Joe Kannapell, PE

Home Building Technology, Part VII: Carol Sanford’s Quantum Leap

Joe Kannapell, PE

Carol Sanford came of age during the 1920s, inspired by his inventive father, during one of the most inventive periods in American history. He grew up in Canton, OH, then a center of steel and stamping industries. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati and an architectural school in...

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July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 10
Glenn Traylor

How Will the Changes to ANSI/TPI 1 Impact Your Truss Builders and In-House Inspectors?

Glenn Traylor

As we migrate from ANSI/TPI 1-2014 to ANSI/TPI 1-2022, it is important to discuss and be aware of Chapter 3 updates. These changes impact QC inspections and should be understood by your in-house QC inspector and your truss builders. The changes are in two categories in Chapter 3 — a...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 31
Steve Shrader

Automation is Here, and It Doesn’t Need a Supervisor to Nudge It Along

Steve Shrader

In an industry long defined by hard work and incremental improvement, a new chapter is being written. But not everyone seems to realize it. Some are still telling companies to squeeze more productivity out of crews by reorganizing work paths, tracking stopwatch data, and optimizing jobsite...

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July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 48
Landon Boucher

Striking Gold with Posi-Strut in Carson City

Landon Boucher

A large part of what MiTek’s Design Engagement team does involves meeting with Structural Engineers, Architects, and Real Estate Developers to advance the use of components. We guide them on best practices early in design so that when construction documents arrive at the truss...

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July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 62
Thom McAnally

The New Hiring-Zone: A Smart Way to Hire in a Tight Industry

Let’s face it—finding the right people in the offsite construction industry isn’t getting easier. Whether you’re searching for a seasoned truss designer, a sharp estimator, or a dependable production manager, the usual massive job boards don’t cut it. That’s...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 82
Geordie Secord

Design Connections: Beating the Big Job Board Blues

Geordie Secord

When you’re job hunting or looking to hire, you’ve got choices. Lots of them. You can go with the big-name job boards that everyone knows about, or you can try something different—something more personal. The experience you get depends entirely on which path you choose, and the...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 88
MiTek Staff

Changes in Flat Roof Snow Calculation in ASCE 7-22

MiTek Staff

Chapter 7 of ASCE 7-22 (Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures) introduces significant changes that affect the magnitude of snow loads and, consequently, truss design. While some of these changes reduce snow load values, others increase them. One of the...

#17312 Cover image
July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 108
Simpson Strong-Tie Staff

Utilizing Stack List and Release Groups

Simpson Strong-Tie Staff

Often, software users will not realize the full extent of features available to them in a program. Our CS Director™ and CS Truss Studio™ both offer extensive options, including the ones discussed here. You can create stack lists in both CS Director™ and CS Truss...

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July 2025
Issue #17312
Page 114
Thom McAnally

The Cost of Convenience: How Offshore and Remote Design are Undermining the Future of the Truss Industry

Over the past two decades, the truss industry has quietly engineered a crisis of its own making. In the pursuit of flexibility and cost efficiency, companies have embraced remote designers and offshore design firms. Although these shifts solve immediate staffing needs, they’re slowly...

#17311 Cover image
June 2025
Issue #17311
Page 82
Geordie Secord

Why Designers Should Get Out of the Office (and Into the Field)

Geordie Secord

Last month’s article, “What You Learn on the Floor,” talks about the benefits of having design staff spend some time in the shop. There’s a lot to learn there—and gaining a real appreciation for what the production team does can be eye-opening for designers, whether...

#17311 Cover image
June 2025
Issue #17311
Page 90
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