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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.
I had an interesting conversation recently with an engineer that I have known for at least 15 years.
- Combining fiber reinforcement with finger jointed lumber could be a win for both the lumber and component industries.
- With in-line framing, CMs can remove studs and plate material, and spread the stud spacing out to 24", which, in some cases, allows for better insulation methods.
- The key to new product development is generating sales revenue immediately by establishing design values and engineering reports that give assurance of the product’s equivalent code-compliant performance.
Here’s a quick history lesson. In reviewing public documents surrounding the 2010 Final Action Hearing of the ICC with regard to proposals RB31-9/10 and RB87-9/10, one would gather the following information:
Given that our industry is in the component design and engineering business, which is closely related to the building design business, accurate and reliable engineering is central to every CM’s future success.
The invention of the modern-day metal connector plate in the mid-1950s is commonly attributed to A. Carroll Sanford and J. Calvin Juriet. As the baby boomer generation was being launched, houses could not be built fast enough for America’s fledgling families striving to capture the dream of homeownership. Connector plates gave builders a method to assemble homes more quickly and spawned over 50 different types of plate configurations and manufacturers.
The SBCA Wall Panel QC program helps manufacturers monitor the quality of wall panels they manufacture and provides the plant with a data management system. The program consists of inspecting wall panels and entering the data into the software program, allowing you to store data and create reports to assess plant quality. This program also offers an official SBCA Wall Panel QC 100% voluntary certification.
Educate your customers and protect your business with best practice information regarding handling and installing components.
SBCA’s QC Committee and Board have undertaken a critical industry project entitled Digital QC and SBCRI’s 3rd Party Digital QA, which defines a quick and accurate method for component manufacturers to evaluate the quality of a truss anywhere and at any time.
From BCMC 2012 Educational Session: “Lumber Production, Grading & Design Values Part 2: From Stick to Truss”
From BCMC 2012 Educational Session: “Preparing for the Future of Hiring”
- Examine each operational area for changes that could help improve overall economics.
- Make sure the design department is up to date on price changes of stock lengths of lumber, especially changes due to design value adjustments.
- Factor customer needs into optimization, along with producing a more efficient truss using less material and plant labor.
Don't miss all that this year's show has to offer in New Orleans!
Apparently, the secret to surviving 50 years in the truss business is to begin by selling lumber, and then working your way into it. Heart Truss & Engineering in Lansing, MI, and Littfin Lumber (Truss) Company in Winsted, MN, are both celebrating half a century of success this year, and they share some common characteristics: one, they both hail from Midwestern states; two, their founders all started by selling lumber and building materials; and three, they all resisted the urge to expand beyond their means.
Beyond super-sized energy efficiency, there are many other benefits to net-zero homes.
- Based on the recommendations of the IRC, IBC and ASCE 7, truss or rafter uplift connections should be designed for applied wind loads using MWFRS analysis.
- Individual truss and rafter members should be designed using C&C generated wind loads.
- The SBCA Load Guide includes information about uplift connections for structural building components.
By 2016, one out of every three builders anticipate they will be dedicated to green building work on over 90 percent of residential projects, up from 17 percent in 2011.The increase in “green” home building provides an opportunity for component manufacturers to work with builders to arrive at a win-win scenario.
- According to an SBC One Minute Poll, CMs name finding and retaining good employees as one of their top challenges as business picks up.
- Good workers are all around us and a lot of them are still looking for a job that is worthy of their devotion and work ethic.
- Implementing recruiting strategies in and around your community can produce some of the best results with great, long-term employees.
BCMC Sessions Focus on Doing Business Smarter
- The ICC and AWC have published and through code adoption provide as law nominal unit shear capacity values, which are to be applied in accordance with the installation requirements of the building code and/or the code referenced WFCM and SDPWS.
- Our goal at SBCRI has been to provide a technically reasonable foundation upon which to make engineering judgments when designing braced wall panels for lateral load resistance.
- True creative innovation can only take place within the light frame construction industry when there is an accurate technical foundation.
Grab a sneak peek at the wealth of educational sessions being offered at BCMC 2011 in Indianapolis!
- Plywood and OSB design values are given; those that are doing repairs in your office should have a good feel for the similarities and differences.
- Plywood and OSB generally have similar design properties with a key exception of fastener strength where plywood will require more fasteners to be used.
- If a truss repair specifies only OSB, plywood should not be substituted without written permission from the registered design professional who prepared the truss repair design drawing.
- Determining production cycle time, the amount of time required to process an order from start to finish, is key to meeting customer needs.
- The old paradigm suggested that similar jobs be manufactured at the same time; the new paradigm focuses on meeting customer needs with a “just in time” mentality as efficiently as possible.
- Is an urgent request viewed as a pain-in-the-neck rush job or an opportunity to exceed expectations and have a customer for life?
- The strength axis of a structural panel is the direction parallel to the grain of the wood fiber in the face and back surfaces of the panel.
- The strength axis is usually the long dimension of the panel.
- The IBC provides two tables with the allowable spans and loads (psf) for wood structural panel sheathing installed continuous over two or more spans with their strength axis perpendicular and parallel to the supports.
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Joe Hikel’s main focus for this year was to establish better connections with the supply chain. The foundation has been set.
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Collaborative work on the lumber design value issue and forging relationships at all levels of the supply chain goes a long way toward helping the industry survive today and thrive in the future.
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Hikel’s personal return on investment on time working within SBCA has been invaluable, both in business opportunities and the personal reward from the relationships formed.
(includes corrected tables for print version)
- The biggest obstacle in selling panels has always been getting builders framers to recognize the value.
- Different market segments require unique skill sets just like different products do.
- Given the ultra-competitive market, strategic planning is critical for component manufacturers in 2011.