Class-a fire-protected floor and roof truss structures, and method of and factory for producing the same

A method of producing Class-A fire-protected floor truss structures comprises the steps:

• (a) filling a dipping tank with a supply of clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid;
• (b) dipping wood truss pieces in said dipping tank and allowing the wet dipped wood truss pieces to dry and produce Class-A fire-protected wood truss pieces;
• (c) filling the reservoir tank connected to a liquid spraying system, with a supply of heat-resistant chemical liquid for coating metal connector plates to produce heat-resistant chemical-coated metal connector plates;
• (d) using said liquid spraying system to coat said metal connector plates with said heat-resistant chemical liquid, so as to make heat-resistant chemical-coated metal connector plates for use with said Class-A fire-protected lumber components;
• (e) assembling said Class-A fire-protected wood truss pieces using said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal connector plates so as to make a Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure;
• and
• (f) stacking and packaging one or more of said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structures into a package using banding or other fasteners and shipping said package to destination site for use in the construction of wood-framed buildings,
• wherein each said said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure for installation in a building housing one or more occupants, comprises:
• a set of lumber pieces treated with clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid to provide each said lumber piece with a Class-A fire-protection rating;
• and
• a set of heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plates for connecting together said treated pieces of lumber so as to form a Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure;
• wherein each said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate is provided with a heat-resistant chemical coating deposited before said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate is used in constructing said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure;
• and
• wherein said heat-resistant chemical coating provides significant reduction in heat transfer across said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate so as to significantly reduce:
• (i) charring of wood behind said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate in the presence of a fire in said building,
• (ii) disconnection of said Class-A fire-protected lumber pieces from said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate, and
• (iii) the risk of said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure failing during fire in said building, and putting at risk any of said occupants and/or any firefighters trying to rescue said occupants and/or extinguish the fire in said building.

A factory for making Class-A fire-protected floor truss structures, comprising:

• (a) a first stage for dipping untreated lumber components in a tank filled with a supply of clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid so as to form Class-A fire-protected lumber components;
• (b) a second stage for spraying metal connector plates with heat-resistant chemical liquid so as to produce heat-resistant chemical-coated metal connector plates;
• and
• (c) a second stage for assembling said Class-A fire-protected lumber components using said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal connector plates so as to form Class-A fire-protected floor truss structures,
• wherein each said said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure, for installation in a building housing one or more occupants, is constructed from:
• a set of lumber pieces treated with said CFIC liquid to provide each said lumber piece with a Class-A fire-protection rating;
• and
• a set of heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plates for connecting together said treated pieces of lumber so as to form said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure;
• wherein each said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate is provided with a heat-resistant chemical coating deposited before said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate is used in constructing said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure;
• and
• wherein said heat-resistant chemical coating provides significant reduction in heat transfer across said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate so as to significantly reduce:
• (i) charring of wood behind said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate in the presence of a fire in said building,
• (ii) disconnection of said Class-A fire-protected lumber pieces from said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate in the presence of a fire in said building, and
• (iii) the risk of said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure failing during fire in said building, and putting at risk any of said occupants and/or any firefighters trying to rescue said occupants and/or extinguish the fire in said building.

A method of producing Class-A fire-protected roof truss structures comprising the steps of:

• (a) filling a dipping tank with a supply of clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid;
• (b) filling the reservoir tank connected to a liquid spraying system, with a supply of heat-resistant chemical liquid;
• (c) dipping structural untreated lumber components into said dipping tank to apply a coating of CFIC liquid over all its surfaces, and allow to dry to produce Class-A fire-protected lumber components;
• (d) using said liquid spraying system to coat metal connector plates with said heat-resistant chemical liquid, so as to produce heat-resistant chemical-coated metal connector plates, for use with said Class-A fire-protected lumber components;
• (e) assembling said Class-A fire-protected lumber components using said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal connector plates to make a Class-A fire-protected roof truss structure;
• and
• (f) stacking and packaging one or more of said Class-A fire-protected roof truss structures into a package using banding or other fasteners, and shipping said package to destination site for use in construction of a wood-framed building,
• wherein each said said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure is constructed from:
• said Class-A fire-protected lumber components treated with said CFIC liquid to provide each said lumber component with a Class-A fire-protection rating;
• and
• said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plates for connecting together said treated lumber components so as to form said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure;
• wherein each said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate is provided with a heat-resistant chemical coating deposited before said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate is used in constructing said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure;
• and
• wherein said heat-resistant chemical coating provides significant reduction in heat transfer across said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate so as to significantly reduce:
• (i) charring of wood behind said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate in the presence of a fire in said building,
• (ii) disconnection of said Class-A fire-protected lumber pieces from said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate in the presence of a fire in said building, and
• (iii) the risk of said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure failing during fire in said building, and putting at risk any of said occupants and/or any firefighters trying to rescue said occupants and/or extinguish the fire in said building.

A Class-A fire-protected roof truss structure comprising:

• a set of lumber pieces treated with clean fire inhibiting chemical (CFIC) liquid;
• and
• metal truss connector plates coated with a heat-resistant coating and used to connect together said fire-treated pieces of lumber to form a Class-A fire-protected roof truss structure;
• and
• wherein said heat-resistant metal truss connector plates are protected from the heat of a fire in a wood-framed building, and resist bending and failure in the fire so as to reduce putting occupants at risk trying to escape a burning building, as well as firemen trying to extinguish the fire before the fire reaches a critical stage,
• wherein said heat-resistant chemical coating provides significant reduction in heat transfer across said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate so as to significantly reduce:
• (i) charring of wood behind said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate in the presence of a fire in said building,
• (ii) disconnection of said Class-A fire-protected lumber pieces from said heat-resistant chemical-coated metal truss connector plate in the presence of a fire in said building, and
• (iii) the risk of said Class-A fire-protected floor truss structure failing during fire in said building, and putting at risk any of said occupants and/or any firefighters trying to rescue said occupants and/or extinguish the fire in said building.