Truss connector plate

Last updated
Metal connector plates. Wood truss plates.jpg
Metal connector plates.

A truss connector plate, or gang plate, is a kind of tie. Truss plates are light gauge metal plates used to connect prefabricated light frame wood trusses. They are produced by punching light gauge galvanized steel to create teeth on one side. The teeth are embedded in and hold the wooden frame components to the plate and each other.

Nail plates are used to connect timber of the same thickness in the same plane. When used on trusses, they are pressed into the side of the timber using tools such as a hydraulic press or a roller. As the plate is pressed in, the teeth are all driven into the wood fibers simultaneously, and the compression between adjacent teeth reduces the tendency of the wood to split.

A truss connector plate is manufactured from ASTM A653/A653M, A591, A792/A792M, or A167 structural quality steel and is protected with zinc or zinc-aluminum alloy coatings or their stainless steel equivalent. Metal connector plates are manufactured with varying length, width and thickness (or gauge) and are designed to laterally transmit loads in wood. They are also known as stud ties, metal connector plates, mending plates, or nail plates. However, not all types of nail plates are approved for use in trusses and other structurally critical placements. [1]

History

John Calvin Jureit invented the truss connector plate and patented it in 1955 and formed the company Gang-Nails, Inc. which was later renamed Automated Building Components,Inc.

Related Research Articles

Nail (fastener) Sharp object of hard metal used as a fastener

In woodworking and construction, a nail is a small object made of metal which is used as a fastener, as a peg to hang something, or sometimes as a decoration. Generally, nails have a sharp point on one end and a flattened head on the other, but headless nails are available. Nails are made in a great variety of forms for specialized purposes. The most common is a wire nail. Other types of nails include pins, tacks, brads, spikes, and cleats.

Lumber Wood that has been processed into beams and planks

Lumber, also known as timber, is wood that has been processed into beams and planks, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for structural purposes but has many other uses as well.

Engineered wood Range of derivative wood products engineered for uniform and predictable structural performance

Engineered wood, also called mass timber, composite wood, man-made wood, or manufactured board, includes a range of derivative wood products which are manufactured by binding or fixing the strands, particles, fibres, or veneers or boards of wood, together with adhesives, or other methods of fixation to form composite material. The panels vary in size but can range upwards of 64 by 8 feet and in the case of cross-laminated timber (CLT) can be of any thickness from a few inches to 16 inches (410 mm) or more. These products are engineered to precise design specifications, which are tested to meet national or international standards and provide uniformity and predictability in their structural performance. Engineered wood products are used in a variety of applications, from home construction to commercial buildings to industrial products. The products can be used for joists and beams that replace steel in many building projects. The term mass timber describes a group of building materials that can replace concrete assemblies. Broad-base adoption of mass timber and their substitution for steel and concrete in new mid-rise construction projects over the next couple decades has the potential of turning timber buildings into a global carbon sink, which could help mitigate climate change.

Truss Rigid structure that consists of two-force members only

A truss is an assembly of members such as beams, connected by nodes, that creates a rigid structure.

Railroad tie Support for the rails in railroad tracks

A railroad tie, crosstie, railway tie or railway sleeper is a rectangular support for the rails in railroad tracks. Generally laid perpendicular to the rails, ties transfer loads to the track ballast and subgrade, hold the rails upright and keep them spaced to the correct gauge.

Structural insulated panel

A structural insulated panel, or structural insulating panel, (SIP), is a form of sandwich panel used in the construction industry.

Glued laminated timber

Glued laminated timber, also abbreviated glulam, is a type of structural engineered wood product constituted by layers of dimensional lumber bonded together with durable, moisture-resistant structural adhesives. In North America, the material providing the laminations is termed laminating stock or lamstock.

Sheet metal Metal formed by an industrial process into thin, flat pieces

Sheet metal is metal formed by an industrial process into thin, flat pieces. Sheet metal is one of the fundamental forms used in metalworking, and it can be cut and bent into a variety of shapes. Countless everyday objects are fabricated from sheet metal. Thicknesses can vary significantly; extremely thin sheets are considered foil or leaf, and pieces thicker than 6 mm (0.25 in) are considered plate steel or "structural steel".

Framing (construction) Construction techique

Framing, in construction, is the fitting together of pieces to give a structure support and shape. Framing materials are usually wood, engineered wood, or structural steel. The alternative to framed construction is generally called mass wall construction, where horizontal layers of stacked materials such as log building, masonry, rammed earth, adobe, etc. are used without framing.

A tie, strap, tie rod, eyebar, guy-wire, suspension cables, or wire ropes, are examples of linear structural components designed to resist tension. It is the opposite of a strut or column, which is designed to resist compression. Ties may be made of any tension resisting material.

Upholstery frame

In furniture-making, the upholstery frame of a piece of furniture gives the structural support and determines the basic shape of the upholstered furniture. The frame may be a basic piece of wooden furniture prior to its being upholstered. Like a finished piece of furniture prior to the upholstering, the frame establishes the final quality, including its durability, and sets limits upon the final design, padding, cushioning, or cover.

Purlin

A purlin is a longitudinal, horizontal, structural member in a roof. In traditional timber framing there are three basic types of purlin: purlin plate, principal purlin, and common purlin.

John Calvin Jureit

John Calvin Jureit was a Civil engineer and the inventor of the Gang Nail connector plate, used in building construction specifically for the joining of timber truss joints of roof, floor trusses and prefabricated wall panels. This invention has been widely credited for the boom in affordable housing, productivity increases and improved building durability throughout the world. He went on to be one of the founders and the first president of the Truss Plate Institute (TPI) and built Automated Building Components, Inc. with headquarters in Miami, Florida into a publicly traded company on the American Stock Exchange and the worldwide industry leader in truss plate manufacturing, truss manufacturing, truss press/saw machinery and computerized engineering and design.

Domestic roof construction

Domestic roof construction is the framing and roof covering which is found on most detached houses in cold and temperate climates. Such roofs are built with mostly timber, take a number of different shapes, and are covered with a variety of materials.

Tin ceiling

A tin ceiling is an architectural element, consisting of a ceiling finished with plates of tin with designs pressed into them, that was very popular in Victorian buildings in North America in the late 19th and early 20th century. They were also popular in Australia where they were commonly known as pressed metal ceilings or Wunderlich ceilings. They were also used in South Africa.

Howe truss

A Howe truss is a truss bridge consisting of chords, verticals, and diagonals whose vertical members are in tension and whose diagonal members are in compression. The Howe truss was invented by William Howe in 1840, and was widely used as a bridge in the mid to late 1800s.

King post

A king post is a central vertical post used in architectural or bridge designs, working in tension to support a beam below from a truss apex above.

Pole building framing Construction method

Pole framing or post-frame construction is a simplified building technique adapted from the labor-intensive traditional timber framing technique. It uses large poles or posts buried in the ground or on a foundation to provide the vertical structural support, along with girts to provide horizontal support. The method was developed and matured during the 1930s as agricultural practices changed, including the shift toward engine-powered farm equipment and the demand for cheaper, larger barns and storage areas.

Cold-formed steel Steel products shaped by cold-working processes

Cold-formed steel (CFS) is the common term for steel products shaped by cold-working processes carried out near room temperature, such as rolling, pressing, stamping, bending, etc. Stock bars and sheets of cold-rolled steel (CRS) are commonly used in all areas of manufacturing. The terms are opposed to hot-formed steel and hot-rolled steel.

Tent peg

A tent peg (or tent stake is a spike, usually with a hook or hole on the top end, typically made from wood, metal, plastic, or composite material, pushed or driven into the ground for holding a tent to the ground, either directly by attaching to the tent's material, or by connecting to ropes attached to the tent. Traditionally, a tent peg is improvised from a section of a small tree branch, if possible with a small side branch cut off to leave a hook, driven into the ground narrower end first.

References

  1. "Truss Plates", Wood Design Manual 2010, Canadian Wood Council