The Birth of a Professional Engineer: Forging a Career at Simpson Strong-Tie Dante Khachadourian My engineering journey began back in the early 2000s in the living room of our house, playing with wooden blocks and building towers as high as I could reach without letting them fall over onto little brothers (the authorities having jurisdiction [aka my parents] had a set a restriction in our... Read More June 2024 Issue #16299 Page 114
The Last Word: How Technology Can Enhance Our Lives Joe Kannapell In June 2020, my column in these pages, “Fast Walking Through the Corona Crisis,” included a discussion on my Apple watch. At the time, I was impressed to discover how it could record our physical movements, and how it used our past experience to inspire us to be more active. Even... Read More June 2024 Issue #16299 Page 150
Advertiser Forum: Sugar Pills and Rocket Fuel Anna Stamm It never ceases to amaze me how “simple” things can become so complicated. I’m sure I’m not alone in this quandary – the feeling that you’ve stepped into a maze and now struggle to get out. Simple Beginnings, Complicated Developments Last spring, I... Read More May 2024 Issue #16298 Page 6
Wall Panel Technology, Part II: Panel Equipment Proliferates Joe Kannapell The demand for wall panel equipment after World War II was unprecedented, even to this day. Industrialization was in the air, and factory-built wall panels became the gateway, even before roof trusses. Most of the action was in the affordable housing sector, driven by the mobile home, modular,... Read More May 2024 Issue #16298 Page 10
How the Spida Wall Panel Line Capitalizes on Efficiency Cullen Ellis As all prefabricated wall panel manufacturers know, you are always trying to predict the amount of wall panels required for your business daily. You need to know what their true cost is and when they will be delivered to your customer, and all of this needs to happen efficiently and on time.... Read More May 2024 Issue #16298 Page 17
Increase Profits and Lower Labor Costs with an Effective Incentive Program for Every Group Todd Drummond Too many get caught up in believing that any additional pay to employees is inherently costing the company more and should be avoided at every turn. If you believe this is the case, there is something you are overlooking. What may be lost is that when the total volume (productivity and sales) is... Read More May 2024 Issue #16298 Page 24
How Do You Determine Fabrication Tolerances During Design? Glenn Traylor How does a component manufacturer determine what fabrication tolerances should be used during truss design? To answer that question, we first need to clarify what is meant by “fabrication tolerance.” Per ANSI/TPI 1–2014, the guidance is 3.3.2 Fabrication Tolerance. All... Read More May 2024 Issue #16298 Page 35
An Extreme Plant Makeover in Pictures Edmond Lim, P.Eng. “Are you crazy? We are not going to move our saw! We cannot afford to shut down for weeks to turn things upside down.” Those are words I’ve heard more than once, but it turns out I am not crazy. Saws can be moved and the process improvement can be accomplished in days and not... Read More May 2024 Issue #16298 Page 46
Consider Promotions for Added Savings Carl Villella As you look to finance new or used equipment for your business, look beyond just the interest rate to find opportunity. Traditional banks may have their “Loan Sales,” but brokers can provide promotions offered by their numerous funding sources that far outshine what a bank can... Read More May 2024 Issue #16298 Page 55
The Village at Madrone – Successful Collaboration Through Design-Make-Build Landon Boucher Developed by Jemcor Properties, The Village at Madrone is a 249-unit, 320,000 sf affordable housing development located in Morgan Hill, CA consisting of 14 building types with 3 floors of framing and a community clubhouse. Structural Engineering was led by NIC Structural Engineering Consultants.... Read More May 2024 Issue #16298 Page 60