Designing a Dual-Purpose Facility: Integrating a Truss Plant and a New Lumberyard CT Darnell Team At CT Darnell, we build solutions. Not only do we carry the leading line of storage systems and design and install metal buildings for the LBM industry, but we are also the industry’s leading general contractor. CT Darnell has designed and built solutions for more lumber and building... Read More February 2026 Issue #18319 Page 70
Using Smart Machinery to Help Your Team Do Its Best Work Wendy Boyd As we start a new year, many frame and truss manufacturers are focusing on a familiar challenge – how to support their teams, maintain output, and continue delivering a quality product in a labor market that’s tighter and more competitive than ever. While technology and automation... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 29
All Things Wood: 2026 Wood Construction Course: Wood Design, Loads, Disaster Mitigation, and Ethics Frank Woeste As you’re building your 2026 calendar, be sure to block in time for our next wood construction course sponsored by the Virginia Tech Continuing and Professional Education program. Co-sponsored by the International Code Council, this spring we’re offering “Wood Design, Loads,... Read More January 2026 Issue #18318 Page 126
Building Code Adoptions and Using AI for Ethical Feedback Frank Woeste For the first time in U.S. model building code history, tornado design provisions for Risk Category III and IV buildings are given in the 2024 IBC. In fact, John ‘Buddy’ Showalter and Sandra Hyde have an excellent article on this, “2024 IBC Significant Structural Changes... Read More December 2025 Issue #17317 Page 124
Building Product and Component Test Lab Operations MiTek Staff A test lab is a building product manufacturer’s one-stop shop for engineering, manufacturing quality, and performance verification. Whether supporting new product development, regulatory submissions, or customer assurance testing, a test lab must have the right tools to get the job done.... Read More December 2025 Issue #17317 Page 142
What Did You Gain From BCMC? Glenn Traylor We enjoyed a productive week at BCMC in Omaha, strengthening relationships and renewing our commitment to the truss industry, and we hope you can say the same! Timber Products Inspection (TP) returned with our popular ANSI/TPI 1 Chapter 3 challenge truss, designed to test participants’... Read More November 2025 Issue #17316 Page 23
Rethinking Shear Transfer at Floor Transitions Jeff Vance Still defaulting to rim boards at every floor edge? In modern wood-framed construction, it’s worth taking a closer look at several detailing options including ribbon boards or top chord bearing detailing. These options can simplify construction and reduce blocking material while still... Read More October 2025 Issue #17315 Page 46
Solving the Skilled Labor Shortage: How Semi-Automated Equipment is Rebuilding the Construction Workforce Jeff Brown Panels Plus is helping companies do more with less — safely, consistently, and efficiently. The Construction Labor Crisis: Fewer Hands on Deck The construction industry is in the middle of a critical workforce challenge. According to the Associated Builders and Contractors... Read More October 2025 Issue #17315 Page 82
Wall Panel Sheathing: How to Optimize Material and Labor ROGworx Team Let’s face it, nobody loves sheathing walls panels. Sheathing is heavy, awkward to handle, slows down your production line, generates a lot of waste, and depending on how you cut it, it can create a lot of air-born dust that can make your working environment unpleasant. However, it does... Read More September 2025 Issue #17314 Page 74
What a Flight on Japan Airlines Taught Me About Visual Safety Culture Ben Hershey On a recent trip from Seattle to Vietnam via Tokyo, I flew on Japan Airlines and was struck by more than just the exceptional hospitality. What stood out most was their disciplined safety culture, specifically how their flight attendants conducted safety checks. As they walked the cabin before... Read More August 2025 Issue #17313 Page 52