SBCA Links

Look for Truss Manufacturer Members' and Supplier Members' sites in their individual listings in the SBCA Members Section.

ASSOCIATIONS and RESOURCES for STRUCTURAL BUILDING COMPONENT MANUFACTURERS:

• Best Way to Frame – tools and resources for professionals and educators interested in information about the structural building components industry
• Building Component Manufacturers Conference (BCMC) – the largest gathering of component manufacturers in the world, provides timely and profitable “ideas to build on”
• Truss Plate Institute (TPI) – maintains the wood truss industry on a sound engineering basis
  • TPI Manufacturer Members – truss plate manufacturers in the U.S.

BUILDING CODES, COMPLIANCE and EVALUATION SERVICES:

• ASHREA – develops standards, publications and educational events
• Gypsum Association – publishes the Fire Resistance Design Manual containing fire rated truss assemblies
• International Code Council (ICC) – developers of the I-Codes series including the IBC and IRC
• Municipal Code Corp. – publishes codes of ordinances for local governments
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) – developers of consensus codes and standards, research, and education
• SBCRI – product testing, quality assurance and third party inspection
• Truss Plate Institute (TPI) – third party QC inspection agency
• Underwriters Laboratories – see their Online Certifications Directory for fire rated truss assemblies

ENGINEERING and CONSTRUCTION PERIODICALS:

• Automated Builder – international housing technology transfer
• Building Green – home of Environmental Building News
• Engineering News Record – reports on the global construction market for owners, contractors and engineers
• Fine Homebuilding – information on residential construction techniques and products
• Forest Products Journal – information for those interested in today\'s forest products industry
• Housing Zone – publishers of Professional Builder and Luxury Home Builder
• Journal of Light Construction – information for builders and remodelers
• Metal Construction – publishers of Metal Construction News and Metal Home Digest
• Structural Building Components Magazine – for the structural building component manufacturing and distribution industry
• Structural Engineer Magazine
• Structure Magazine
• Wood Design & Building Magazine – focused on wood use in architecture and construction
• Wood Design Focus – technical articles related to contemporary engineered wood construction

FORESTRY, LUMBER and WOOD PRODUCTS:

• American Forest & Paper Association – forest products resources
• American Institute of Timber Construction – represents the glued laminated timber industry
• American Lumber Standard Committee – see this site for a list of accredited grading agencies for softwood lumber
• American Wood Council – developers of standards for design and construction using engineered and traditional wood products
• APA - The Engineered Wood Association
• Canadian Wood Council – information to design, build, inspect and specify wood structures
• Forest Products Laboratory – the nation\'s leading wood research institute. Check out the free download of the Wood Handbook.
• MSR Lumber Producers Council – represents producers of machine stress rated lumber
• National Lumber & Building Material Dealers Association – serving lumber and building material dealers
• National Lumber Grades Authority (NLGA) – writes and maintains Canadian lumber grading rules and standards
• Random Lengths Newsletter – softwood lumber and structural panel prices and market activity for the U.S. and Canada
• RISI – offers news, price reporting, marketing data, forecasting and mill intelligence products
• Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (SLMA) – represents lumber producers in 17 states
• Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA) - represents southern pine lumber producers
• TimberWeb – European-based global timber and lumber e-market
• Western Wood Products Association (WWPA) – represents western lumber producers
• Wood I-Joist Manufacturers Association (WIJMA) – represents producers of prefabricated wood I-joists

INDUSTRY RELATED ASSOCIATIONS:

• Housing Inspection Foundation – association of home inspectors
• National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) – resources for builders, local building associations and homeowners
• National Frame Builders Association – represents the post-frame construction industry
• National Framers Council – resources and best practices for framers
• Structural Engineers Association International (SEAINT) – contains an active list serve on structural engineering topics

LEGISLATIVE:

• Congress.gov – legislative information on the internet
• Department of Labor – administers Federal labor laws
• Federal Register – daily publication of rules and notices of Federal agencies
• FirstGov.gov – the U.S. Government’s official web portal
• Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) – worker safety and health
• Office of the Clerk – obtain copies of House documents
• Small Business Administration (SBA) – assists and protects the interests of small businesses
• Stateline – politics and policy news, state by state
• Thomas – legislative information on the internet
• U.S. Census Bureau – population and demographic information
• U.S. House of Representatives – contact your local Representative
• U.S. Senate – contacts for the Senate

STEEL:

• American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) – promotes the use of North American steel in construction applications
• Light Gauge Steel Engineers Association (LGSEA) – technical resources for designers and builders of cold-formed steel structures
• Steel Framing Alliance – tools to help build steel into projects, cost-effectively