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- When the IRC provides a solution that cannot be supported by testing of real buildings in a code-compliant application of braced walls, more accurate and technically correct engineered solutions will never be able to compete.
- There is some resistance in the market to establishing standard factors for product equivalency or system performance because it may result in non-wood products graining an advantage over traditional OSB market share.
- A top testing priority for SBCA is “Framing the American Dream III,” which seeks to test a typical stick framed roof and compare its performance to an identical engineered truss roof.
Prior to 2013, I would keep my head down and diligently work all the way through the month of October. It’s typically a very busy month for us in South Carolina. For the last five years, however, I have left the island that is my manufacturing facility and traveled to BCMC.
Xoom. Galaxy. Slate. Iconia. iPad. Unless you’re a technology enthusiast, it’s likely you wouldn’t recognize the products these names refer to (except for perhaps the last one). They are all the latest and greatest tablet computers produced by the computing industry, and they offer a very simple, yet seductive advantage to the business community: mobility. For you, mobility translates into easier sales, quicker response times, more effective repairs, better marketing, streamlined manufacturing processes and, most importantly, more efficient communication and collaboration.
Take a closer look at weather’s effect on plate movement
Lean Six Sigma is a mountainous challenge, but there are some basic ways to prepare for the climb.
- SCORE’s focus on best practices and risk management helps protect the component business and saves CMs on precious training resources.
- In an effort to make the program and costs more understandable, SCORE certification requirements have been streamlined, while still focusing on industry best practices that matter most to CM customers.
- The new package pricing gives CMs the opportunity to meet SCORE requirements, at a reduced cost, and begin to reap the benefits from key SBCA programs and products.
After a tornado decimated one of its Michigan truss plants, Zeeland took advantage of the unexpected chance to rebuild and grow.
SBCA's Marketing Chair considers the place of social media and how it can enhance, but will never replace, the value of participation in your industry's trade association.
A best practice for building designers: find a friend to check your load paths.
From increasing security to improving the quality of temporary workers, the cameras Woodhaven installed six years ago have provided a significant return on investment.
- Current and past industry leaders, with the support of SBCA, have invested thousands of hours developing standards, warning documentation, training programs and other tools to help train industry employees.
- As a salesman or general manager, knowing what to look for on contractual documents is critical even with long-time customers.
- ANSI/TPI 1 Chapter 2 can provide insight into market expectations, scopes of work, responsibilities and the value of your work.
- Not stating a SOW can also subject a CM to the prospect of increased claims and liability.
- A manufacturer should strongly consider developing a SOW template that can be used in its bids or proposals and as an addendum or attachment to the customer contracts it signs.
- A lot has changed in the components industry over the past two decades, and a new Framing the American Dream (FAD) project would allow us to quantify just how much, as well as detail our product’s benefits over other framing methods.
- Beyond FAD, SBCA is also focusing on helping component manufacturers across the country fight an unfair provision in the model building code, R501.3.
- As you think about investing in the future of your business, think about how much you’re willing to invest this year in these two projects to ensure a bright future for our industry.
There was so much information to absorb at this year’s show! And there are more resources online to help you catch up on anything you missed.
The Baltimore Carpentry Task Force brings students together to explore construction careers
why accurate design values are so vital to structural design.
Introduction: Why the Interior Finish Installation Is Important
Integra learns the benefit of giving a plant tour to young people.
Mold contamination is becoming a nationwide concern among homeowners and builders. Mold in homes and mold lawsuits have gained extensive media coverage from talk shows to feature articles in national publications. Even Erin Brockovich is making news in the mold litigation arena. Insurance companies are becoming increasingly concerned as well. They feel that they are unfairly bearing the brunt of the expense in remediating mold, thereby leading to revisions in homeowner and builder/contractor liability policies.
Consider for a moment the basics of manufacturing a truss. Based on SBCA’s 2012 Financial Performance Survey, lumber accounts for roughly 40 percent of the total cost. Plates account for about eight percent of the total cost. Design and production labor account for 30 percent, and delivery, sales and overhead account for the remaining 22 percent (these are rough industry averages). All other things being equal, if you could decrease your lumber costs by a few percentage points while raising your plate costs a small amount, would you take the trade-off?
I had an interesting conversation recently with an engineer that I have known for at least 15 years.
Builder complaints regarding the growth of surface mold on the lumber contained within wood structural components, while not as frequently encountered as in the past, continue to pose a dilemma in some markets. The dilemma comes in the form of builders either demanding moldfree wood based products, or when mold appears on a component at the jobsite, they are demanding that suppliers provide an immediate remediation (e.g., removal) of the mold, regardless of the cause or the cost. And, where structures are improperly designed or constructed and mold growth appears years later, component manufacturers (CMs) have found themselves into construction defect litigation with various types of complaints being asserted.
A CM, a framer, and a supplier collaborate to significantly innovate shear walls.