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I once had the sales representative for a software company looking to secure our business tell me that, in his view, being a truss designer (or panel designer) was like taking a never-ending math test in which any score less than 100% was failure. He was certainly of the “old school”...

The markets and the economy still face a number of challenges from lingering inflation, ongoing Fed rate hikes, and geopolitical instability. This is playing out within a context of a stock market that has declined—recent gains the exception—even if it has already priced-in a lot of...

Per BCSI-B4 (Building Component Safety Information): The term “construction loading” is typically used to describe Loads from workers and Building materials on unfinished structure, as, for example, when builders temporarily stack bundles of panel sheathing or gypsum board on...

Did you know that Simpson Strong-Tie has a research and development lab in our McKinney, Texas, branch? In the following article, Francisco Hernandez, the McKinney branch lab manager, talks about the history of this lab and what we do there. History of the McKinney Lab Jeremy Gilstrap and...

Just as Trussmatic brought back hydraulic plate pressing, House of Design has resurrected pre-plating. Both practices proved themselves in the early days of our industry, but both required disciplined shop floor management, and each had limitations. [For all images, See PDF or View in Full...

As a follow-up to last month’s article, September is for Celebrating, I’ve realized that October should be the sequel. Indeed, as you’ll see from this month’s authors, there are many reasons to regard October as the perfect month for follow-up. Follow-Up on BCMC By...

Carol Sanford’s invention didn’t equal Cal Jureit’s, but he made up for it with his head start and his aggressive marketing. Sanford had filed for his patent in March 1954, two years ahead of Jureit’s September 1956 filing, and had a plate design that was relatively...

Throwing a show together is no easy feat—organization on this scale doesn’t just happen, rather it takes months and months of planning to have it evolve from planning to a show. Spida is grateful to SBCA for the outstanding event that was BCMC 2022. What a throwback to BCMCs of...

Time and time again, TDC has witnessed too many companies spending millions on capital investments to achieve marginal improvements while others spend far less and achieve spectacular results. It may feel obvious that adding a saw or auto-puck table will significantly enhance output, but the...

On occasion, we are required to utilize a detailed tooth count to qualify a connection on a metal plate connected wood truss. Fortunately, we have several tools that can assist us. My June article, “Which is Better: Plate Placement Method or Tooth Count Method?”, includes a...