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Code Requirements for Residential Roof Trusses

Code Requirements for Residential Roof Trusses

Reprinted from a March 2019 article in Structure Magazine authored by Brent Maxfield, P.E.

Part 3 of 3:

Implementation

1. Building Officials, Contractors, Owners, and Building Designers should be cognizant of and enforce the requirement that the Contractor and the Building Designer review the Truss Submittal Package prior to the installation of the Trusses. Building Officials should establish procedures to ensure that this code requirement is followed.

2. Many engineering drawings have general notes that require the Trusses to be designed and stamped by a registered engineer. It is important to understand that the stamp is for individual Trusses and not for the Trusses acting together as a system. Many engineers falsely assume that this stamp is for the individual Trusses as well as for the roof system.

3. Truss web bracing locations are provided on the Truss Design Drawings in the Truss Submittal Package. The BCSI document usually provides the bracing details. Many Truss webs do not align with adjacent Trusses, making continuous Lateral Restraint

bracing impossible to install. In these cases, T or L bracing will be required. Construction Documents should provide details and instructions for when T or L bracing is required.

4. Truss web bracing is critical to the stability of the roof system, yet very few residential projects have engineering observation of completed roof systems. Unless the Truss spans 60 feet or more, special inspection of the Truss web bracing installation is not required. This is an area where the code requirements could be improved.

5. Many projects have general notes that state that snow drift and unbalanced snow loading are required to be considered in the Truss design, but the Construction Documents do not provide the actual values of the snow drift loads and the unbalanced loads for each Truss. This is contrary to ANSI/TPI 1, Section 2.3.2.4(d). It is important to understand that the responsibility for calculating and providing the loads applied to each Truss rests with the Building Designer.

6. A functioning roof system is the responsibility of the Building Designer and consists of Trusses, bracing, blocking, connections to structure, diaphragms, and an understanding of the load path of all forces. The Truss Submittal Package is only one piece of the system.

7. If a portion of the roof system falls outside of the scope of the IRC, then that portion, including the associated load paths, will require engineering analysis. If the Building Designer is not an engineer, then an engineer who is not filling the role of the Building Designer could be engaged for a limited scope to design and stamp the elements that fall outside of the scope of the IRC.

This article intends to educate engineers about the roles and division of responsibilities for residential wood Trusses. It is critical to understand the specific scope of the Truss Designer as defined in ANSI/TPI 1. The Truss Designer is responsible for individual Truss Design Drawings using loading information obtained from the Truss Manufacturer, who gets information from the Contractor in the form of selected information from the Construction Documents. The Building Designer is responsible for ensuring that the Truss loads given to the Truss Designer are accurate. The Building Designer is also responsible for ensuring that all Trusses act together as a roof system. All players need to understand and fulfill their responsibilities as outlined in ANSI/TPI 1 in order to achieve a safe and code-conforming building.

This entry was posted in Professional Engineer, Barndominium, Pole Barn Design, Building Department, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure, Trusses and tagged , , , , on by .

An Architect’s Guide to Drawing Your Own Barndominium Plans

An Architect’s Guide to Drawing Your Own Barndominium Plans

Architect David Ludwig (www.LudwigDesign.com) has over 50 years of construction and design experience. A frequent contributor to assisting those interested in barndominiums, but without knowledge to create their own plans, David has offered his sage advice:

 

1. Draw to scale. Use 1/4” graph paper. Make each square equal to 6”
2. Use double lines for walls. Make them 5” thick
3. Furnish your plans. Measure and draw all furniture on a separate sheet. Cut out the little drawings. Move them around to find the best layout.
4. Consider flow, outlook (window locations) interior views, sound through walls, privacy, focal points, cross-space and adjacent space connections (visual and walking), etc.
5. Show door swings and window locations.
6. In your mind, go and “sit” in every seat. Look around. Adjust what you see.
7. Two-story interior spaces. Consider limiting your upper floor to create a two-story space for your great room/dining/kitchen. Consider a balcony at the upper level. Consider making the stair a “feature” part of the large space.
8. Stair design. Avoid circular stairs or landings with windows. Difficult to meet code requirements. Consider a “folded” two-flight stair with a landing half way up. Consider enlarging the landing as an actual “between space” or overlook (library, crafts).
9. Common omitted items: pet areas, pantry, digital charging, trash and recycling, sports and hobby equipment, musical instruments, utility room (for furnace/AC, water heater, well equipment), cleaning closet (for vacuum, brooms, cleaning supplies)
10. TV and digital media. Think about the role TV plays in your life. It is central and everywhere? Is this what you want? Is this good for your kids? Consider sequestering all screens to a “media room” for limiting access and freeing other spaces as “screen-free”.
11. Look at building code for clearance requirements at plumbing fixtures and wood stoves.
12. Draw “exterior elevations” of the whole house. In a large-volume building like a barn, consider using 8’ headers for windows and doors. For tall walls, consider adding transom windows above.
13. Organizing openings and changes of materials. Line things up. Slight misalignment is visual clutter. Create changes of materials and colors that “tell a story” or frame or align with openings.
14. Daylight, windows, emergency escape and ventilation. Follow and exceed code requirements for minimum openings. Consider adding a “cupola” or system of skylights at the ridge to bring light/air into the center of your main spaces.
15. Solar. Consider roof slope (min 4/12) and orientation (south or southwest) for optimal solar orientation.
16. Shade. Consider overhangs and covered porches to shade your windows. Sun entering through windows can heat/cool at the right times of year. Remember, summer sun is almost vertical and can easily be shaded. Winter sun is low angle and can slip under a shade to add warmth.
17. Interior elevations. Draw separate for each room with cabinets and special finishes (kitchens, bathrooms, pantries). Look at what you want to store and where.
18. Outdoor rooms. Consider creating an outdoor kitchen/BBQ area. Covered/sun? Looking at? Think of the space around your barn as containing “outdoor rooms” with activities and furnishings. Outdoor spaces have a larger “scale” than indoor. Consider seasonal changes.
This should get you started.
Good luck!
David Ludwig, Architect

This entry was posted in Pole Barn Questions, Pole Barn Design, Building Department, Pole Barn Planning and tagged , , , , , on by .

Prescriptive Structural Requirements for Post Frame Buildings

In a misguided effort to make things “easier” for potential building owners and builders, some Building Departments have prescriptive requirements for non-engineered pole buildings.

This means if someone walks in their Building Department’s door and wants to construct a post frame building, as long as the building owner (or builder) agrees to build to match these prescriptive requirements, they will be issued a structural permit. This is, of course, with a caveat of being able to meet requirements of other departments, such as Planning (https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/2013/01/planning-department-3/).

WHY IS THIS BAD?
Doesn’t this save a lot of money, not having to pay an engineer?

No.
Prescriptive requirements are often based upon, “we have always done it this way”, rather than having a basis in sound fundamentals of structural design. Every three years a new Building Code version is published, sometimes with sweeping changes in structural design as better research and new technologies (and products) have become available. Many highly qualified design professionals, including engineers, are involved in Building Code revisions.

A classic example of this came when International Building Codes were first adopted in 2000. Prior Codes did not have deflection criteria for wall members in those cases where members did not support a rigid finish (like plaster or gypsum board). New Code limits deflection for all instances. In order to meet these new requirements, in many cases, pole building wall girts can no longer be installed “flat” on wall column exteriors.

Many times materials are included in prescriptive requirements doing nothing but causing more work for whoever is actually doing construction, as well as using unnecessary larger lumber members than what an engineer would have specified.

On occasion, these prescriptive requirements do not actually meet sound structural design! In my spare time, I have challenged more than one of these and gotten Building Departments to make changes, as their prescriptive requirements would have resulted in an under designed building.

Scarily….if you build to prescriptive requirements, and have a collapse, your Building Department is absolved from any structural liability!

THE SOLUTION

If a Building Department has PRESCRIPTIVE REQUIREMENTS for Post Frame Buildings – invest in an engineered building. It is less expensive to pay for engineering and it guarantees a building be designed to sound engineering practice and actually meet building code requirements. Your bonus is those sealed plans are your “insurance’ – your building’s engineer is now liable for both safety and integrity of your new building as long as his or her plans are followed.

This entry was posted in Steel Roofing & Siding, Pole Barn Design, Building Department, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Buildings History and tagged , , , on by .

Where to Invest in a Pole Barn

Is This Where You Want to Invest Your Hard Earned Dollars?

This excerpt is from an online publication called “Insiders” who promotes to provide advice from local experts. It happens to be from a “Do-It-Best” in Northwest Oregon:

“And if you’re still thinking of installing a pole barn, come in and see us. We have five sets of different engineered plans. Pick a set and we will give you a rough bit (bid), though you can customize it, too and we can help you. If you don’t want to build it yourself, we have a list of guys who can do that for you. We sell pole barns all year long, but before the rains really come down it’s an opportune time to build one. Pricing has remained steady starting at $8,000 for simple designs to $40,000 for barns with all the amenities.”

Those of you who read yesterday’s article should have a feel for what capabilities Hansen Pole Buildings has – if a building fits within Building Code parameters, we would like to believe we can competitively design and provide it. Offering a choice of only five sets of different engineered plans sounds archaic to us!

Pick a set and we will give you a rough bit (I know – it should be bid)…

Seriously? 

Rough?

Before you get started on your new post frame building, we want you to know exactly what you will be investing with us!

Now ignorance is bliss and some folks, well they are very, very happy. Legally (not to mention morally) an engineered set of building plans cannot be customized, without a revised set of engineered drawings being produced. An engineer puts his or her career on the line when they seal a set of drawings – it does not come with free rein to make any changes!

My dad was the oldest of eight siblings. He told stories of how excited he and his oldest brothers were when grandma was expecting, as it meant there would soon be a new baby carriage they could pilfer wheels off from to build a new home made conveyance. While I am sure there were limitations to pre-teen vehicular design, somehow they cobbled together something!

I liken this to being not too far removed from what your local lumberyard can provide for a pole barn kit. They are as far removed from what Hansen Pole Buildings can provide, as my dad’s vehicle was from a shiny new Tesla!

Some of you are content with huge risks of non-engineered buildings. Then I strongly suggest you invest in lots of insurance. Me, I will put my faith in sound, state-of-the-art custom engineered designs.

This entry was posted in Building Contractor, Professional Engineer, Pole Barn Design, About The Pole Barn Guru and tagged , , , , on by .

Tornadoes Reek Havoc

Tornadoes Reek Havoc, Don’t Let Them Wreck You
Excerpts in italics below are from an article first appearing in SBC Magazine June 3, 2019:
“In the past few weeks, weather systems throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Indiana and Ohio have had a significant impact on the built environment. As is well known, tornadoes cause severe stress on buildings where the high localized wind loading conditions find the weak point of the structure quickly. This usually is at the location of a wood nail, wood connector or anchor bolt connection, or in our testing experience, a knot or slope of grain deviation in a lumber tension member. An interesting point is that most studs in wall systems are meant to see compression forces not tension, where studs in tension may also be a structural weak point.

As the pictures herein attest, finding the key building material weak point that caused the structural performance to be a debris field is challenging, if not impossible, to do.

Tornado damage in Jefferson City, Mo. as seen on Thursday, May 23, 2019. Photo by David Carson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Questions that need to be sincerely addressed follow, which include but are certainly not limited to:
What were the as-built conditions?
Was the building built to code?
Which aspects of the structure were built to code?
Which aspects of the structure were not built to code?
What is the cause/effect analysis for each code compliant and each non-code compliant condition?

It is obvious that proper construction implementation is key to satisfactory building material performance. Paying close attention to all connecting systems that make up the load path is essential.

The most important outcomes of poor building performance in a high wind or seismic event are that no one gets hurt; the construction industry continues to learn and evolve; and design and installation best practices improve.

The entire construction industry can greatly benefit by staying focused on providing framer-friendly details that are easy to understand and implement. It’s critical that we come together with the goal of fostering innovation, using accepted engineering practice, creating installation best practices, working closely with professional framers and assisting building departments to focus inspections on key load path elements. We all are educators. By working together, we will significantly improve the built environment.”

 

Mike the Pole Barn Guru adds:
Readers will note, these failures are in stick frame construction. Certainly there were also pole barns failing in tornado areas as well, however it is my opinion post frame buildings, engineered to withstand appropriate wind speeds, and assembled according to engineering documents would survive these storms – preventing both loss of property and life.

Code requirements are merely minimum design standards and often do not address severity of real life events. My recommendation is when in doubt, design to higher loads than minimum, in most cases these higher design loads involve a nominal investment and your family and expensive possessions deserve this type of protection.

Talk with your Hansen Pole Buildings’ Designer today at 1(866)200-9657 to find out what a lifetime of protection will involve.

This entry was posted in Building Contractor, Pole Barn Design, Building Department, Pole Barn Planning, Pole Barn Structure and tagged , , , , , , on by .

Wood Construction in High Wind Areas

New Guides to Wood Construction in High Wind Areas

My long time readers will probably recognize the name Dr. Frank Woeste, as he has appeared in a plethora of my articles. When it comes to wood design, and especially post frame buildings, Frank is at the top of the game. For the curious, here is his background: https://cmec.wsu.edu/facultypages/WoesteResume.pdf

When I first met Frank in 1985, he made me a deal – come to Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, speak to his AgEngineering class and he would share his post frame design programs with me. One of his students was a young John “Buddy” Showalter. As much as I would like to take credit for Buddy’s engineering career successes (he is now a vice president at the American Wood Council https://www.awc.org), I’m thinking Buddy is far more self-made than influenced by me.

Buddy recently authored an article, “New Guides to Wood Construction in High Wind Areas”, from which I have excerpted the following:

“According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, high winds cause millions of dollars in property damage each year. The good news is that much of this damage can be avoided through quality design and new construction methods that are available to strengthen wood structures.

Pole Barn FramingTo help address the design challenges associated with high wind, this week the American Wood Council (AWC) published a series of updated Guides to Wood Construction in High Wind Areas. The guides are based on provisions contained in AWC’s 2012 Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM), and establish a specific set of prescriptive, wind-resistive structural requirements for wood-frame buildings in compliance with the 2012 International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC).

Design wind loads are provided in a national standard, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures, ASCE 7, and may vary between jurisdictions located in different wind zones. Accordingly, architects and engineers are encouraged to work with their local code officials to ensure an understanding of what is required for designs in their jurisdiction.

AWC is also a resource for designers, translating what are often complex building code requirements for wood buildings into an easily understandable format. Wood buildings can meet the challenges of providing robust wind-resistive designs due to redundant load paths and multiple fasteners creating very ductile (flexible) assemblies. This makes wood a logical choice for design in high wind areas.”

Previous articles speak to the ability of post frame (pole) building design: https://www.hansenpolebuildings.com/blog/2011/06/tornado-proof-pole-buildings-can-limit-damage/

Not only is wood a logical choice – but utilizing it in post frame affords even more advantages, when it comes to resisting high winds!

This entry was posted in Building Department, Constructing a Pole Building, Pole Building How To Guides and tagged , , on by .

Mean Roof Height

Don’t be Mean, be Average

At Hansen Pole Buildings, every building plans is originally drafted to meet the client’s specific needs and what they ordered. Every once in a while they receive some interesting feedback. Like this:

“Project #15-05xx has declined plan approval for the following reason: page S-0 under code data mean roof height should be 22.67”

 Let’s begin with a refresher course on what “mean” is mathematically:

mean

(mēn) an average; a numerical value that in some sense represents the central value of a set of numbers

In the case of this particular building, it has a 32’ width gabled roof, 12 foot eave height and an 8/12 roof slope. Taking ½ of the building width (16 feet) x the slope 8/12 gives us a rise in the center of 128 inches (or 10’8”). Adding the 10’8” to the eave height of 12’ makes the overall building height 22’8” (or 22.67’).

Hansen Pole Riding ArenaThe mean roof height would be the average of 12’ plus 22.67’ or 17.33’ as shown on the building plans. It appears there may have been some confusion, on the client’s part, as to the definition of “mean roof height”.

So why is mean roof height even important and why is it even listed on the plans? Wouldn’t the Planning Department care more about the overall building height, to make sure I don’t have a building which is too tall for my zoning?

Building plans deal with the structure of your building, how it is put together. The design wind speeds are based upon the mean (or average) height of the building roof, with a minimum of 15 feet. This mean roof height is stated on the building plans as well as the design wind loads for each sector of the building which corresponds to this mean roof height, as well as wind speed and exposure.

And yes, overall height can be important to a local jurisdiction with specific height restrictions. But not to be mean…this is not what mean roof height is all about.

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