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Another Recurring Phenomenon: Starts to Completion Ratios If ever I look down and see a penny on the ground, I always pick it up and, without fail, I always do the same thing next. That is scan the surrounding area for another penny. I have been blathering on about the spread between...

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...

With the recent introduction of our new LSSR rafter hangers for 2x lumber, we thought we’d provide some background on how these new hangers were developed and why. Field-adjustable sloped and skewed hangers allow designers to specify widely available, economical connection solutions....

The best news for 2022 will be on the job front, and I plan on keeping mine, working these pages. Please stayed tuned as we uncover much more about our unique niche in the off-site construction industry, including developments on the following, evolving topics: Robotics: How will the two...

Begun as a complement to The Last Word in the January 2022 issue, this page contains links to the article series written over the last several years. Wood Components in Multi-Family Housing (5 articles from March 2018 to July 2018): Wood Components in Multi-Family Housing, Part...

There’s an excellent line in a 1987 movie, when a woman explains why she’s not going to do something with a simple yet direct answer: “because I know who I am.” With that phrase, we can understand so much about ourselves — both who we are and who we would like to...

Alpine Engineered Products’ new owners greenlighted both a new linear saw and a major upgrade to their component saw, but they gave Dave McAdoo a nearly impossible deadline. He would have to deliver both by BCMC 2002, just 3½ months away. And the most difficult of these, the linear...

As we head towards Christmas and think about a well-earned break, I can’t help but reflect on the work done in 2021 and the wonderful support received from our customer/partners. Spida again demonstrated our machinery at BCMC – and were embraced by our customers and new friends to...

There has been a big push to reduce labor. In response, more than one equipment vendor has suggested that component manufacturers (CM) should purchase linear saws directly tied to roof gantry tables. The idea is simple: fewer crew members and more automation to increase efficiencies and reduce...

Can you make substitutions of different lumber grades and species? The short answer is: yes. Even so, you have to take several factors into consideration when making a substitution. To narrow the discussion, let’s focus on southern pine. The substitution must have design values equal to...