In the 1830s, wood construction underwent a significant shift with the introduction of balloon framing.This system used standardized, sawed lumber and mass-produced nails, allowing much smaller ...

Stronger than site- or factory-built shear walls, moment frames permit larger openings and smaller wall sections in buildings while offering higher load values. In the past, however, moment frames ...

The house at 627 Fifth Ave. S.E.was built with balloon construction, which allowed Thursday’s fire to move easily throughout the structure, said Bob Brooks, deputy fire marshal for the Albany ...