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The International Code Council (ICC) building code update process for the 2021 code cycle is officially underway! In late December, the ICC Tall Wood Building Ad-hoc Committee submitted a package of 19 proposed changes for the 2021 edition of the building code that would collectively allow...

The recent jobsite installation accident involving truss construction, “Three injured in north Washington County barn collapse,” is a reminder of the incredible value of BCSI-B10 for truss installation contractors who install trusses spanning up to 81-ft. and spaced up to 12-ft....

“What is the lumber market going to do?” is a very important question and the answer is very simple. It is going to rise and fall. Brilliant, right? A better question might be, “How far will lumber prices rise and fall?” That answer requires an understanding of...

As the owner of your company, you have outlined new goals to improve and grow your company. You have reached consensus; each staff member understands your vision and that change will bring mutual benefits. Key management has committed to the changes required to move forward. You have committed...

In a prior life, many moons ago, I experienced different programs when it came to employee reviews and evaluations. Some were formalized, and others happened only when you had enough guts to ask your boss for a raise. Two companies that I worked for had programs which stood out in my mind as...

Does everyone do year-end performance reviews to discuss how you did on your project objectives and professional development goals? I love meeting with my team to recap all their amazing accomplishments for the past year, discussing long-term career plans and figuring out the steps we will take...

Disrupters have destroyed retail chains (Jeff Bezos at Amazon.com), threatened the car industry (Elon Musk at Tesla), and are now targeting the component industry (Bill Gates et. al.)? Mr. Gates and leading venture capitalists have placed separate bets totaling nearly a Billion dollars that they...

As we bid farewell to last year and welcome the new year, I always like to reflect on accomplishments (and try to learn from mistakes) before heading back into the daily grind. Events of 2017 While a lot of us led fairly routine lives last year, I know a few people who did exciting things...

With the New Year comes new International codes, IBC and IRC 2018 (referred to as the I-Codes), and fortunately, few changes to truss designs. These changes are the result of the revised design criteria contained in ASCE 7–16, which IBC 2018 relies upon. Very few jurisdictions will...

As discussed last month, this year will we be providing a series of product comparisons in each issue. The guidelines we have used in assembling this series are: Each product will be limited to only the information available to customers via the internet A comparison of standard...