Lumber

Fire Damage Assessment

Question: 

How do you evaluate whether a metal plate connected truss is still usable after exposure to fire? Are there any recommended tests?

Structural Composite Lumber In Trusses

Question: 

The lumber used in most metal plate connected wood trusses is either visually- or mechanically-graded solid sawn dimensional lumber. However, the Truss Plate Institute's ANSI/TPI 1 allows the use of structural composite lumber (SCL) products such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL), laminated strand lumber (LSL) and parallel strand lumber (PSL). These engineered wood products can conceivably compete with sawn lumber and complement it in truss designs.

Floor Performance

Question: 

How do you avoid floor performance problems?

Truss Design Factors Of Safety

Question: 

I am currently working on a project where a wood truss system was loaded with a heavy spring snow. I do not believe the load was beyond the truss's design capacity, but how do you know? Is there safety built into wood trusses? If the trusses were loaded beyond their design capacity, it would not have been for a long duration.

Life Expectancy Of Wood

Question: 

What is the life expectancy of wood that was used in an attic truss? Does fire retardant change the life expectancy?

Lumber Sizes And Properties

Question: 

Where can I find tolerances and measurements of green and dry lumber?

Ga Rc 2601

Question: 

In RC 2601, is RC-1 Channel used?

Wood Three Hour Fire Assembly

Question: 

Is it possible to construct an assembly for ceiling between first and second floors using 2x with few layers of gypsum to obtain a 3-hour fire rating?

Allowable Mold Levels For Indoor Air Quality

Question: 

Some questions have been raised regarding the levels of mold in the lumber used in one of our truss projects. The issue of indoor air quality is up and coming. Do you have any information regarding standard allowable values? And how can we test for these contaminants?

Lumber Concerns In High Temperature Low Humidity Climates

Question: 

I have been told that the high temperatures and low humidity present in attics can cause deterioration of wood, leading to truss failure. Is this true? If so, what length of time are we looking at and can we see the deterioration in the wood by visual inspection?