Design

Labor Losses Open the Door for New Materials & Services

  • A quarter of a million people left the housing construction industry from 2002-2012, and many of them have found employment elsewhere.
  • Framers are feeling the effects of this exodus more acutely than most, prompting them to look for creative ways to do more with fewer people.
  • CMs can play a pivotal role in switching framers from sticks to components by offering installation training and expertise to new framing employees.

Sprinkler Systems and Wood Trusses

The goal of this Research Report is to assist in designing safe buildings economically, especially when sprinkler systems are required or desired in the design.

Sealed Truss Placement Diagrams - IBC

It can be often misunderstood whether a Truss Design Engineer has the responsibility to seal a Truss Placement Diagram (TPD). The purpose of this Research Report is to provide the relevant code sections from the latest editions of the International Building Code (IBC) for thorough analysis and interpretation. 

Sealed Truss Placement Diagrams - California

It can be often misunderstood whether Truss Designers have the responsibility to seal a Truss Placement Diagram (TPD). The purpose of this Research Report is to provide the relevant code sections from the International Building Code (IBC) and the California Building Code for a thorough analysis and interpretation. 

Truss Uplift Design

ASCE/SEI 7-10, Minimum Design Loads of Buildings and Other Structures, lists two methods for calculating wind pressures: Main Wind Force Resisting System (MWFRS) and Components & Cladding (C&C). This report will provide information to assist the building designer in deciding upon the appropriate analysis method for uplift due to wind loading.

Fire Resistance Rated Truss Assemblies

A fire endurance rating may be mandated by code for many of the applications where trusses could be used in floor/ceiling, roof/ceiling or in attic separation applications. This Research Report discusses 5 different methods for determining fire resistance.

Preserving & Growing Market Share

  • By conducting its own ASTM E119 floor assembly fire testing, SBCA has the data it needs to effectively fight the controversial IRC Section R501.3 code provision and help preserve CMs’ market share.
  • SBCA has drafted template best practice language CMs should consider using in their TDDs, customer contracts and submittal documents to counter the efforts of the lumber industry to shift liability onto end users.
  • Through Framing the American Dream and WorkForce Development efforts, SBCA is actively engaged in helping CMs successfully navigate today’s labor challenges and grow their businesses.

Lay-On Gable Connection: An Analysis of a Toe Nail Connection Visible After Sheathing is Installed

A lay-on gable frame is typically connected from the top during truss placement, but after sheathing is installed, this connection is no longer visible for the building inspector to verify. This creates a need for an alternate connection that is visible from below. The goal of this Research Report is to analyze a simple, cost-effective, toe nail connection between the lay-on gable frames and supporting truss system that is visible after sheathing is installed.

Cantilevered Sill Plates: Use with Wood Trusses to Align with Varying Thicknesses of Exterior Sheathing

The prescriptive residential energy code requirements found in the 2009, 2012 and 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) include requirements for continuous insulation at foundations in several climate zones. This Research Report discusses the issue of cantilevered sill plates supporting metal plate connected wood trusses installed parallel and perpendicular to the foundation walls where there is a potential for discontinuous planes between the exterior wall above the sill plate and the foundation insulation planes. 

Truss Repair

The repair and modification of metal plate connected wood trusses can be a very complicated subject, because each situation must be analyzed individually. This Research Report will give an overview of the fundamental principles behind truss repair that inform the truss designer’s approach in all truss scenarios.