Geordie Secord

Design Connections: Designing for Resiliency

Geordie Secord

As I write this, I am sitting inside a warm office in Northern Ontario, looking out the window at near blizzard conditions, with heavy snow falling and –35° wind chill. Although it is very unpleasant outside, this isn’t necessarily unusual weather for this location, but what is...

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March 2024
Issue #16296
Page 90
Glenn Traylor

Can Eased Edge Lumber Usage Impact Truss Design?

Glenn Traylor

Originally intended as an improvement in lumber manufacturing, most dimensional lumber used for framing has a radius corner created during the planing process. The rounded corner radius is intended to make the lumber easier to handle and can improve the lumber’s performance because sharp...

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February 2024
Issue #16295
Page 33
Geordie Secord

Design Connections: Designing the Unusual Structures

Geordie Secord

Over the course of 38+ years in the truss and component business, I’ve had the opportunity to see many unusual approaches to designing single family homes. Some I’ve thought were interesting, some were puzzling, and some were just odd – at least to my eye. Here are some that...

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February 2024
Issue #16295
Page 82
Alpine Team

iModel’s Dynamic New Tool to Simplify Truss Load Application

Alpine Team

Applying special load conditions to trusses is a tedious, repetitive, and time-consuming task for designers. Without a visual representation of the load in relation to the trusses on a plan, it can be a challenge to position the loads and determine the load magnitudes required for each truss. As...

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February 2024
Issue #16295
Page 94
Geordie Secord

Design Connections: Where Does the Responsibility Lie?

Geordie Secord

In “Cost-Saving Measures and Memorable Debacles,” I discussed the problems encountered on a site where the owner was acting as general contractor for his new house build and problems that ensued when an inexperienced framer was tasked with installing a complex truss roof. In that...

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January 2024
Issue #16294
Page 80
MiTek Staff

Floor Truss Splicing

MiTek Staff

A splice is the point where two chord members are joined together by a metal connector plate to form a single member. It can occur at a panel point or between panel points depending on the specific design of the truss and the preferences of the truss manufacturer. While the program checks all...

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January 2024
Issue #16294
Page 94
Paul McEntee, S.E.

Developing High-Capacity Tension Straps for Mass Timber Engineering

Paul McEntee

Mass timber buildings use cross-laminated timber (CLT) or mass plywood panels to create horizontal diaphragms to transfer wind and seismic forces into the vertical elements of the lateral-force-resisting system. Spline connections resist shear forces at the panel joints, which I discussed in...

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January 2024
Issue #16294
Page 100
MSR Lumber Producers Council

Species Substitution: Lean into the Full Flexibility of MSR Lumber

MSR Lumber Producers Council

MSR Lumber has a long history of being the right choice for component manufacturers. This reliable and consistent lumber grading system revolutionized the construction industry when it was introduced to the market in the 1960s, and it continues to be a mainstay for truss producers decades...

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December 2023
Issue #15293
Page 74
Geordie Secord

Design Connections: My Letter to Santa for 2024

Geordie Secord

As this issue of The Advertiser is being published December 1st, I thought I would share my wish list for truss and component manufacturers this year. Feel free to use this in your letter to Santa, too! Dear Santa, I promise I tried to be a good component designer this past year. My...

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December 2023
Issue #15293
Page 88
MiTek Staff

Installation Tolerances

MiTek Staff

Oftentimes, MiTek engineers are getting requests for repairs of trusses installed out of plumb. This is a common installation issue and has some allowable tolerances. Tolerance is critical for both a good roofline and effective bracing. Exceeded erection tolerance can cause overloading,...

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December 2023
Issue #15293
Page 97
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