Prefabricated Trusses
Factory-built roof and floor trusses made from light framing members connected with toothed-plate connectors, providing long spans with minimal material.
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
Prefabricated Trusses | Factory-built roof and floor trusses made from light framing members connected with toothed-plate connectors, providing long spans with minimal material. |
Toothed-Plate Connectors | Metal connectors used to join light framing members in prefabricated trusses. |
Panelized Construction | Construction method using prefabricated panels that can be load-bearing or attached to a structural frame. |
Framed Panels | Wood panels consisting of stud framing and OSB/plywood sheathing built in a shop and assembled on site. |
Stressed-Skin Panels (SSP) | Panels with sheathing on both faces and framing between, providing increased stiffness and load capacity. |
Structural Insulated Panels (SIP) | Panels made of OSB or plywood skins bonded to a foam core for high energy efficiency. |
Manufactured Homes | Factory-built homes constructed on a permanent towable chassis and regulated by HUD standards. |
Modular Construction | Factory-built building modules shipped on trailers and assembled on site to meet local building codes. |
Nails | Fast, inexpensive wood fasteners installed by hammer or nail gun. |
Penny Size (d) | Nail length designation, such as 16d, 10d, 8d, or 6d. |
Common Nails | Structural framing nails commonly used in wood construction. |
Box Nails | Structural nails thinner than common nails, reducing wood splitting. |
Sinker Nails | Structural framing nails designed for easier driving. |
Finish Nails | Nails with small heads used where appearance is important. |
Deformed Shank Nails | Nails with textured shanks that provide greater withdrawal resistance. |
Roofing Nails | Nails with large heads used for installing shingles. |
Concrete Nails | Hardened nails used to fasten materials to concrete or masonry. |
Cut Nails | Traditional nails commonly used for flooring and cabinetry. |
Bright Nails | Plain steel nails used in dry interior conditions. |
Galvanized Nails | Zinc-coated nails with improved corrosion resistance for exterior use. |
Stainless Steel Nails | Nails offering the highest corrosion resistance for coastal or high-moisture environments. |
Screws | Threaded fasteners that provide high withdrawal resistance and clamping force. |
Lag Screws | Large screws used for heavy structural wood connections. |
Bolts | Fasteners used for major framing and heavy timber connections requiring predrilled holes. |
Washers | Hardware components used with bolts to spread loads and reduce wood crushing. |
Truss Plates | Toothed metal plates used as splice connectors in factory-built roof and floor trusses. |
Joist Hangers | Metal framing hardware that supports joists where members meet at right angles. |
Post Caps | Metal connectors used at the tops of wood posts. |
Post Bases | Metal connectors that anchor wood posts and separate wood from concrete. |
Split Rings | Metal rings used with through-bolts to distribute loads over a larger wood area. |
Adhesives | Bonding agents used in engineered wood products and assemblies. |
Manufactured Wood Products | Engineered wood products created from wood fibers, strands, veneers, or particles. |
Glue-Laminated Timber (Glulam) | Structural members made by bonding multiple lumber laminations with structural adhesive. |
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) | Mass timber panels composed of lumber layers stacked with adjacent layers rotated 90 degrees. |
Structural Composite Lumber (SCL) | Engineered lumber made from wood strands, fibers, or veneers bonded with adhesive. |
Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL) | SCL made from aligned veneer strands that provides high strength and stiffness. |
Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) | Engineered member made from thin veneers glued together with grain running parallel. |
Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL) | SCL made from long wood strands bonded with adhesive. |
Oriented Strand Lumber (OSL) | SCL made from shorter oriented strands bonded with adhesive. |
I-Joists | Engineered I-shaped framing members used for floors and roofs. |
Flanges | The top and bottom portions of an I-joist made from lumber or engineered wood. |
Web | The center portion of an I-joist, usually made from OSB or plywood. |
Wood-Plastic Composites (WPCs) | Materials made from wood fibers and plastic for decking, railings, and trim. |
Plastic Lumber | Lumber-like product containing more than 50% plastic content. |
Plywood | Panel product made from laminated wood veneers with alternating grain directions. |
Oriented Strand Board (OSB) | Structural panel made from oriented wood strands bonded with adhesive. |
Fiberboard | Panel product made from fine wood fibers and resin compressed into sheets. |
Composite Panels | Panels with face veneers bonded to a solid or reconstituted core. |
Particleboard | Panel product made from glued wood particles. |
Grade Stamp | Manufacturer mark indicating panel grade, span rating, exposure classification, and standards compliance. |
Span Rating | Allowable support spacing for structural panels, shown as roof/floor values. |
Exposure 1 | Panel classification using waterproof glue for protected-in-service applications. |
Exterior Rating | Panel classification designed for permanent weather exposure. |
Veneer Grade | Classification based on allowable face defects in plywood veneers. |
Fire-Retardant-Treated (FRT) Wood | Wood pressure-treated with chemicals to reduce combustibility. |
Preservative-Treated Wood | Wood treated with chemicals to resist decay and insect attack. |
ACQ | Alkaline copper quaternary preservative used in treated wood. |
CA/CBA | Copper-based wood preservative systems used for durability. |
CCA | Chromated copper arsenate preservative, now restricted due to health concerns. |
Borate Treatment (SBX) | Water-soluble preservative primarily used for insect and termite resistance. |
Lumber | Wood sawn into boards, dimension lumber, or timbers for construction. |
Plainsawn Lumber | Lumber with growth rings roughly parallel to the wide face. |
Quartersawn Lumber | Lumber with growth rings roughly perpendicular to the wide face. |
Riftsawn Lumber | Lumber with growth rings oriented 30°–60° to the wide face. |
Seasoning | The process of drying lumber by air or kiln drying. |
Moisture Content (MC) | The amount of water in wood expressed as a percentage of oven-dry weight. |
Fiber Saturation Point (FSP) | Approximately 30% moisture content where cell walls are saturated but contain no free water. |
Tangential Shrinkage | Shrinkage around growth rings, typically the greatest type of wood shrinkage. |
Radial Shrinkage | Shrinkage from the pith outward toward the bark. |
Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC) | The moisture content wood reaches when balanced with surrounding air conditions. |
S4S | Surfaced on four sides. |
S2S | Surfaced on two faces. |
S-DRY | Lumber surfaced after drying. |
S-GRN | Lumber surfaced before drying. |
Structural Grade | Lumber grade based on strength and stiffness. |
Appearance Grade | Lumber grade based on visual quality. |
Visual Grading | Structural grading method based on visible defects and characteristics. |
Machine Grading | Structural grading method using machines to measure properties like stiffness and density. |
MSR (Machine Stress Rated) | Machine-graded lumber assigned specific design values. |
MEL (Machine Evaluated Lumber) | Machine-graded lumber evaluated through automated testing. |
Anisotropic Material | A material whose properties vary depending on direction. |
Specific Strength | Strength-to-weight ratio of a material. |
Nominal Size | The designated lumber size before drying and surfacing. |
Actual Size | The true dimensions of lumber after processing. |
Board | A wood product less than 2 inches nominal thickness. |
Dimension Lumber | Lumber with nominal thickness between 2 and 4 inches. |
Timber | Lumber with nominal thickness of 5 inches or greater. |
Board Foot | A unit of lumber volume equal to 1 inch × 12 inches × 12 inches. |
Veneer | Thin wood sheets commonly used in plywood and decorative surfaces. |
Rotary-Cut Veneer | Veneer produced by rotating a log against a cutting blade. |
Sliced Veneer | Veneer produced by slicing a log to create decorative grain patterns. |
Flitch | A sequence of veneers cut from the same log section for matching appearance. |
Cambium Layer | Tree growth layer that produces new bark and wood. |
Sapwood | Living wood that transports water and stores nutrients. |
Heartwood | Older inactive wood that contributes structural support. |
Pith | The central core of a tree and its first year of growth. |
Annual Growth Rings | Alternating layers of earlywood and latewood formed each year. |
Softwood | Wood from coniferous trees, commonly used in framing. |
Hardwood | Wood from broad-leafed trees with more complex cell structures. |
Certified Wood | Wood sourced from forests managed according to sustainability standards. |
Clear-Cutting | Harvesting method that removes most or all trees from an area. |
Sustainable Forestry | Forest management that balances harvesting, regeneration, and environmental protection. |
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) | Organization providing certification for responsibly managed forests. |
FSC Forest Management (FM) | Label indicating wood sourced from FSC-certified forests. |
FSC Controlled Wood | Wood screened to avoid unacceptable sources but not fully FSC-certified. |
FSC Mixed | FSC label indicating a mix of certified and controlled wood inputs. |
High Conservation Value (HCV) Areas | Forest areas with significant environmental or social importance protected under FSC standards. |
Manufactured wood benefits | More sizes and shapes, fewer defects, more efficient use of wood material, can be stronger and stiffer |