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According to the research team at Goldman Sachs, we can expect healthy growth in 2024, with the economy growing by 2.1%. Most of the problems that would lead to higher inflation, such as an overheated labor market, are gone. And as a result, the probability of a recession in 2024 is much...

If you haven’t considered BuyMetrics yet, I have one more reason for you to check it out in 2024 – our new Commodity Analysis and Visualization Module. This new module will give BuyMetrics’ clients the power to control their own market analysis and measure their own...

In manufacturing, continuous process improvement is critical to maintaining profits and quality. Transforming and enhancing operations, however, demands more than good intentions; it requires a dedicated change agent focused on ensuring the program is implemented and ingrained into ongoing plant...

In “Cost-Saving Measures and Memorable Debacles,” I discussed the problems encountered on a site where the owner was acting as general contractor for his new house build and problems that ensued when an inexperienced framer was tasked with installing a complex truss roof. In that...

Webb Analytics’ monthly people roundups have tracked changes involving 1,241 folks at hundreds of LBM operations this year. Thousands more jobs that we didn’t spot likely have changed hands, in part through help provided by construction supply’s leading recruitment and...

A splice is the point where two chord members are joined together by a metal connector plate to form a single member. It can occur at a panel point or between panel points depending on the specific design of the truss and the preferences of the truss manufacturer. While the program checks all...

Mass timber buildings use cross-laminated timber (CLT) or mass plywood panels to create horizontal diaphragms to transfer wind and seismic forces into the vertical elements of the lateral-force-resisting system. Spline connections resist shear forces at the panel joints, which I discussed in...

A special opportunity to help special people exists near most truss plants, as was discovered independently by both Richard Pedde and me. This “find” has turned out to be such a blessing to Richard that he constantly chides himself for passing by this resource twice a day for seven...

When I was little, being a fireman was never something I considered (see When I Grow Up from last month), but as a little girl there was the option to become a beauty queen. Watching the pageants on TV, I knew I had the self-confidence and talent to compete with anyone. But there was one...

Building intricate floor truss details may bedevil a robot, but they provide the inherent advantage of floor trusses over I-joists. There are also things that floor trusses can do that I-joists cannot. And they facilitate the most efficient use of materials. Visiting an I-joist cut-off yard...