Our Article Library

Thank you to everyone who visited our booth at this year’s Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) in Columbus, OH. Our booth transformed into a component manufacturer’s shop floor, showcasing how MiTek’s connected ecosystem of automation, software, engineering, and...

When the top or bottom chords of a truss are subjected to large forces, or when load application or hanger requirements necessitate a wider chord member, designers sometimes use stacked chord members, where two chord members are placed one above the other. [For images, See PDF or View in...

As the building and construction industry continues to evolve, we strive to enhance and improve our understanding of the loads and conditions that we need to design for, the engineering tools and methods that we use in our analyses, and the materials with which we build. This advancement in our...

Per ANSI/TPI 1-2022 (National Design Standard for Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Construction), Section 6.2.2.5, trusses with an overall span of 18 ft or greater must be evaluated for a 300 lb concentrated person load applied at the midpoint of any chord panel that is not sheathed with...

Mansard-type trusses are a type of roof truss that extend outward and are supported only on top and bottom of the tall end, allowing it to cantilever out without additional support. [For all images, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] They are commonly designed with a pin and vertical roller...

A chase is an intentional opening in a floor truss created by omitting specific diagonal webs to provide space for HVAC ducts, plumbing lines, or electrical runs. For structural efficiency, chases should be located within the middle third of the truss span, where shear forces are lowest....

Many buildings place mechanical equipment—such as air conditioning units, heaters, or ventilation systems—on the roof. These are known as Roof Top Units (RTUs). Installing this equipment on the roof helps save valuable floor space inside the building. RTUs come in a wide range of...

As we enter 2026, with the excitement of the holidays behind us, we ask ourselves, what do we need to do to ensure that the best is yet to come? In reflecting on the start of another year, we have asked ourselves, what do we need to do to succeed? How can we do things better? How can we be...

When designing a truss to be used as a free-spanning structural gable or party wall application, additional dead loads may need to be considered. The MiTek engineering software does not account for self-weight of the truss or for any additional weight of sheathing or drywall being applied to one...

A test lab is a building product manufacturer’s one-stop shop for engineering, manufacturing quality, and performance verification. Whether supporting new product development, regulatory submissions, or customer assurance testing, a test lab must have the right tools to get the job done....