The plate placement method of evaluating defects in the plated area is a good approach to use when inspecting your installed connector plates. But are you recording the results correctly? Using the plate placement method, it is common to record folded teeth or damaged teeth with a rectangle...

From the office, the sound of the steady bam, bam of hammers is music to your ears – but did you know it could also be the sound of plate abuse? Since the invention of the connector plate, the preferred method for initially seating the plate has been using a hammer. Often folks think,...

What can be done to help eliminate hanger gaps when attaching end jacks, or common trusses, at 90 degrees to the girder truss? This month’s installment is a good question with a really easy solution. I was on another jobsite recently when I noticed a series of small (about 8’...

It happens. And it will happen again. Time after time, truss fabricators are faced with the awkwardness of addressing a customer’s complaint call. Fabricating a custom product to meet specifications has its challenges. There are codes to follow. Loads to verify, configuration to consider,...

Building trusses with tight member to member joints insures accurate truss profiles and consistency between setups. The member to member gaps are limited to 1/8” and 1/16” on floor truss chord splices. This requirement is primarily concerned with compressive joint situations where...

Often component manufacturer facilities’ owners and managers state how floor truss fabrication is generally more straight forward and simpler to train when compared to roof truss fabrication. The guidelines are easy to follow and drawings generally do not require special rotation or...

When a connector has been installed on a joint and it is determined the plate does not meet the requirements of the design standard, then the truss designer has to make a decision. The connection can be repaired by removing the plate, or there may be a way to facilitate the repair leaving the...

Connectors are essential to the integrity of the truss.  It is imperative the plate is properly pressed in order to insure effective lateral load transfer from truss member to truss member.  Since on occasion modern and older equipment does not press the plate completely into the...

When folks hear the term audit, they generally think of an IRS audit. Not a pleasant thought. The term invokes an image of hot lights, endless questions, pouring over boxes of records, all in the attempt to find wrong doing on the part of the tax payer. When you consider a quality assurance...

From worst-case scenarios to less obvious examples, do you have general guidelines that will help you make informed decisions? For example, when faced with lumber defects on the table, do you know how the builders in your plant will proceed? More importantly, are they being supplied with the...