Design

Wood Walls Framed for Fire

Since FRTW studs are allowed in wall assemblies that are otherwise defined as non-combustible, building and truss designers often confront the question does a joint between the wall and the roof or floor assembly mean that those elements of the building also require noncombustible material, like FRTW? To answer this, we need to study the IBC

"You Just Have to See It to Believe It"

When Jim’s Apple Barn, the largest candy store in Minnesota, wanted to expand by way of adding a confection-filled planetarium to the end of a blazing yellow barn already bursting with sweets, it had a difficult time finding a truss company willing to take on the project. “We were the only ones that said yes,” recalled Trevor Ebinger, a member of the Manion Lumber & Truss sales staff. “It was quite an undertaking.”

Puddle Problems

A little forethought can prevent the potential overstress that occurs when deflection leads to rooftop ponding.

Learning Experience

The BFS design team in Shelby, Alabama “collaborate on anything that doesn’t sit right,” says Thom Patton. One result: a roof that rests perfectly on a school building after a simplified build and easy install process.

Bottom Chord Live Load Concurrency and Truss Design - Educational Program

This presentation seeks to explain how to correctly apply live loads to the bottom chord of trusses for uninhabitable attics in accordance with IRC Table R301.5 and IBC Table 1607.1 and ASCE 7-10 Table 4-1.

Designing for Corrosive Environments

Corrosion resistance is critical to ensuring connector plates hold up in adverse environments. 

Above and Beyond

When Mandere Construction couldn’t get the trusses it needed to frame its projects, owner John Mandere went looking for the best truss folks he could find—and hired them

The Best Way Forward is a Solid Path Downward

A best practice for building designers: find a friend to check your load paths.

Positive Signs

The concrete podium of the mixed-used Mercer building sat out the recession. Now, the redesigned building is one of a handful of developments creating a new high-rent suburb of Las Vegas.

Parting Shots

In May 2007, SBC Magazine highlighted the uniquely curved trusses used for the “keeping room” of a custom home in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado.