Our Article Library

It’s that time again. The 2026 Florida Building Code 9th Edition will take effect on December 31, 2026, bringing with it updates that could affect how structural components are designed, analyzed, and documented throughout the state. For engineers, truss designers, and component...

The 2026 Florida Building Code adds prescriptive corrosion-protection requirements for fasteners, connectors, and metal plates near saltwater coastlines. Here is what changed, which options fit the requirements, and what to do next. At a Glance Effective December 31, 2026, new Section 1711...

The American Wood Council (AWC) has a new edition of the Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) on the shelf. The 2027 edition cleared its final hurdle, earning approval as an American National Standard from ANSI and a spot in the 2027 I-Codes. For engineers working in high-wind...

As the building and construction industry continues to evolve, we strive to enhance and improve our understanding of the loads and conditions that we need to design for, the engineering tools and methods that we use in our analyses, and the materials with which we build. This advancement in our...

The term “audit” generally induces visions of tax audits. You imagine endless questions and boxes of records, as you attempt to produce documentation to defend what you’ve done. Importantly though, these visions are not what should come to mind when you think of a quality...

The principle of limiting deflection in proportion to span was first established by Thomas Tredgold, a prominent British engineer born in 1788. He recognized that for a floor to be functional, its bending (deflection) needed to be restricted based on its length. Tredgold originally recommended a...

At the June SBCA Open Quarterly Meeting (OQM), we had the opportunity to see the latest in truss robotics and hear about a formerly overlooked engineering issue. While both experiences were worth the trip to Seattle, it was equally rewarding learning about an unfamiliar market and meeting many...

Although all of our companies are focused on their bottom lines, many of us also welcome opportunities to give back to our communities. TechWood had one such opportunity this year, when we partnered with Global Fireproof Solutions, Inc. to support the construction and renovation of a...

When given a truss design project, the Truss Designer needs all of the loading parameters before starting work on it. This article will specifically discuss the Thermal Factor (Ct), which is part of the snow load calculations. As with any load parameter, using the wrong value will result in a...

This article originally appeared in STRUCTURE Magazine and is reprinted with permission. One of the more hotly debated topics in the multi-story wood community is whether wall stud and truss or joist alignment is required over the full height of a building, or whether it is beneficial to...