We worked with Architect Rich Conneen on these beautiful arched trusses for Saint Catherine Catholic Church in Petersburg, Alaska. They are made from douglas fir timbers and douglas fir glulam arches with hidden steel joinery. We worked with Rich on refining the design, then with our engineers to reinforce the trusses against the Alaskan wind and snow. Petersburg is a fishing town on the Alaskan coast that gets significant amounts of snow, wind and rain – sometimes all at once.
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Petersburg Alaska
Petersburg is a beautiful fishing town about 120 miles south of Juneau located on the tip of Mitkof Island. It has a rich Norwegian history with a year round population of about 3,000 people and is one of the top fishing ports in southern Alaska. The population grows in the summer with 50,000 visitors over the course of the season.
Fitting the Timber Trusses in the Shop
We designed, cut and fabricated the trusses in our shop in North Springfield Vermont. The picture to the right shows the truss being fitted together after most of the parts were cut and finished with a Craftsbury Cherry from Vermont Natural Coatings.
Assembling the Trusses On Site
The timbers were packaged and shipped by truck to the port of Seattle then transferred to a barge to be shipped to Petersburg. A consultant from Vermont Timber Works flew to Alaska to help the local crew with assembly of the trusses and erection of the timber frame.
Placing the Trusses with a Crane
A crane was brought in to place the trusses. They were slid down onto long, reinforced steel knife plates designed to stabilize the building during wind storms. At the bottom left of the photo the next trusses can be seen, stacked up and ready to be put into place.
A Tree Being Place to Commemorate the Raising
The final large truss has been placed. the Timber frame was installed in October during the rainy season. Because the trusses were pre-finished with stain in the shop, they were protected from damage from the rain.
Celebrating the Completion of the Timber Frame
Traditionally a tree is place on the ridge of a newly set timber frame to celebrate and honor the work.
EXPLORE MORE PHOTOS OF THE SAINT CATHERINE TIMBER FRAME
