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Article
2008 August
- Safe delivery and off-loading practices are an important part of material handling.
- Safety Zone products from WTCA are designed for delivery drivers to use as safety and risk management tools on the jobsite.
- The Safety Zone Delivery & Off-load Inspection Reports help drivers to document critical information about component delivery.
Article
2008 August
- The Wisconsin Truss Manufacturers Association (WTCA’s Wisconsin Chap-ter) presented two live TTWs to a local homebuilders association.
- The attendees earned CEUs for attending the day-long presentation.
- Chapter President Steve Johnson said that in addition to the information presented, the event highlighted the benefits of being a WTMA member.
- WTMA members held a meeting the following week at WTCA and toured the new SBCRI facility.
Article
2008 August
- You can use a few simple talking points to explain the inherent “green” qualities of building components.
- The wood you purchase comes from one of the Earth’s most renewable resources—trees.
- Steel is the most recyclable material that exists; this includes everything from nails to connectors to cold-formed steel trusses to connector plates.
Article
2008 August
- One way to boost your bottom line and satisfy customer demand is selling non-stocked items.
- Special orders generally turn faster and carry higher margins than regular sales.
- An ERP system can help manage special orders and maximize profit.
Article
2008 August
- A massive custom home in the Florida panhandle called for long-span radius trusses that were designed and built by Builders FirstSource.
- The job was especially challenging because the 68-foot trusses were curved on both the bottom and top chords.
- The BFS team took special precautions when building the trusses to prevent workers’ injuries and damage to the trusses.
Article
2008 August
- It is not correct to assume that a truss designed with the least amount of board footage will always result in the most economic option.
- There is a point where the board footage cost of the high grade smaller member equals the cost of a larger, lower grade board.
Article
2008 August
- Identify primary and secondary customers, most likely the general and framer.
- Some framers have the perception that panelizers are taking work from them, when in reality panels give them the ability to do more work because of decreased cycle times.
- Long-term marketing of wall panel products is best accomplished with comparisons of on-site versus off-site framing cycle times.
Article
2008 August
- A project featuring long-span radius trusses is on page 32.
- Environmental Components on page 24 explains nine reasons building components have been green since 1952.
- Don’t miss the BCMC Early Bird deadline on August 25! Check out the main events on page 16.
Article
2008 August
- The IBC does not prohibit the use of exposed truss bottom chords.
- Since interior grade OSB is allowed on the underside of an exposed truss, it follows that there would not be a more stringent requirement for exposed trusses.
- The USDA Forest Products Laboratory’s Wood Handbook provides the average equilibrium moisture content of wood exposed to the outdoor atmosphere for various cities in the United States.
Article
2008 August
- For manufacturers sharing shop workers between steel and wood plants, it is prudent to cross-train them on eye protection.
- When drilling metal screws into steel components, employees are exposed to metal shavings and fragments.
- If metal shards get caught in the eye, rust rings can occur.
- Beyond enforcement of PPE, the best thing you can do to encourage the use of eye protection is to find comfortable options for all shop workers.
Article
2008 June/July
- When you compare the value and the cost of attending BCMC, you find that there many reasons to make the trip.
- WTCA component manufacturer members pay $175 for their first full registration and $140 for each additional.
- With a wide variety of characters in the industry, BCMC is entertaining!
Article
2008 June/July
- True House views SCORE certification as an opportunity for continuing education.
- The company has reached the Achiever level and continues to pursue Elite.
- By taking part in the programs that make up SCORE, there have been culture changes and fewer back charges.
Article
2008 June/July
- Carbon dioxide emissions are believed to be a major contributing factor to global warming.
- Congressional proposals to limit carbon dioxide emissions of businesses are called “cap and trade” energy bills.
- Cap and trade policies would increase energy costs for companies and possibly even residences.
- United States’ businesses would be at a competitive disadvantage to nations not operating under CO2 regulations if cap and trade legislation is passed by Congress.
Article
2008 June/July
- Deltec Homes, Inc. has a strong commitment to delivering a quality energy efficient home to its customers while lessening its environmental impact.
- With almost 300 photovoltaic solar panels its roof, Deltec produces 66,000 kW-hr each year.
- The company replaced all light fixtures with energy efficient fluorescent lighting to cut down on energy costs.
- CEO David Hall said focusing on environmental stewardship has met customers’ needs and made the company more profitable.
Article
2008 June/July
- When doing a material take-off for wall panels, identify the different wall types for each level.
- Wall panel manufacturers should have a pricing method that accounts for direct labor costs and plant overhead costs before adding a material markup and profit margin.
Article
2008 June/July
- The National Weather Service estimates that there are 25 million lightning flashes each year.
- Burns, nerve damage and cardiac arrest can happen when lightning strikes someone.
- Invest in surge protectors to protect computers and other electronics for power surges.
Article
2008 June/July
- Being aware of the big, bad seven is a step toward establishing a fairly-worded contract instead of a one-sided contract.
- “Pay-if-paid” or conditional payment provisions mean if the Builder is not paid by a project owner, the CM is not entitled to be paid.
- You are likely to see many lengthy insurance requirement provisions in most Builder contract forms.
Article
2008 June/July
- Florida Representative Mark Foley visited Chambers Truss for a plant tour in 2006.
- Bob Becht got to know Foley’s top aide after attending several WTCA Legislative Conferences.
- Foley’s visit was very helpful for one of Chambers’ employees whose wife was facing deportation.
Article
2008 June/July
- This issue is devoted to Legal and Legis-lative topics. View a recap of the 2008 SBC Legislative Conference on page 42.
- Turn to page 30 for The Big Picture on “cap and trade” climate legislation.
- Don’t miss the seven most important contract provisions to look for when reviewing your customer’s contract forms on page 24.
Article
2008 June/July
- Conditions like deflection and vibration can occur in metal plate connected wood trusses even if they meet the building code and adequately transfer loads.
- When stone flooring is installed over wood frame construction, deflections not exceeding L/720 are recommended.
- The Building Designer is responsible for providing the deflection criteria and on-center spacing requirements to limit deflections.
- If no building design information is given, truss technicians should not assume deflection criteria of L/360.
Article
2008 May
- This issue of SBC highlights Design & Engineering.
- The cover story on page 22 features cold-formed steel components, which contributed to LEED certification.
- Find out what you should know about the new ANSI/TPI standard on page 28.
- Automation veteran Jerry Koskovich is honored on page 34.
Article
2008 May
- Component manufacturers have the potential to have a big impact on BCMC’s success this year.
- Some exhibitors view the show floor as a huge networking roundtable.
- BCMC is a win-win situation for attendees and exhibitors.
Article
2008 May
- Shelter Systems Limited believes that SCORE certification is one way to protect the company.
- The company embraced the requirements of SCORE, even when it came to implementing WTCA programs that they wouldn’t have voluntarily chosen to use.
- Operation Safety and ORisk are programs that delivered surprising benefits to Shelter.