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When engineers Cal Jureit, Walter Moehlenpah, and Bill McAlpine witnessed the impressive launch of the IBM System/360 in July 1964, they surely suspected that computers could bring relief from the increasing burden of special engineering requests. Even though none could afford the System/360,...

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...

Need to improve your truss plant production? AI may be the answer for you. Using information and knowledge you already have, you can work with AI to streamline your production workflow with a few basic prompts. One of the best things about using AI is that no prior training is required....

This month’s article returns to a topic begun last month in “Inside Early Truss Design”: the movement of design technology from the drafting board to the computer. During this period, the only tools available were engineering theory and painstaking manual work. Specialized...

We had a great week at BCMC. It was good to catch up with customers, meet manufacturers who were seeing Paragon for the first time, and get our team together on the show floor. We had a lot to show this year, and watching people react to what we’ve been working on made the months of...

There is a quiet transformation happening in the management offices of North American truss plants. When owners and general managers audit their design rooms, they usually look through a single tactical lens: Today. On paper, the immediate challenge seems straightforward. You scan the queue, see...

When the top or bottom chords of a truss are subjected to large forces, or when load application or hanger requirements necessitate a wider chord member, designers sometimes use stacked chord members, where two chord members are placed one above the other. [For images, See PDF or View in...

In Truss Studio™, the Bearings dialog does more than define where a truss is supported—it directly influences how loads are generated, particularly wind loads on the bottom chord. Adjusting bearing location or type can change how the software interprets exposed versus supported...

Given the recent, unexpected passing of John “Chip” Dean, I thought it only right to begin this new series on Truss Design Technology with reflections I collected from him. Three years ago, knowing Chip’s background as an iconic truss designer and pioneer in our industry, I...