Enhancing truss builder efficiency will increase productivity and result in more truss production at lower cost. The most cost-effective way of enhancing truss builder efficiency is to put TVs up over each truss jig as a visual truss assembly aid. Enventek PlantOne TV/Projection is compatible...

In last month’s article, Designing for Resiliency, I present some of my thoughts on how changing the design approach for wood trusses could aid in making future homes more resilient to the types of climate extremes that seem to be ahead of us. Whether you think that climate change is a...

MiTek engineers are often asked what maximum gaps are allowed for wood member-to-wood member in metal-plate-connected wood trusses. Gaps between wood members are addressed in Chapter 3 Quality Criteria for the Manufacture of Metal-Plate-Connected Wood Trusses of the ANSI/TPI 1-2014 (National...

Recently, while conducting an ANSI/TPI audit, a splice caught my eye. When I investigated further, I realized that the bottom chord of the truss I was investigating had a very short, 2” chord segment. I immediately assumed the truss builders had cut a short block to make up for a miss-cut...

If you have spent your truss career in one region, and even more so with just one company, you will have seen that, generally speaking, your competitors and co-workers tend to frame houses essentially the same way. Only when you are exposed to a different company or region do you start to see...

Imagine a third-party truss inspector is in the yard checking truss plates as part of quality control. The plate placement diagram indicates the web needs twenty-five teeth; however, the inspector counts twenty. Even though the shop positioned the plates as designed, is the plate placement...

In our October article, Because Good Ingredients Matter, we focus on the word quality and the many ways that MSR lumber has become synonymous with high quality structural building components. Having laid the groundwork for why MSR has become so important for optimizing truss designs and an...

On occasion, we are required to utilize a detailed tooth count to qualify a connection on a metal plate connected wood truss. Fortunately, we have several tools that can assist us. My June article, “Which is Better: Plate Placement Method or Tooth Count Method?”, includes a...

Since the 1960s, fabricators have used machine stress rated (MSR) lumber of all species to improve the performance and reliability of their engineered components and structures. Nowadays, you don’t have to look far to find a successful component manufacturer who relies heavily on MSR...

I sometimes wonder if I am at risk of becoming the truss designer version of the grouchy old man that sits on the front porch yelling at the neighborhood kids to “get off my lawn.” When I hear some newer designer criticize the limitations of today’s truss layout and design...