Improving Truss Installation One Inspector at a Time

On May 10, John Goodrich of Truss Engineering Corporation in Indian Orchard Massachusetts presented to building officials in Litchfield, Connecticut, covering “how to read a truss drawing, bracing [and] the BSCI documents,” he says.

The Litchfield County Building Officials, a division of the Connecticut Building Officials Association, first contacted SBCA seeking truss-related education, and John, who has been actively offering truss education in the New England area, agreed to provide it.

John recently presented to building officials in a different Connecticut municipality, and he noted that the Litchfield meeting saw “larger attendance than the last one. There were probably closer to 30 in attendance at this one and it was very well received. It was very interactive, and they all seemed very appreciative.”

John views all of the effort he makes to provide truss-related education to building inspectors as a valuable way to ensure the quality of truss installations. While he would like to provide the same type of education to contractors, in John’s experience, few seem to have the same level of desire for truss education that building inspectors do. As a result, John says building inspectors are “the next best point of contact for educating installers because they ultimately go out and do the inspection, and they’ll be able to explain to the guys what they’re doing wrong, [which] just makes a better installed product.”

The building officials’ appreciation for the opportunity to learn was on display after John’s presentation ended. John recounts, “As they were walking out, everyone made a point to…come up and walk past and say, ‘Thank you. Good job.’ I think it was very well received.”

Since many building officials tend to be interested in learning about trusses and their installation, it may be worth contacting your local municipality or building official association and offering to present some of your own or SBCA’s ready-made material. As inspectors work to enforce quality truss installation practices, educating installers in the process, the industry can benefit from, as John says, “a better installed product.”

If giving a presentation doesn’t interest you, there are other ways you can promote a better understanding of the truss industry. Giving plant tours can be a good option, as they afford you the opportunity to demonstrate and share what you do with a captive audience in the comfort of your own environment. SBCA also has an array of best practices information that you can refer others to in answering their truss-related questions. For more information about how SBCA can support your component industry education efforts, contact us.