Attic truss with 7 feet room height – should it be designed for 20 psf (pounds per square foot), 30 psf or 40 psf room live load? IRC (International Residential Code) defines Habitable Space as a space in a building for living, sleeping, eating, or cooking. Per IRC 2018 Table...

Once again, Virginia Tech will be offering its popular two-day course on topics related to wood construction. This year’s course, to be held on April 26–27, will focus on practical code-conforming design of wood structures based on provisions of the 2018 National Design...

In the last article, we described the primary structural and wood-related changes in the 2021 International Residential Code, Chapters 3 and 4. This article will continue with the primary changes to Chapters 5 through 8 of the IRC. Decks For the 2018 and the 2021 IRC, an informal group...

Sometimes it is necessary to deviate from the truss design drawing and use a different connector. This may happen when a specific size connector is not available or when the original connector has been removed. Per ANSI/TPI 1 Section 3.6.3, a metal connector can be substituted if the new...

A recent truss and EWP project had so many site-related problems, it must go down on my list of most memorable for all the wrong reasons. Like many of you, I’ve certainly experienced challenging jobs in the past, but it seemed like the stream of problems just never ended. As is often...

The ICC code change cycle for the 2024 International Codes is near completion, with only the certification by the Validation Committee and confirmation by the ICC Board of Group B results outstanding. However, many jurisdictions may just now be adopting the 2021 International Codes. This is the...

In our October article, Because Good Ingredients Matter, we focus on the word quality and the many ways that MSR lumber has become synonymous with high quality structural building components. Having laid the groundwork for why MSR has become so important for optimizing truss designs and an...

Not all post-installed mechanical anchors are created equal. There are key differences between screw and expansion anchor types — differences that include how they gain their holding strength, installation requirements, and overall anchor performance. In the following article, field...

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...