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... Read More March 2024 Issue #16296 Page 90
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... Read More February 2024 Issue #16295 Page 33
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... Read More February 2024 Issue #16295 Page 82
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... Read More February 2024 Issue #16295 Page 94
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... Read More January 2024 Issue #16294 Page 80
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... Read More January 2024 Issue #16294 Page 94
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... Read More January 2024 Issue #16294 Page 100
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... Read More December 2023 Issue #15293 Page 74
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... Read More December 2023 Issue #15293 Page 88
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,... Read More December 2023 Issue #15293 Page 97