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Simple placement of the splice can have an impact on the final cost of a truss.  In this example the top chord is longer that available product. Designer places a splice in a location considering available material lengths.   However, by shifting the splice nearer to the left end, when the moment from the overhang causes [...]

    After a stifling hot summer at our Edenton, NC manufacturing location, the autumn weather has finally graced us with its presence.  This is a time of year that the entire team enjoys… comfortable working temperatures, cool breezes, NFL Sundays, and more continuous improvements at the plant. Last week we completed installation of our brand new [...]

In the intensely competitive construction market in which we find ourselves, Ultra-Span cold formed steel truss fabricators know that, more often than not, the low number gets the work.  One way to get “low” without sacrificing margin or quality, is to become as efficient a designer as possible.  By optimizing truss designs at bid time, you [...]

One thing was abundantly clear to representatives of Watkins Services and Construction Science and Engineering as they inspected the existing roof framing of the Presbyterian Homes Assisted Living facility in Clinton, SC—something HAD to be done.  The fire treated wood trusses that had been used to frame the roof when the building was constructed in [...]

Previously planned equipment improvements kicked off today at the Edenton plant.  These upgrades will give our plant additional equipment options for the production of our small profile, high volume items including the 1.5”, 2.5”, and 3” standard webs as well as our 2.5” chord offering.  Adding this additional production capacity on these items was identified [...]

When a truss support (i.e. wall, beam, etc) is required to be braced, it is often that the truss itself is called upon to provide the bracing. This condition is not a problem for Cold-Formed Steel trusses. Although it is not the truss that is the ultimate element of resistance, the truss plays a role in getting the force to the resisting element. Typically that resisting element is the roof diaphragm. For this Steel Notes article the support will be considered to be a wide flange beam and the diaphragm as the resisting element.