Typical wood roof trusses consist of members-called chords and webs, that are connected together with metal plates. Relatively small metal teeth protrude from the plates and the plates are pressed into the wood members using thousands of pounds of force for each joint. It is tempting to look at these plates and assume that a few nails would do the same job, but that is not the case. It takes many nails to equal the capacity of a typical connector plate. When using nails to joint truss members it is also necessary to use lumber, plywood, or Oriented Strand Board (OSB) to join the members. Sometimes structural screws are also used for truss repairs. For typical roof trusses used in light-frame construction, bolts are usually not used because of spacing requirements. Even when nails or structural screws are used spacing must be considered and the fasteners used at the repaired joint or member extend much further from the joint or crack than a metal connector plate.

We have designed repairs for many roof trusses. We also have the capability to perform truss repairs. Sometimes it is more cost-effective or expedient for BCI to design, perform, and certify the repairs instead of designing the repairs, producing the necessary documentation to provide to a contractor, and then inspect the repairs. It is not uncommon for contractors to overlook necessary requirements. It is also sometimes difficult to correct improperly performed repairs.