How do we build the only open and adjustable floor joist? Triforce is a state of art flooring solution entirely made of wood and assembled without any metal connectors. How is it built in the Barrette Structural plant?
As you may know, the Open Joist TRIFORCE® is made up of four components:
- Chords
- Webs
- Posts
- OSB (oriented strand board) panel
At first, all the components have to be prepared for assembly: the raw material is inspected and then goes through specific machines to be transformed into an accurate component.
The chords
The chords for the Open Joist TRIFORCE® come in different lengths. When the length of the chord is between 8 and 16 feet, the chords are made from one continuous piece of lumber. On the other hand, when the chord is between 18 and 30 feet, finger jointed lumber is used.
First, our team makes a thorough inspection of the lumber. We verify the quality of the wood, its humidity, and temperature to make sure the adhesive will work efficiently. We also make sure there are no big knots.
The next step is cutting the chords to length with a very precise saw. Right after this process, we have another inspection to ensure there are no signs of rot, camber, curvature, or major knots in the chord.
Then, it’s time to prepare the chords for assembly. They go through a machine, which makes grooves for the webs, the posts, and the OSB panel. Each web location has 5 groves to maximize the strength of the assembly once the adhesive has been applied.
The OSB panel
The OSB panels originate from an 8’ long sheet that is cut to fit depending on the size of the joist. After they have been prepared to their specific dimensions, the three sides that will be inserted into other components are beveled.
We then assemble the OSB panel with a post (which was grooved as well, as you’ll see later) and both chords by applying adhesive. The chords are now attached to the OSB panel and the first post, this sub-assembly is then sent to the final assembly line.
We’ll see how the posts and webs are prepared for assembly in our next article!