Design teams are made up of people, and as we know, people can drive profits or create costly errors. When your design team is a mix of seasoned and newer individuals, and you add off-shore or subcontract service providers, understanding their individual skill levels becomes essential. Do you...

In my previous article, “Making the Most of Mass Timber,” I discuss what mass timber entails and why it may not be a good add-on for your existing light-frame component business. Even so, component manufacturers (CMs) need not be completely shut out of the benefits of the burgeoning...

The National Lumber Grading Authority (NLGA) is the grading agency having authority over establishing lumber design values for Hem-Fir (North) lumber and conducting on-going testing to verify the design values. The NLGA follows inspection and grading rules approved by the American Lumber...

The Earliest Moment Frame Connections Approximately 150 years ago, steel framing revolutionized how buildings were constructed.[1] The proportionately strong material compared to its weight and size led to larger and taller “high-rise” buildings. Initially rivet and angle...

“Since its inception in 1980, the mission of BCMC is to educate and inform, as well as encourage the growth of the component manufacturing industry. Over the course of its history, the show has welcomed exhibitors from all over the world to showcase the cutting-edge technologies,...

JobLine periodically updates our compensation calculator, and while I expect some surprises, this time, I was truly taken aback. Recent candidates have reported significantly higher compensation at their previous employers than we’ve seen for job postings. I’ve attributed this to...

While attending an Ontario Structural Wood Association meeting in October – somewhat like attending an SBCA Chapter meeting – part of the discussion turned to the quality of house plans. After many years in this industry, I can tell you that this discussion wouldn’t have...

Bearing: A structural support, usually a beam or wall, which is designed by the building designer to carry the truss reactions to the foundation. [For all images, See PDF or View in Full Issue.] MiTek’s engineering software uses two common types of bearings, roller and pinned. There is...

Specific gravity (G) is a measure of wood density affected by the specific species or species combination of the commercial grade, growth region, and grading rules. It is the single most important lumber property for the strength of mechanical fasteners, such as nails and screws used in...

Continuing the discussion from my column last month, “The JobLine in Canada, eh,” I thought it would be worthwhile to look at some of the pluses and minuses of using an outside recruiter. Your company or location may have its own resources to use when filling truss and component...