Home Building Technology, Part VII: Carol Sanford’s Quantum Leap Joe Kannapell, PE Carol Sanford came of age during the 1920s, inspired by his inventive father, during one of the most inventive periods in American history. He grew up in Canton, OH, then a center of steel and stamping industries. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati and an architectural school in... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 10
How Will the Changes to ANSI/TPI 1 Impact Your Truss Builders and In-House Inspectors? Glenn Traylor As we migrate from ANSI/TPI 1-2014 to ANSI/TPI 1-2022, it is important to discuss and be aware of Chapter 3 updates. These changes impact QC inspections and should be understood by your in-house QC inspector and your truss builders. The changes are in two categories in Chapter 3 — a... Read More July 2025 Issue #17312 Page 31
Home Building Technology, Part VI: The Original Wood Truss Manufacturers Joe Kannapell, PE Although last month’s article in this series, “Home Building Technology, Part V: Early Truss Connection Innovators,” brought our story up to the post-war time period, we would be remiss without acknowledging the original truss manufacturers in greater detail. A small group of... Read More June 2025 Issue #17311 Page 10
Home Building Technology, Part V: Early Truss Connection Innovators Joe Kannapell, PE Three midcentury forces converged to form the truss business we know today. First came the deluge of demand for affordable housing after World War II. Then came the prefabbers who addressed that need with trusses. And finally came the connector that made trusses into a blockbuster... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 10
Is Plate Substitution the Most Common Error By Confused Truss Builders? Glenn Traylor Generally speaking, ANSI/TPI 1 makes common sense and is very logical. However, there are several items that can be a little confusing because they seem to defy logic. When we upgrade lumber per ANSI/TPI 1 Section 3.4.2, we know that lumber strength needs to be maintained in order to meet the... Read More May 2025 Issue #17310 Page 39
Do You Use Sub-Components to Aid in the Assembly of Components? Glenn Traylor Managing a truss with multiple pieces can affect productivity. For example, maintaining compliance with ANSI/TPI 1 Chapter 3 requirements for nearly thirty pieces can be challenging. To improve cycle time while preserving quality, using sub-components may be a practical solution. Most likely,... Read More April 2025 Issue #17309 Page 39
Joint Detailing for Accurate Plate Placement Edmond Lim, P.Eng. Good joint detailing at the design stage can help truss builders accurately position truss plates, including the back plate which is essentially positioned “blindly.” Laser projection is excellent for positioning the top face plate, however, it is subject to the same limitations for... Read More February 2025 Issue #17307 Page 48
Does Your Design Software Always Make the Best Selection of Materials to Use? Glenn Traylor Truss design software simply uses the lumber inventory to determine the least expensive solution when designing a truss simply based on price. Although this is a convenient function, there are several issues the software does not consider – and for these issues a designer should be making... Read More January 2025 Issue #17306 Page 37
What Should a Truss Builder Do About Wane in the Plated Area? Glenn Traylor First, wane occurs often when lumber is manufactured and cut close to the outside of the timber, resulting in missing material or a bark area. This is done to increase the yield of the timber, which increases lumber manufacturer profits but creates some issues for lumber users. Prime grades... Read More December 2024 Issue #16305 Page 35
An “A-Ha Moment” at BCMC 2024 Edmond Lim, P.Eng. As teased in last month’s article, “F1 Pit Stop Each Truss,” the Enventek Collated Plate Dispenser was unveiled at BCMC 2024 Milwaukee. To many truss fabricators, it was an “A-Ha moment” to see a machine in action that solved a truss fabrication bottleneck that many... Read More November 2024 Issue #16304 Page 52