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Article
2005 November
- Twenty-three percent of all home sales in 2004 were for investments (not owner occupied).
- Today, U.S. interest rates depend as much on the global economy as national conditions.
- If interest rates remain low, house prices will continue to appreciate until they surpass "ability to pay" by prospective buyers.
Article
2005 November
- Our cover story features another WTCA member who volunteered on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
- This issue focuses on quality control and In-Plant WTCA QC.
- A new Truss Technology Workshop (TTW) web site has been rolled out, making continuing education and general knowledge about the building components industry easily accessible for professionals.
- This issue features new WTCA President Don Groom’s first Editor’s Message.
Article
2005 November
- The August OQM was held in Denver, CO.
- The Executive Committee reported on a joint relationship with NLBMDA, the current state of the discussion about the future of WTCA’s name and a number of recommendations from TPI.
- A subcommittee was appointed to work out the details of the construction of a new testing facility at WTCA Headquar-ters in Madison, WI.
- The Board unanimously approved a policy that the annual WTCA budget will in-clude funding for staff travel to up to four chapter meetings per chapter per year.
Article
2005 November
- Capital Structures of Fort Smith, AR was selected to provide materials, component design, fabrication and framing labor for an Extreme Makeover: Home Edition project in June.
- Ninety-two degrees, 97 percent humidity, and no breeze caused Team Capital framers to endure brutal conditions for much of the day.
- The framers set a framing record of eleven hours and 30 minutes.
- The crew encountered one set-back: the foundation slab was off almost two inches in some areas, making the wall panels difficult to get level.
Article
2005 November
- Annual production of machine stress rated (MSR) and machine evaluated lumber (MEL) has exceeded two billion board feet for the second year in a row.
- Stress rating equipment is capable of keeping up with production in excess of 3,200 lineal feet per minute.
- The grades with the largest production volume are 1650Fb 1.5E and 2100Fb 1.8E.
Article
2005 November
- Use this short quiz to help you determine how well you use your plant’s production data to manage your operation.
- A quality control program that aids in measuring this data can help you make decisions based on more tangible information.
- Using the data from In-Plant WTCA QC inspections can give you the ability to analyze data based on the specific plant performance issue you would like to consider.
Article
2005 November
- WTCA’s new Truss Technology Workshop (TTW) web site, ttw.woodtruss.com, offers a one-stop shop for continuing education (CEU) credits.
- The site is designed to serve as a year-round resource for those in professions who work with roof trusses, floor trusses, wall panels and related components.
- Users who purchase a year-long subscription also receive unlimited access to the site’s online resource library.
- The site offers component manufacturer members all the materials necessary to present their own live TTWs for free.
Article
2005 November
- WTCA helped NAHB-RC develop the Certified Trade Contractor Program, the first such program to develop quality assurance standards for the framing industry.
- WTCA’s goal in contributing to the Certified Trade Contractor program was to be able to ensure that reliable construction begins at a home’s foundation.
Article
2005 November
- The approach that has been taken by the truss industry to comply with the building code requirements for the last fifty years still applies today.
- Special inspections may be required for a given constriction project.
- The International Accreditation Service (IAS) has developed an accreditation program for agencies providing the special inspections that are required for specific construction projects under Chapter 17 of IBC.
- The third party inspection agencies in our industry have IAS accreditation.
Article
2005 November
- An in-plant quality control program helps you quickly identify issues with a press or how someone is doing their job through the management information that the data provides.
- The program may take an investment in time and money, but monitoring the benchmarks and charts and catching a problem and solving it in a timely manner is well worth it.
- Proof of such a program can potentially help lower your insurance premiums.
- Certain U.S.
Article
2005 November
- Safety training can help your employees develop the skills they need to recognize and understand on-the-job hazards.
- Training should be developed for new and existing employees alike.
- Training records can be of great value when evaluating trends in injury and accident rates.
Article
2005 November
- The requirements for fire generally take precedence over those for sound.
- What is good for fire performance may not be good for sound performance. The reverse is also true.
- Determining sound ratings is a building designer or specialty engineering re-sponsibility, so be sure not to take on any design work responsibility that falls beyond your scope of work.