b'THE OFFICIAL NFBA MAGAZINEcontinued from page: 30have purchased a properly engineered building,the law, so is it wise to fully engineer a building when in fact they have not. In some cases, theseregardless of whether it is or is not code exempt. farmers are intentionally misled which is highlyMany agricultural builders will tell you it costs more unethical if not criminal.to construct a fully engineered building. While this Frequently, farmers are quoted a balanced designmay be true for smaller buildings, it is generally not snow load (generally in pounds force per squaretrue for larger buildings. Builders who sell you a foot) that was used as an input to a truss designlarge non-engineered building for less than the price program by an employee of the local lumber yard.of a fully engineered building are likely selling you a Given this number, the farmer assumes they arerelatively dangerous building. This results from the RESEARCH & TECHNOLOGYgetting a fully engineered building. This could notfact non-engineered buildings are not balanced in be further from the truth. Trusses so designedterms of overall design. seldom account for all loads to which the trussesNon-engineered structures generally contain are subjected, nor do they account for the exactcomponents that are either not needed or are manner in which the trusses will be connectedlarger than needed and this unnecessarily drives up to other components, receive loads from otherbuilding cost. At the same time, non-engineered components, and/or be braced by other components.structures are frequently missing critical components Furthermore, a truss is only one element in anand/or have numerous under-designed components extensive building system and each of these elementsand this places building occupants in grave danger. must be properly engineered with special attention given to unique interactions between elements. Keep in mind building codes establish minimum But codes exempt agricultural buildingsperformance levels for buildings. Virtually all engineers will design their agricultural buildings The International Building Code is the primary non- so they just meet these minimum performance residential model building code in the United States.levels. Consequently, any statement implying that Although the IBC: (1) covers agricultural buildings,engineered agriculture buildings are over-designed is and (2) has been adopted to varying degrees in alljust not true.50 states, most agricultural buildings are not designed in accordance with its provisions. This is because most state and local governments that adopt the IBC exempt buildings used exclusively for farming purposes from all building code provisions. Figure 3: Relocated here are some of the 60 springing heifersBecause of this special agriculturalkilled in the partial collapse of a non-engineered post-frame buildingexemption many builders are quick to tell farmers they do not need to have their agriculturalBe ethical buildings engineered. While this is absolutely true, itI believe it is unethical to sell larger buildings that is something you would be foolish to do, especiallyare not fully engineered. Not only does it needlessly if you are building a freestall barn or other largeendanger farmers, but a lack of building engineering structure, a storage building for expensive equipmentis responsible for the deaths of numerous animals or a facility in which you or your employees will beevery year. Ive been in buildings with thousands of spending measurable time.crushed chickens. Ive also seen my share of dead Telling a consumer they do not need to have theircattle (Figure 3).building engineered if it is exempt from the buildingWith respect to the consumer, I highly recommend code is no different than telling a person they doall farmers ask for written confirmation that their not need to wear a seat belt or a bike helmet if thebuilding has been designed to meet the structural law doesnt require it. Inasmuch as it makes senseperformance criteria of the IBC. Demand this to wear a seat belt and a bike helmet regardless of continued on page: 3332 / FRAME BUILDER - VOL6 5'