We are asking that everyone send their comments and suggested additions to us to help us improve it. If you find errors let us know. If you have pictures to go with your suggested additiions, please send those too. We are working on making the course more robust… with your help. Please contribute by emailing fastreply@nachi.org Contributors will be credited on the last page of the course
To take the course now go to www.nachi.org/structuralcoursereleased2007.htm
Great Course!
Keep Up the Good Work!
Save your unique session code and plug it in to download your certificate of completion: http://www.nachi.org/certificatesofcompletion.htm
worked great- Certificate looks great!
Love the automated system
Interesting course, and well done so far.
I will send a couple pictures of a home I recently did that was sliding down the hill…
And I like the way its already added to the CE credits.
“found near white trash.”?
[quote=gromicko]
We are asking that everyone send their comments and suggested . . .[
You should have something in your mail.](“http://www.nachi.org/structuralcoursereleased2007.htm”)
great course!
thanks NACHI! really appreciate the cont. ed.!
CJ
some spelling errors were noticed for example baloon a couple of times.
NACHI’s proof reader working on it now… with help from member W. Michael Chris.
W. Michael Chris:
We added you to the credit page at the end of the course. Thanks so much for the work you did on it.
Great Test!!! Let’s have more…
thanks for the course!
Great course, thank you!
Excellent course Nick.
I applaud all that worked on this course.
http://education.nachi.org/show.php?element_id=427&course_id=22
‘A lock of collar ties (see picture to right) can cause rafter spread’ should be ’ A lack of collar ties… ’
And the picture is further up the page not to the right.
http://education.nachi.org/show.php?element_id=422&course_id=22
http://education.nachi.org/show.php?element_id=428&course_id=22
'Diagonal cracks which grow in width, especially ones that are wider at the bottom than at the top indicate settlement.'It could be settment. It can also be heaving. It depends on the conditions.
http://education.nachi.org/show.php?element_id=428&course_id=22
‘Horizontal wall cracks are typically caused by frost and exist at about the frost line.’ I would also add cold joints.
http://education.nachi.org/show.php?element_id=428&course_id=22
‘There should be at least 2 vents to the outside in enclosed areas such as crawl spaces and at least one vent for every 300 square feet of floor area.’
This is not recommended in northern climates
http://education.nachi.org/show.php?element_id=429&course_id=22Under the section of 'The Home Inspector should take note of:" I would also include missing or removed cross bracing or blocking.
http://education.nachi.org/show.php?element_id=431&course_id=22
Unless it just didn’t finish loading for me this page appears unfinished with the abunance of white space.
http://education.nachi.org/show.php?element_id=433&course_id=22I didn’t read this page at all - see comment below.
Overall a nice little course but I there was far too much SOP stuff included in a ‘structural’ course. Put the SOP stuff in an SOP course and keep the structural course … well structural.
Typically, collar ties are placed in the upper third of the roof. Collar ties are not meant to prevent the horizontal spreading of the rafters or act like rafter ties - they are intended to prevent uplift from wind and really nothing more.
Rafter ties, which can be ceiling joists are placed near the bottom of the rafter and help to prevent the horizontal spreading of the rafters .
Paul, thanks… all good points. Thanks! Here is my thinking on it:
I normally find cold joints in poured concrete to be diagonal, not horizontal. This being because the chute of the concrete truck stays fairly stationary and so the concrete slumps to the sides on an angle then cures some before the next truck arrives.
I can’t find anything on having crawl space vents not being recommended, even if northern climates.
I like the idea of adding a reminder for inspectors to look for missing blocking, like under walls running parrallel but between joists. I can’t find anything about cross bracing though. All I find are arguments that cross bracing does nothing structurally other than perhaps disperses some of the live load over a greater number of joists. I can’t find any reference to them being required anywhere.
We tried to use the structural course to first and foremost remind inspectors to stick to the SOP and not crack analysis which is not their job (and in fact is probably a criminal offense) to do perform any sort of crack analysis (engineering services).
Larry, here is my thinking on collar ties:
They help prevent rafter spread. First of all they are called ties, implying that they are under tension, not compression. Second of all, code permits them to be 1" by 4". Now a 1" by anything is useless under compression but fine under tension. Third, having lived in snowy parts of the world all my life, my own roof’s collar ties are under tremendous tension when the roof is supporting a heavy snow load. The ties suffer tension because the rafters are trying to spread.
Research may educate and change your mind.
http://www.iccsafe.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=001392
http://www.iccsafe.org/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=10;t=001142
[FONT=Palatino-Roman]This site uses a definition that helps your use of “collar ties” but it is atypical, IMO.[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/iceimages/reference/log_construction_appderef.pdf](http://www.ahfc.state.ak.us/iceimages/reference/log_construction_appderef.pdf)[/FONT]
[FONT=ItcKabel-Demi]“Collar tie. A horizontal member used to tie a pair of opposing rafters[/FONT]
[FONT=Times New Roman]together. May be high to hold the upper joint together or may be low[/FONT]
[FONT=Palatino-Roman]to serve as a ceiling joist. Also called a collar beam.”[/FONT]
[FONT=ItcKabel-Demi]Edited to add links.[/FONT]
Here is a link to a good discussion on the difference between “Collar Ties” and “Rafter Ties” …
http://www.nachi.org/bbsystem/viewtopic.php?t=4514
Collar Ties up near the ridge should not be in tension from rafters spreading unless there is a problem … like a change to a cathedral ceiling which removes ceiling joists acting as Rafter Ties. Common problem with retrofit cathedral framing when the ridge plate isn’t swapped out for a posted ridge beam.
JMO …