Joist Design & Manufacturing

TRIFORCE® is the only all-wood open-web joist offered to the construction market since the end of the 1980s. This unique product by design is produced in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility using 95% robotic manufacturing processes. This allows us to produce a quality product every time and to ensure you get a great product backed by a lifetime warranty. In addition, all TRIFORCE® joists are individually tested to meet high standards.

Can An Open Web Joist Fill the Bill for Multi-family Floor Assemblies?

Can an open web joist that is a rising star in residential floor framing fill the bill for Multi-Family floor assemblies? The answer to our question is a BIG YES! TRIFORCE® open joist will meet or surpass your floor framing requirements of Multi-Family housing. It will provide you with a solid feeling floor system, fire … Continued

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Leading the way

Builders have guts. They have the courage to assemble products and build homes from scratch with their own hands. They are visionaries who transform empty lots into beautiful and exciting living spaces. They do this in the face of adversity, tight budgets, short deadlines, workforce shortages, and countless other challenges playing against the timely completion … Continued

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Engineered Floor Joists: Which Are Best For Your Application?

In North America residential construction, wood has long been a material of choice: abundant, readily available, flexible, and easily repairable, it is less expensive than steel and concrete, and is naturally an overwhelmingly popular material. For some 40 years now, engineers and builders have had the choice between using traditional lumber or engineered wood for … Continued

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Should I use a floor truss or TRIFORCE® open joist in my project?

While floor systems have evolved through time, the good ol’ floor truss is still around. Admittedly, it does have certain advantages. But how does it compare to the latest  generation of our floor solution: TRIFORCE® open joist? Floor truss characteristics Floor trusses are certainly a viable option for your floor structure. A floor truss consists … Continued

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TRIFORCE® Wood Joist Installation Tips

Barrette Structural Distribution offers a downloadable version of the TRIFORCE® Installation Guide accessible at any time on its website. Available in English, Spanish and French, the guide is designed to answer jobsite questions and is a natural complement to the TRIFORCE® Specifier Guide. While we’re on the subject of installation, let’s take this opportunity to … Continued

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Wood is a modern, high-tech building material

Despite being used for millennia as a building material, wood now proves to be more relevant than ever to meet the challenges of today’s construction industry. But why is that so? Why would builders choose to integrate wood in their constructions? I can think of many reasons, from the sustainability of wood to its better … Continued

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Open Web Joist = Open Concept

We live in a world dominated by the need for “open” living spaces. New homes are designed for such and old homes are remodeled to remove walls. When we gather as family and friends, open concept design allows us to remain engaged at all times. Obviously, it’s the structure of a building that makes it … Continued

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Finger Joints: Better Connectors

The fact that TRIFORCE® joists are assembled with “finger joints” was certainly breakthrough news in the world of engineered building components. But the breakthrough was about the application for joist manufacturing rather than the actual joinery process itself.  Versions of finger-like joinery have been responsible for strong things for thousands of years. The Egyptians and … Continued

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To Trim or Not to Trim

“Why should I use a floor joist that is trimmable when I can install a made-to-length truss immediately?” Because it’s not a perfect world! Just ask the framer who, after finishing his morning coffee, opens the bundle of trusses, hoists the first one onto the foundation and discovers it’s too short by 6 inches. Ask … Continued

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Above & Beyond: Individual Joist Testing

Open Joist TRIFORCE® stands out among engineered floor joists because every joist is tested before it leaves Barrette’s state-of-the-art factory.  Only Open Joist products are put through such a testing process. Passing the test helps ensure that only proven joists are shipped to a job site. You can install TRIFORCE® with confidence. Builders and developers … Continued

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*Note/mention: The designer and/or general contractor of the project or building must ensure the accuracy of the technical information discussed in this blog over the years and always rely on the most up-to-date product’s requirements, specifications and installation guidelines available online on this website, and the applicable codes and standards.