The Last Word: The Last Word on Rheia HVAC Systems Joe Kannapell, PE Floor trusses work better than I-Joists when accommodating the new Rheia (ree’ uh) air distribution system being developed by eight leading national builders. As with trusses, skilled designers craft Rheia layouts and produce design calcs required by building departments. And builders and... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 132
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXVIII: Perfecting the Concept Joe Kannapell, PE After an impressive debut and ten sales on the BCMC Show floor, the fate of the Alpine Linear Saw (ALS) was still up in the air. Few knew that the ALS was the product of a 105-day crash effort (see “One Hundred Five Days in 2002,” by Dave McAdoo in the December 2021 issue), and that... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 10
The Last Word: The New American Home Joe Kannapell, PE Trusses of the future will be flat, or nearly flat, based on The New American Homes (TNAH) that have been shown annually at the International Builders Show (IBS). Though the elegant designs of these homes may seem atypical, they have to abide by the same factors that affect every house being... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 136
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXVII: Optimization Redefined Joe Kannapell, PE A new truss plant owner faced a daunting challenge: local home builders wouldn’t use trusses and apartment builders were driving tough bargains. The owner’s partner, Charlie Barns, 250 miles north in Dallas, couldn’t have understood since he was cranking out hundreds of trusses... Read More February 2022 Issue #14271 Page 10
The Last Word: The Last Word on Towns Joe Kannapell, PE Coming soon to your town and plant are “two-over-two towns,” which I initially disdained, but not after I saw that they were just loaded with components. Even so, who would want to live in a two-story townhouse that was built over or under another two-story townhouse, and be packed... Read More February 2022 Issue #14271 Page 126
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXVI: Competing in Columbus Joe Kannapell, PE Two linear saws were set to battle one other at BCMC: Alpine’s, never having operated in a truss plant, vs. TCT’s, running in 10 truss plants. But few expected the competition at the 2002 Show. Alpine’s entry was the result of a crash effort, largely behind the scenes, to... Read More January 2022 Issue #14270 Page 10
In Memoriam: Remembering Lecil Alexander, P.E. Joe Kannapell, PE A Journeyman Engineer of some 50 years, Lecil Alexander left us suddenly on December 6, 2021, after a tragic bout with pancreatic cancer. Lecil came to our industry as an Engineering Manager at Clary Corporation in Texas, having already earned his professional standing. After that formative... Read More January 2022 Issue #14270 Page 67
The Last Word: The Last Word on What’s Ahead Joe Kannapell, PE The best news for 2022 will be on the job front, and I plan on keeping mine, working these pages. Please stayed tuned as we uncover much more about our unique niche in the off-site construction industry, including developments on the following, evolving topics: Robotics: How will the two... Read More January 2022 Issue #14270 Page 126
Article Series by Joe Kannapell Joe Kannapell, PE Begun as a complement to The Last Word in the January 2022 issue, this page contains links to the article series written over the last several years. Wood Components in Multi-Family Housing (5 articles from March 2018 to July 2018): Wood Components in Multi-Family Housing, Part... Read More January 2022 Issue #14270
Sixty Years of Machines, Part XXV: A Hail Mary Pass Joe Kannapell, PE Alpine Engineered Products’ new owners greenlighted both a new linear saw and a major upgrade to their component saw, but they gave Dave McAdoo a nearly impossible deadline. He would have to deliver both by BCMC 2002, just 3½ months away. And the most difficult of these, the linear... Read More December 2021 Issue #13269 Page 10