The Last Word: I-Joists vs. Floor Trusses Joe Kannapell The advantages of open-web floor trusses are beginning to decelerate the growth of EWP. Though I-Joist sales per housing start have increased about 6% over the last two years, the trend has slowed considerably. Some of the small gain is due to the continuation of the replacement of solid-sawn... Read More June 2019 Issue #11239 Page 113
The Last Word: The Last Word on Wall Framing Joe Kannapell Finally, from top to bottom, the building industry is moving to panelize. National builders, like Pulte, are mandating it. Local building supply yards, like 84 Lumber’s, are building them in backyard sheds. And in between, BMC and BFS are shipping knocked-down versions. We laid the... Read More May 2019 Issue #11238 Page 105
Steps to Minimize Snow Load Failures Mike Momb Early every year, the National Frame Building Association (NFBA) holds its annual Frame Building Expo—where thousands of post-frame builders, design professionals, and vendors meet for three days filled with break-out sessions, guest presenters, and, of course, a trade show. In... Read More April 2019 Issue #11237 Page 44
AWC Releases 2015 Deck Guide in Spanish Robert Glowinski Spring is upon us. Construction is ramping up nationwide. And, as we get ready to spend more time in our favorite outdoor spaces and decks, we must ensure they are safe for gatherings with family and friends. Just in time for the nicer weather, and the influx of construction workers, the... Read More April 2019 Issue #11237
Choosing Resiliency: Lessons from Hurricane Michael Doug Allen Doug Allen, P.E., a structural engineer with Simpson Strong-Tie, looks at the choice homeowners in disaster-prone areas face between simply building to code and building to standards of resilience or IBHS FORTIFIED Home™ standards instead. Resilience, or resiliency: The capacity to... Read More April 2019 Issue #11237 Page 90
The Last Word: The Last Word on Attached Housing Joe Kannapell Now that one third of owner-occupied housing is tightly packed into metro areas, several challenges face our industry. Estimating requires more attention to architectural features and options. Engineering is critical on taller structures, and often requires consideration of mechanical... Read More April 2019 Issue #11237 Page 105
Better Building BIM Joseph Sirilla Eliminating downtime associated with Requests for Information (RFIs) when clashes or questions come to light during the building phase saves significant time, money, and – of particular interest in our current supply-constrained labor market – construction labor. Many in the... Read More October 2018 Issue #10231 Page 38
AIBD Welcomes New President, Fellows, and Recognizes Excellence Steve Mickley The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) inducted Anchorage businesswoman, Karen Kassik-Michelsohn, FAIBD, of Michelsohn & Daughter, into the office of President at its Annual Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. Karen is a certified member of the organization and for over 30 years has... Read More September 2018 Issue #10230 Page 42
Wood Components in Multi-Family Housing, Part Four Joe Kannapell Part Four: Apartment Trends of the 1990s and Beyond What was true in the Nineties is just as true today, that large apartment jobs can crowd out single family orders. But with the proper mix of work, a plant can achieve more steady production. Since 1993 was nearly as dire as 2010, most... Read More June 2018 Issue #10227 Page 6
What is a Building Designer? Steve Mickley Generally, building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering, and technical applications to the design of buildings. Therefore, all building projects require the services of a building designer. Statutorily, the required credentials of a building’s designer vary from... Read More June 2018 Issue #10227 Page 38