Ode to Gravity

You are a constant reminder

And you remind us constantly

Of your presence and your power

And your rule which we must obey

It can be rain falling from the sky

Or my glass falling as I brush by

As I hurry out the door,

My keys dropping to the floor

You are always there,

Ever consistent,

Ever constant,

Ever present

I was hired to oppose you

To confront you, to face you

To take on your challenges

Whatever you might throw my way

You work against me day after day

You push and I push back

Locked in this life long battle

I will fight to resist your unchangeable way

I will work around your ever present force

But I will always respect you, my dear gravity,

Respect the fact that you are always there

Respect the fact that you will always act

Engineering Timber

Nature gives us many forces to challenge our lives on earth.

Gravity, in particular, affects construction work.

You’ve heard the expression, what goes up will come down?

Well it will, indeed, if earth’s forces are too great

or…if it is not engineered correctly.

Ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans understood the laws of nature,

and their engineers applied this knowledge to their structures.

I find it incredible that pyramids, the coliseum, and aquifers remain standing today.

An arch is not just a curved line!

In timber engineering, although an arch may lie inert in our shop,

once raised it must deal with compression, tension, shear, bending, and twisting forces.

A timber arch or truss must be willing to accept bearing weight as well.

Snow can weigh tons on a large structure.

This residence is in Wisconsin; there will be snow!

Vermont Timber Works applies the ancient art of engineering

to create what will last generations.

We’re engineering our way into the future.