Glued Roof Trusses Tuomo Poutanen In my previous article, The Evolution of Glued Trussed Joists, in the August 2021 issue, I explain that glued trusses have potential in floors. The new G-joist has high resistance. The chord shear failure is eliminated as the web finger punches the chord. The web-chord glue area is big. The mean... Read More April 2023 Issue #15285 Page 94
8 Reasons Building Materials Companies Need to Pay Attention to Offsite Construction Mark Mitchell Is offsite construction just a fad or is it going to become the new normal for the construction industry? Is it an untapped market for manufacturers and suppliers? If your business is selling building materials, does it even matter whether you sell to offsite facilities or companies that... Read More August 2022 Issue #14277 Page 82
Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Greg Watson The term “MMC” may be heard more and more regularly these days, but what does it mean? Simply described, modern methods of construction centers around off-site construction practices, some of which may be innovative, allowing for mass production in a factory setting. As a... Read More April 2022 Issue #14273 Page 107
The Last Word: The New American Home Joe Kannapell Trusses of the future will be flat, or nearly flat, based on The New American Homes (TNAH) that have been shown annually at the International Builders Show (IBS). Though the elegant designs of these homes may seem atypical, they have to abide by the same factors that affect every house being... Read More March 2022 Issue #14272 Page 136
The Last Word: The Last Word on What’s Ahead Joe Kannapell The best news for 2022 will be on the job front, and I plan on keeping mine, working these pages. Please stayed tuned as we uncover much more about our unique niche in the off-site construction industry, including developments on the following, evolving topics: Robotics: How will the two... Read More January 2022 Issue #14270 Page 126
How CLT and Mass Timber Technologies May Revolutionize Skyscapes Michael Weber Over the last decade — in outlets reaching from construction industry journals to the Boston Globe and the Economist; from CNN and Fast Company to Popular Mechanics; to Nautilus and TED talks — we’ve been hearing increasingly about mass timber and related phenomena:... Read More December 2021 Issue #13269 Page 112
The Last Word: CLT Revisited Joe Kannapell Do CMs have a role in Cross Laminated Timber Structures? I returned to the Apex Plaza (described on these pages in April 2021, The Last Word on CLT – Cross Laminated Timber) to find out. On my prior trip, I marveled at the beauty of the fully exposed beams, columns, and CLT floor panels.... Read More December 2021 Issue #13269 Page 138
The Evolution of Glued Trussed Joists Tuomo Poutanen I-joists dominate the joist market due to their high material efficiency and low manufacturing cost. However, this product has disadvantages, including difficulty in HVAC installations and the possibility of bottom chord support only. Therefore, the market would pay a considerable premium for a... Read More August 2021 Issue #13265 Page 86
CNC = CLT: Growing Mass Timber in Arkansas Steve Shrader In December 2019, Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation, the leading mass timber manufacturer in North America, announced the expansion of its operations into the United States, with a plant in Conway, Arkansas, set to open in mid-2021. The Canadian-based company, in which Walmart has made an... Read More June 2021 Issue #13263 Page 70
Championing the Design, Make, Build Approach to Construction: Improved Quality, Productivity and Safety in Using Off-Site Manufacturing Marc James The building construction industry faces several challenges created by traditional building methods. One of the bigger challenges is that each trade is largely siloed from the other trades on a project, which can lead to schedule conflicts and communication gaps. MiTek sees the Design, Make,... Read More May 2021 Issue #13262 Page 63