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...

“Since its inception in 1980, the mission of BCMC is to educate and inform, as well as encourage the growth of the component manufacturing industry. Over the course of its history, the show has welcomed exhibitors from all over the world to showcase the cutting-edge technologies,...

We have an annual tradition at the Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC)—the Timber Products Inspection quality assurance challenge! This competition lets truss fabricators test their knowledge of ANSI/TPI 1 Chapter 3 requirements, and the winner receives a Yeti cooler. How...

In a recent discussion with several very well-informed industry folks, it became clear to us that interpretation of member-to-member gaps may not be clear. In particular, we need to take a closer look at Chapter 3 Quality Criteria for the Manufacture of Metal-Plate-Connected Wood Trusses of...

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...

In the truss industry, camber refers to the gradual curvature of a chord member either naturally occurring or created to alleviate the natural deflection of a truss structure. That sounds simple enough, but there are key elements about camber that should be considered. Camber in Action All...

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...

How does a component manufacturer determine what fabrication tolerances should be used during truss design? To answer that question, we first need to clarify what is meant by “fabrication tolerance.” Per ANSI/TPI 1–2014, the guidance is 3.3.2 Fabrication Tolerance. All...

The photo shows a 2 x 4 truss with an ANSI/TPI 1 non-compliance issue. This is something that never should have happened! Can you spot the problem? [For photo, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] If you shouted, “a missing connector,” then give yourself a gold star! As I was ranking...

Everyone who uses lumber in trusses understands that defects in lumber can impact truss performance in different ways. Some defects are not important but others will affect truss performance and can even cause truss failure. [For all photos, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] In the first photo,...