will become corrosive to the hardware and the trusses will fail.