Wood Trusses Establish Record

7600 board feet of stress-grade sturdy Douglas fir, harvested on the St. Helens Tree Farm in eastern Cowlitz County and milled at Longview. Lumber rvas cut to pattern at the Longview plant from templates "lofted" by Hugh Wentworth, under the direction of foreman Nick Davis.

Packaged assemblies, consisting of pre-cut structural wood members, steel plates and hardware, were shipped to Tacoma for assembly on the construction site. Assembly required about one day for each of the trusses, rvhich are the biggest of .their kind ever to be raised in one complete unit.

Contractor Roy T. Earley regards this "first" itt conStruction accomplishments as a tribute to the precise workmanship that went into the prefabrication job. This careful work eliminated reboring of holes and on-site reacljustments in assemblies.

Tacoma, Wash., Jan. l5-Contractors, engineers and some architects said it was impossible. A roof truss 168 feet long couldn't be raised in one complete unit.

This "impossible" feat recently became a recorded accomplishment in Tacoma because architects Mock and Morrison had faith in versatile wood. Nine huge wood trusses, each 168 feet long and 23 feet high, were lifted bodily 60 feet from the ground and anchored as roof supports on a new building.

The new structure is the splendid memorial field house at Tacoma's College of Puget Sound, where athletic events can be viewed by 6500 spectators without the obstruction of a single vertical support. The trussed roof section of this reinforced concrete building, which is 168 feet wide and 200 feet long, carries 90,000 board feet of roof decking.

Designated as a Monocord truss and prefabricated by the Weyerhaeuser Timber Company at its Longview, Washington branch operation, each truss contains about

A traveling crane with a 7\-foot boom required about 3O minutes to raise each truss from the ground, "walk" the total t3l ton deadlift assembly 200 feet into the inside of the building, and spot the truss accurately in place on bolts positioned in the two 60-foot high wall sections. It took cat-sure movement by the skilled crane operator to rvalk his poised load into proper position, but the entire operation was "so simple there u'as nothing to it," according to contractor Earley.

Earley's iesourceful crew worked out a special technique ' for hoisting the super-sized trusses. A temporary cable was tied securely along the curved upper portion of the truss and anchored in place at each end of the truss base. Rigging fastened to tl,e hook was arranged to distribute the load evenly over the entire truss through this cable 'system. An 80' telephone pole lashed to framing members at the crown of the truss served as a stiffener lvhen the dead weight of the truss ends was suspended from the crane hook.

The new field house, expected to be ready for use in February, will be a valuable asset in staging special athletic events under the protection of a single roof, rain or shine.

PLYSCORD cuts building time and costs. The large, light panels cover big areas fast and require fewer fastenings. Contractors reporl 5O/o saving in time when using PlyScord for subflooring even greater savings when the panels are used for roof decking and wall sheathing. Homes built with PlyScord are tighter and warmer, as well as stronger and more rigid.

Here's how governmenl tesls ql U. S. Foresl Products lqborqlory rqnk the relotiye strength ond rigidiry of yqrious sheothing moteriqls on wqlls with openings:

PTYSCORDidentified by this "gradetrade-mark"-is the sheathing grade of Interior-type Douglas fir plywood, manufactured in strict accordance with U. S. Commercial Standard CS45.48. It has a face panel of C veneer and d back panel of D veneer. Plys are bonded with highly water-resistant (but not waterproof) glues; the material will withstand occasional wetting such as might ordinarily be encountered during construction.

PLYSCORD-Ihe unsanded sheathing grade of Interior-type Douglas fir plywood-contributes to better building in scores of way..

Plyscord adds rigidity and strength to wall construction when used as sfegthr-nS. PlyScord is an ideal roof sheathing, too-suitable for any type :f fr:ris.\ roofing. As subflooring, PlyScord piovides a rigid, sturdy base for finish flooring, insulates, protects againsfdrafts from i"low. ply'Scord serves as a one-use concrete form panel as well ; after form use, the panels are re-used as sheatfuing or subflooring-an added construction ""ooo*y.

For details on PlyScord use and application, see Sweet's File, Architectural, or write for the new 1949 Basic Plywood catalog. Also available is a new bookleq "The Wrcod of 1,000-Uses". Douglas Fir plywood Association, Tacorna 2, Washington.

Plylcord Thlcknessee : 6h,i",%" ,Yz" , a6,, PlyScord lengths: 96", 108", L20", LMo PlyScord Widrh: 48".

Douglas Fir PIYWOOD

IARGE, LIGHT, STRONG