Blog

The TRIFORCE® blog is all about sharing our passion for building, either through our bloggers’ opinions on the market or on technical matters related to wood building. Through these articles, case studies and stories, we hope you’ll learn more about the open joist TRIFORCE® and floor system performance.

The TRIFORCE® blog is a forum for ideas and opinions and, by all means, we invite you to share your experiences in the response section. If the blog inspires you to seek actual technical advice suited to your circumstances, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for a more in-depth conversation. We’ll be happy to help!

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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Does an open web floor joist require rim board?

TRIFORCE® experts are regularly invited as speakers for continuing education webinars. One participant recently asked if open web floor joists still require rim board. I thought that was an interesting question because once you understand everything rim board does, you adopt it. Rim board: An essential part of an engineered wood floor system Rim board … Continued

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Cantilevers: Best practices with open-joist construction

Used for centuries in many different ways, cantilevers as a construction device were first recognized in 19th Century bridge designs.  But they gained significant notice in architectural use when Frank Lloyd Wright unveiled his iconic “Fallingwater” commissioned residence.  There the cantilever was not just a structural means to an end but also a dramatic design … Continued

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The Interesting World of Joist Repairs and Proper Strongback Installation

1) Joist Repair Needed Recently, a TRIFORCE® representative was called to a construction site because the GC had discovered a cracked bottom chord on one of the installed TRIFORCE® joists (see photo above). The cause of the damage was a mystery and no one was taking responsibility. What could have happened? First… we know what … 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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TRIFORCE® MAKES FIRE RESISTANT OPEN CEILING BASEMENT DESIGN POSSIBLE

Open ceiling design for single-family home basements is certainly popular if you judge by its coverage on the web or the number of tips you can find on how to create a more open-looking basement space. This trendy “industrial look” in single-family homes has definitely caught on. For builders, however, safety considerations naturally come before … 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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*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.