A Truss Design Drawing (TDD) includes specific information[1] for structural engineers and building designers: truss profile, plates, loadings, wind speed, codes, enclosure, exposure, reactions, deflections, materials, bracing, bearings, etc. The maximum reactions are the most important values...

In the last few years, Simpson Strong-Tie has heard from a number of structural engineers expressing frustration with the lack of performance data for shallowly embedded, post-installed anchors (shallow anchors). Engineers of Record (EOR) have identified a common application for shallow anchors...

It’s a simple fact—successful projects depend on good communication. What’s not so simple—there’s a tremendous volume of information that must be shared between multiple stakeholders in any construction project. Last month’s article, The 3D Model Everyone Can...

I-joists dominate the joist market due to their high material efficiency and low manufacturing cost. However, this product has disadvantages, including difficulty in HVAC installations and the possibility of bottom chord support only. Therefore, the market would pay a considerable premium for a...

With the economy in the United States on the rebound, truss designers are in unusually high demand. Unlike other professionals in the building industry, a truss designer is not required (at present) to have any formal education or any type of college degree. Fact is, there is presently nowhere...

As lumberyards continue to recover from pandemic-related supply issues, there’s been an ever-increasing shortage of building materials, creating many challenges for building contractors. These shortages have impacted availability of wood structural panel sheathing and, as a result, our...

You probably wouldn’t ignore a “warning sign” on the highway, as you can easily imagine the consequences of doing so. We can face similar situations when designing trusses, and the end result is that whatever we do in the software can end up in the real world somewhere on a...

At Eagle Metal, our TrueBuild® software gives you an efficiency advantage. Our leading parametric 3D capabilities and app-free model sharing makes visualization painless and gives our customers more time to build. In the next two installments, we will explore some cutting edge, efficiency...

With the invention of integrated production methods, one of the greatest evolutions has been the electronic transfer of information from the truss designs to the computerized equipment, eliminating human error and translation issues. Automatic puck systems, lasers, ink jet marking, or shop...

Specifying products into building designs is a daily process for engineers, architects and drafters. Simpson Strong-Tie understands that the specification process can be daunting and complex. And when it comes to the multiple steps involved in importing CAD content into your designs, we want to...