Jeff Vance, PE

Rethinking Shear Transfer at Floor Transitions

Jeff Vance

Still defaulting to rim boards at every floor edge? In modern wood-framed construction, it’s worth taking a closer look at several detailing options including ribbon boards or top chord bearing detailing. These options can simplify construction and reduce blocking material while still...

#17315 Cover image
October 2025
Issue #17315
Page 46
Joe Kannapell, PE

The Last Word: Housing and Components on the National Mall

Joe Kannapell, PE

Our industry has much to gain from our participation in the Innovative Housing Showcase in Washington, D.C. This year, one of our main goals was to lobby government officials to stimulate housing construction. In effect, the 27 exhibitors were saying right in front of the seat of government,...

#17315 Cover image
October 2025
Issue #17315
Page 170
Anna Stamm

Advertiser Forum: Employment: Livelihood or Commodity?

Anna Stamm

Last month’s article by Thom, “The Cost of Convenience: How Offshore and Remote Design are Undermining the Future of the Truss Industry,” generated a fair amount of feedback, and that feedback was generally fair. But, let’s unpack some additional dynamics. The central...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 6
Steve Shrader

Automation is Here, and It Doesn’t Need a Supervisor to Nudge It Along

Steve Shrader

In an industry long defined by hard work and incremental improvement, a new chapter is being written. But not everyone seems to realize it. Some are still telling companies to squeeze more productivity out of crews by reorganizing work paths, tracking stopwatch data, and optimizing jobsite...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 48
Casey Harless

To Precut or Not to Precut? That is the Question

Casey Harless

Close your eyes and imagine yourself walking through a component manufacturer’s facility. As you do this, some will see a facility with a relatively well-automated wall panel line, in which full sheets of OSB, gypsum, ZIP, etc. are being applied to the wall in line and the router on the...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 56
Bryan Shinn

Precision Equipment Manufacturing Announces New Truss/Wall Panel Step Deck Trailers

Bryan Shinn

Precision Equipment Manufacturing now offers 46’ Non-hydraulic and 48’ Hydraulic Truss/Wall Panel Step Deck Trailers. These Step Deck Trailers complement our existing Standard, Extendable, and Gooseneck Truss Trailer offerings. From a 26’ Gooseneck to a 53’ Truss Trailer...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 68
Steve Shrader

Is Your Downstream Crew Still Solving Problems Created Upstream?

Steve Shrader

Too often, systems that claim to be “automated” still rely on people to direct the flow. That reliance on people rather than true automation means you’re still solving problems downstream that were created by things happening upstream. A picker is still compensating for a...

#17311 Cover image
June 2025
Issue #17311
Page 46
Kevin Guest

Prefabrication Scalability: Where to Begin

Kevin Guest

In today’s rapidly evolving housing market, the demand for diverse housing types—affordable, low-income, modular, multi-family, and general residential construction—is greater than ever. This growing demand highlights the need for scalable, efficient building solutions. Enter...

#17311 Cover image
June 2025
Issue #17311
Page 54
Ben Hershey

Forging the Future: Workforce Development in Offsite Manufacturing

Ben Hershey

The offsite manufacturing sector stands poised for transformative growth. Innovations in automation, lean manufacturing, and prefabrication are reshaping the way we build. Yet amidst all this change, one critical element demands urgent attention: Our workforce. Across the industry, leaders...

#17310 Cover image
May 2025
Issue #17310
Page 52
Steve Shrader

It’s Not About Layout—It’s About Logic

Steve Shrader

When companies consider adding automation to their plants, often they’ll focus on certain details and think that’s all there is. But true automation is about more than just reorganization, and it can take your company to a new level of production and success. [For all images, See PDF...

#17310 Cover image
May 2025
Issue #17310
Page 70
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