This article appears in the May 2024 issue of STRUCTURE Magazine as Part 7 of 9. Reprinted with permission. This multi-part series discusses significant structural changes to the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) by the International Code Council (ICC). This article includes an overview...

In the early morning hours of July 19, 2024, there was a major collapse of world commerce. According to the company CrowdStrike, a defect in a content update to its Falcon cybersecurity defense software for Windows caused a world-wide crash that impacted many businesses, most notably the...

This article appears in the April 2024 issue of STRUCTURE Magazine as Part 6 of 9. Reprinted with permission. This multi-part series discusses significant structural changes to the 2024 International Building Code (IBC) by the International Code Council (ICC). This article includes...

Most will agree the adage, “better safe than sorry,” serves as a helpful warning sometimes. It’s an easy way for us to justify taking extra precautions, even when they seem unnecessary, because we’d rather do a little more first than suffer the consequences of a less...

We take pride in actively working with industry and our customers to ensure the machinery and equipment we manufacture is fit for purpose, effective, and continuously improving. One such example of this is in wall sheathing. While machinery for sheathing wall panels has been around for a number...

Fire retardant lumber, also called FRTW, is used when a project has a requirement to reduce the structures’ ability to burn and to reduce the structures’ contribution to the spread of fire. Most fire retardant materials also reduce the development of smoke and the release of...

Building safety includes a wide range of best practices, including implementing fire suppression systems, conducting regular inspections on existing buildings, providing clear access to emergency exits, employing sustainable water and energy usage, and more. By understanding and adhering to...

Establishing a truss design process that progresses seamlessly from start to finish serves as a critical backbone for efficiency and ensures essential quality control measures. While individual processes might vary from designer to designer, here is a sample step-by-step process. Resist the...

An attic truss with 7 feet room height – should it be designed for 20 psf (pounds per square foot), 30 psf, or 40 psf room live load? Per International Residential Code (IRC) Table R301.5, the minimum uniformly distributed live load for uninhabitable attics with limited storage is 20...

Let’s talk about the most recent installation of a full frame line for Spida Machinery in Pennsylvania. After working alongside the management of the Truss and Panel plant in PA for quite some time – initially talking about their wish list, moving through to budgets and capex,...