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Article
2006 April
- Placing nails through metal connector plates into wood members is allowed.
- The 2001 National Design Specifica-tion® for Wood Construction lists design values for common wire, box or sinker nails for single shear connections with up to 20 gauge ASTM A653, Grade 33 steel side plates.
Article
2006 April
- The standard video display terminal consists of a screen, a keyboard and a central processing unit (CPU).
- Providing workstations with adjustable features allows individuals to choose the settings that work best for his or her body.
Article
2006 April
- East met West when Chinese Jiangsu Jifco Holdings went equipment shopping for a new truss and wall panel manufacturing facility in the U.S.
- Even though there were no skilled sawyers, operators, assemblers, or truss technicians available in China, Jay Halteman (Wood Truss Systems) was amazed at the Chinese’s capability and devotion to the project.
- For the new plant in China, Halteman chose what he believed to be the most reliable automated equipment that was also the easiest to operate and had extreme durability.
Article
2006 March
- Exhibiting at the BCMC show is a great opportunity to get to know potential new customers.
- Engineered wood products become increasingly prevalent at BCMC in the last several years.
- When a new product is unveiled at the show, Jim Gilleran says it drives atten-dee feedback, which in turn facilitates product improvement.
Article
2006 March
- 45 states plus Washington, DC use the International Residential Code.
- A few changes to the International Building Code (IBC) and the International Residential Code (IRC) will impact manufacturers.
- The first eighteen month code change cycle for the 2009 edition begins with the March 24, 2006 submission deadline.
Article
2006 March
- Price increases for building materials have been very similar to increases in house prices in the last several years.
- Mortgage rates are more important than wood prices in determining the cost of a home.
- With the rapid rise in home prices during the past five years, it appears that most component manufacturers are sharing in the housing boom.
Article
2006 March
- This issue of SBC Magazine is devoted to topics relating to personnel and safety.
- The cover story reveals what Casmin Inc., a Florida component manufacturer, did to make a major league turnaround in the company’s safety record.
- One feature article explores the "why" of the industry’s current shortage of skilled labor, for both truss plants and design departments.
Article
2006 March
- This is the first article in a year-long series by Jerry Koskovich on automation.
- It takes many, many years to perfect a machine, according to Koskovich.
- As the industry progresses in automation, some suppliers may have to change in order to properly accommodate our needs.
Article
2006 March
- WTCA member Casmin, Inc. overhauled its safety program in the nick of time.
- Casmin conducted a series of ergonomic assessments to help revise job descriptions and reduce task-related injuries.
- Small changes made a big difference: a switch to composite strapping material, custom-cut anti-fatigue mats and employee-selected personal protective equipment.
Article
2006 March
- When employees are injured and cannot continue to do their normal jobs, they are either sent home or placed on “light duty.”
- It is important for light duty jobs to comply with physicians’ recommendations.
- The key to successful recovery is to de-velop a program that makes employees feel valuable even if they are injured.
Article
2006 March
- Bob Ward feels we have become a much more technically diverse industry and, as a result, our companies have become more specialized.
- The next advances in technology will further reduce labor and help us manage our businesses better, in John Herring’s opinion.
- Lee Vulgaris said there’s a lack of field labor and construction expertise, so engineered components are here to stay.
Article
2006 March
- Growth during a period of declining supply of workers in the manufacturing and homebuilding sectors has propelled the work force shortage.
- Younger generations do not see that manufacturing or construction jobs are capable of fulfilling their career goals.
- Our industry has many foreign-born citizens, and regardless of their country of origin, they seem to excel at building component manufacturing jobs.
Article
2006 March
- Having a reputation for being a good employer can often be your best recruiting tool.
- Some of our best employees hear about the company from word of mouth.
- Hiring a new employee may be a quick fix to a staffing problem, but by investing in your current staff, you reap long-term benefits.
Article
2006 March
- Phone lines, network cables and electrical cords can pose tripping hazards in aisles and walkways.
- Like nail guns and metal banding in the truss plant, some office related "tools" also pose a safety hazard.
- Using good old-fashioned common sense is the best way to be safe in any work environment.
Article
2006 March
- Many contractors see wall girders as an ideal solution because costly beams and field framing are eliminated.
- Wall girders must meet the provisions for wall construction in the IBC or IRC.
- The primary issue that must be considered is out-of-plane bending when some or all of a wall girder is exposed to wind pressure.
- No matter which approach is chosen with wall girders, it must account for all the applied loads, connections and permanent bracing.
Article
2006 March
- Current damage estimates for Hurricane Katrina are between $150 and $200 billion, four times the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew in 1992.
- Close to 250,000 housing units were destroyed in metropolitan New Orleans alone.
- By 2008 only about 100,000 of the housing units lost to Katrina will be replaced in Louisiana.
- Over the next three years, housing starts for the Gulfport-Biloxi and Pascagoula (Mississippi) areas will exceed pre-Katrina estimates by about 22,000 units.
Article
2006 Jan/Feb
- BCMC 2005 was another record breaking show.
- Doug Folker of Robbins Engineering is the 2006 BCMC Committee chair.
- The 2006 show will head to Fort Worth, TX on October 4 - 6.
- The show’s theme will be Bigger and Better in Texas.
Article
2006 Jan/Feb
- In today’s market, wall design is generally performed using code prescribed tables and provisions.
- When a building of conventional construction contains structural elements exceeding the prescriptive code, these elements shall be designed in accordance with accepted engineering practice.
Article
2006 Jan/Feb
- Paul D. Lenauer
- Norman L. Garlock