34 / FRAME BUILDER - VOL7 NO2
not be interpreted as an exhaustive or infallible 
listing of design requirements applicable 
to every post-frame structure. Engineering 
practice continues to evolve through innovation, 
improved analytical tools, new materials, and 
advancements in building science. One of the 
enduring strengths of post-frame construction is 
its performance-based design flexibility, which 
allows the system to remain highly competitive—
and often preferable—to more prescriptive forms 
of construction.
Engineers must retain the freedom to develop 
creative and technically defensible solutions 
to unique project challenges, provided those 
solutions are supported by sound engineering 
principles and appropriate analysis. Table 1 is 
therefore intended only as a professional resource 
to assist engineers in evaluating the many factors 
that may influence post-frame building design. It 
should not be construed by regulatory agencies, 
builders, owners, or other parties as a mandatory 
approval checklist or universally applicable 
engineering standard.
This responsibility is reinforced by the 2026 Creed 
of the National Society of Professional Engineers, 
which states in part:
“As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my 
professional knowledge and skill to the 
advancement and betterment of human welfare. I 
pledge:
To give the utmost of performance;
To participate in none but honest enterprise;
To live and work according to the laws of 
humanity and the highest standards of 
professional conduct;
To place service before profit, the honor and 
standing of the profession before personal 
advantage, and the public welfare above all other 
considerations.”
These principles remain foundational to 
engineering practice and are directly applicable 
to post-frame building design. Ensuring public 
safety and building performance requires 
complete and competent engineering prior to the 
application of professional certification. While 
every item identified in Table 1 may not apply to 
every project—and some projects may require 
additional engineering beyond those listed—
all projects demand the highest standards of 
professional conduct, technical competence, and 
coordination among engineers, contractors, and 
building professionals.
Tim Royer is a senior engineer at Timber Tech 
Engineering, LLC., Chairmen of the NFBA 
Technical and Research Committee and serves on 
the NFBA Board of Directors. Special recognition 
is extended to Doug Thomsen of Thomsen 
Construction and Supply Company,  for his 
contributions to Table 1, “Suggested Outline for 
Gathering Post-Frame Building Design Data.”
RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGY
continued from page: 33
THE OFFICIAL NFBA MAGAZINE

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