Since the 1960s, fabricators have used machine stress rated (MSR) lumber of all species to improve the performance and reliability of their engineered components and structures. Nowadays, you don’t have to look far to find a successful component manufacturer who relies heavily on MSR...

This August marked the 30th anniversary of the Florida landfall of Hurricane Andrew, one of the most damaging, and influential, hurricanes ever to hit the United States. Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida with Category 5 winds early on the morning of August 24, 1992. Andrew caused damages of $25...

Civil engineer Cal Jureit had moved on from wood structures to concrete foundations, but not completely. While he was engaged with the problem of building houses on Miami’s marshes near the Everglades, he had left the problem of wood connections unresolved. Perhaps his ongoing work on Dade...

We all know the future belongs to off-site construction and the increasing use of components. Although it’s a small percentage now, it is projected to grow exponentially. It is a more efficient use of materials with less waste and reduces labor requirements – and this adds up to more...

I sometimes wonder if I am at risk of becoming the truss designer version of the grouchy old man that sits on the front porch yelling at the neighborhood kids to “get off my lawn.” When I hear some newer designer criticize the limitations of today’s truss layout and design...

Every year, Simpson Strong-Tie awards scholarships to students in the fields of engineering, architecture and construction management to help them on their educational journey. The company also flies all the scholarship winners out to Northern California to spend a whole week learning about the...

A nearly perfect confluence of circumstances combined to create the truss plate in South Florida. The wartime home-building hiatus, the post-war baby boom, and the northward (from Cuba) and southward (snowbird) migration to Florida all combined to skyrocket the demand for new housing. But what...

The development of the 4 x 2 floor truss system revolutionized the truss industry. Plating to the narrow edge of the chord members presented some issues, but all in all it allowed component fabricators another product offering, expanding their potential business. In the original designs, it was...

In any industry, even ours, people make the difference. If one product or service in any industry was overwhelmingly better than another, there wouldn’t be a choice for very long. This is an example of entrepreneurial spirit and culture building in its very definition. Most people...

As I mentioned in last month’s article, My Road to The JobLine, there was a time when I thought I had seen everything in the truss and component world. But here I am 37 years in, and architects, builders, and do-it-yourselfers still surprise and amaze me. The applicable building code...