Questions Answered: Strong-Wall® Site-Built Portal Frame System Simpson Strong-Tie Staff In this article, we follow up on our April 17 webinar, Meeting Braced-Wall Requirements: A New Portal Frame Solution, by answering some of the interesting questions raised by attendees. During the webinar, we discussed how the Strong-Wall site-built portal frame system (PFS) provides... Read More June 2019 Issue #11239 Page 98
The Last Word: I-Joists vs. Floor Trusses Joe Kannapell The advantages of open-web floor trusses are beginning to decelerate the growth of EWP. Though I-Joist sales per housing start have increased about 6% over the last two years, the trend has slowed considerably. Some of the small gain is due to the continuation of the replacement of solid-sawn... Read More June 2019 Issue #11239 Page 113
The Last Word: The Last Word on Attached Housing Joe Kannapell Now that one third of owner-occupied housing is tightly packed into metro areas, several challenges face our industry. Estimating requires more attention to architectural features and options. Engineering is critical on taller structures, and often requires consideration of mechanical... Read More April 2019 Issue #11237 Page 105
Question of the Day: Gable End Frame Connections and Bracing Stan Sias I was asked recently why Component Manufacturers (CMs) do not provide the bracing details and holdowns for gable end frames like they do for the common trusses. The question got me thinking because the details are readily available, as are any mechanical connectors that might be needed to... Read More March 2019 Issue #11236 Page 60
The Missing Link – Addressing Roof Ponding by Designing with an HVAC Perspective J.D. Vacey As discussed in last month’s article, “Addressing the Roof Truss Design Note: 'Provide adequate drainage to prevent water ponding.’,” by Frank Woeste and Scott Coffman, ponding is an issue not always addressed adequately. Ponding is a design issue, a mishap, or an... Read More February 2019 Issue #11235 Page 44
All Things Wood: Addressing the Roof Truss Design Note: “Provide adequate drainage to prevent water ponding.” Frank Woeste The purpose of this article to examine the significance and implementation of a typical note that appears on metal plate connected roof-truss drawings when a top-chord-pitch of ¼:12 or less is specified by the Construction Documents. Three questions will be addressed: What is the... Read More January 2019 Issue #11234 Page 46
Updated Report Helps Engineers, Designers Calculate Fire Resistance of Wood Members and Assemblies Robert Glowinski Increasing use of mass timber as a competitive building product in the construction marketplace requires sound design guidelines to ensure safe, efficient, and economic use of wood products. AWC fire research on mass timber conducted over the last year, with support from the Softwood Lumber... Read More September 2018 Issue #10230 Page 89
All Things Wood: Safety Information for Post-Frame Truss Installation Frank Woeste 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.... Read More February 2018 Issue #10223 Page 75
Wall Panel Designer Primer Joe Kannapell In the 1960s, Ed Ryan set basic standards for panelizing walls, and for decades his homebuilding company (now NVR Inc.) followed his lead. His standards also made it easy for us to provide his wall panel equipment. The name we gave it, “Panel-Rite,” would have pleased Ed, since he... Read More September 2017 Issue #10218 Page 6
All Things Wood: How to Predict a Bouncy Floor Frank Woeste Background The model International Residential Code (IRC) permits a design live load of 30 psf for “sleeping rooms.” The model codes specify 40 psf for all other rooms. Of the annoying floor vibration complaints we have received, the most common scenario stems from the use... Read More June 2017 Issue #10215 Page 68