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2003
AWC Educational Initiatives Reach Record Audiences
The American Wood Council (AWC) has completed a
record year of technical education to its target audiences of designers
and building officials. Eighty-one technical seminars to more than
12,000 participants provided information on design and use of traditional
and engineered products. With each seminar averaging nearly two
hours, there were in excess of 24,000 contact hours in 2003. Historically,
AWC has provided technical information to nearly 7,000 participants
annually. With the addition of free online eCourses, available 24/7
and continued emphasis on education for 2004, AWC hopes to expand
its reach to user audiences. For most live contact training programs,
seminar attendees receive special discounts on publication purchases,
a comprehensive seminar notebook, and a certificate upon seminar
completion. Many state building official, engineer, or architect
chapters, and various universities with wood engineering programs,
sponsor these popular and well-received events. The AWC website
offers live contact training program suggestions at http://www.awc.org/HelpOutreach/seminars/sem-otln.html.
To arrange a seminar for your state or local chapter, e-mail your
request to awcinfo@afandpa.org,
stating in which outline you are interested, and the size of your
group. For upcoming seminar events, visit the AWC website at http://www.awc.org/HelpOutreach/seminars/awrd-sem.html.
The American Forest & Paper Association is an accredited provider
of Continuing Education by the American Institute of Architects
and International Association for Continuing Education and Training.
Also, in 2003 AWC authored or co-authored nine technical articles
for trade magazines targeting engineers, architects and building
Journal, Forest Products Journal and Wood Design Focus are among
the publications where AWC articles appeared. These magazines represent
a cumulative circulation of over 80,000 designers and building officials,
key to AWC’s technology transfer effort. For more information,
contact Robert Taylor at 202/463-2771.
AWC’s trade show booth, shown here at
a recent Wood Solutions Fair, is part of the technology transfer
effort that helped reach over 12,000 designers and building officials
in 2003 with live contact education.
DCA-3:
Fire-Rated Wood Floor and Wall Assemblies Added
Continuing a successful string of ASTM E119 fire
resistance tests on wood frame assemblies, AWC recently conducted
a successful full-scale fire test on a 2x6 wood stud wall tested
at full design load. The new assembly, notable because of the inclusion
of fiberglass insulation, passed the one hour E119 fire test with
a single layer of gypsum wallboard. This latest assembly has been
incorporated into AWC’s DCA No. 3 - Fire-Rated Wood Floor
and Wall Assemblies, located on AWC’s website at http://www.awc.org/Codes/dcaindex.html
(assembly description located at
http://www.awc.org/Publications/dca/dca3/2x6fgi.html).
For more information, contact Brad Douglas at 202/463-2770.
New TR-14:
Designing for Lateral-Torsional Stability in Wood Members
New in the marketplace is AWC’s recently published
TR-14, Designing for Lateral-Torsional
Stability in Wood Members. Although technical sounding, TR14
provides users with comprehensive background on beam design provisions
contained in the Allowable Stress Design (ASD) and Load and Resistance
Factor Design (LRFD) standards. To accomplish this, TR14 examines
lateral-torsional buckling — a limit state where beam deformation
includes in-plane deformation, out-of-plane deformation and twisting.
The load causing lateral instability is called the elastic lateral-torsional
buckling load and is influenced by many factors,such as loading
and support conditions,member cross-section, and unbraced length.
In the 2001 and earlier versions of the National Design Specification®
(NDS®) for Wood Construction, the limit state of lateral torsional
buckling is addressed using an effective length format whereby unbraced
lengths are adjusted to account for load and support conditions
that influence the lateral torsional
buckling load. Another common format uses an equivalent moment factor
to account for these conditions. This report describes the basis
of the current effective length approach used in the NDS and summarizes
the equivalent uniform moment factor approach; provides a comparison
between the two approaches; and proposes modification to NDS design
provisions. TR-14 is available free on the AWC Website. For more
information, contact Brad Douglas at 202/463-2770.
AWC’s
New Online Span Calculator Features 2001 NDS Supplement Design Values
Two AWC publications, Span Tables for Joists and
Rafters, 1993 Edition, along with Design Values for Joists and Rafters,
February 1992 Edition, provide a simplified method for determining
allowable joist and rafter spans for typical loads encountered in
one- and two-family dwellings. Now there is an even simpler computer-based
approach that can be used for all buildings. AWC’s new online
Span Calculator performs span calculations for all species and grades
of commercially available softwood and hardwood lumber as found
in the 2001 NDS Supplement. The Span Calculator was designed and
created by researchers at Washington State University with financial
support for development provided by AWC. The calculator functions
in two modes: Given material options and size, find maximum horizontal
span; and, given span and material options, find a cross-section
size that complies. Options for exterior conditions, such as incised
lumber, and wet service are included. The maximum span result includes
minimum bearing length and allowable design stresses used for the
species chosen. The cross-section size resultreturns a variety of
cross-sections ordered by grade for the species, options, and span
selected. Extensive Help text provides background to the workings
of the calculator and the assumptions used. AWC’s online Span
Calculator is already becoming
a popular tool for designers, builders, and building supply retailers.
Look for the SPAN icon under Calculators on www.awc.org.
Virginia
Tech Research Aims at Preventing Deck Collapses
A team of Virginia Tech researchers have produced
an inspection manual for residential wood decks and balconies in
an effort to curb collapses that occur nationwide and prevent needless
tragedies. The new Manual for the Inspection of Residential Wood
Decks and Balconies is available from the Forest Products Society
at www.forestprod.org.
Wood Engineering
Achievement Award
AWC recently presented the Wood Engineering Achievement
Award to KPFF Consulting Engineers at the Forest Products Society
AnnualMeeting. The award was presented by AWC to Ed Quesenberry,
S.E., for design of the Beaverton City Library in Oregon. The Wood
Engineering Achievement Award recognizes excellence in the discipline
of wood engineering. The award alternates each year between: 1)
Lifetime Achievement, 2) Young Engineer, and 3) Engineering Innovation.
The 2003 Wood Engineering Achievement Award was given for Engineering
Innovation. The Wood Engineering Achievement Award was established
in 1996 by the Wood Engineering Division of the Forest Products
Society and is cosponsored by AF&PA’s American Wood Council.
The Award consists of an engraved plaque and an honorarium provided
by AWC. In awarding KPFF, the Judging Committee noted, “The
Beaverton City Library was chosen because of its unique blend of
modern construction detailing which retains and promotes the charismatic
nature of wood into an engineered structure with impressive features
corresponding with a building design concept that satisfies both
spatial and environmental functionality.” For more information,
contact Buddy Showalter at 202/463-2769.
DOE Research
Solicitation Available
The Office of Industrial Technologies of the Department
of Energy’s (DOE), Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy, is soliciting Applications for research and development
(R&D) projects that will reduce energy consumption, enhance
economic competitiveness, and reduce environmental impacts of the
domestic chemical and forest products industries. Under this Solicitation,
DOE is soliciting applications for R&D projects that will focus
on technology development in the areas of Wood/Composites, Fiber
Recycling, and New Forest-Based Materials. Organizations applying
under this solicitation are required to develop collaborative project
teams involving industry, university, and/or national laboratory
participants. A minimum of two forest products organizations must
be involved in each application. Awards under this Solicitation
will be Cooperative Agreements with a term of three to five years
beginning in 2004. Subject to funding availability, the total DOE
funding available under this solicitation for the first 12 months
of selected R&D projects will be approximately $3 million for
technology development in wood/composites, fiber recycling and new
forest-based products. Subject to funding availability, a maximum
of approximately $12 million is planned to fund the remaining years
of the forest products projects. DOE anticipates selecting four
to eight applications for forest products projects for negotiation
toward award. All applications must be submitted by Nov. 30, 2003.
For more information, and to download an application, visit the
DOE website at: http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/DOE/PAM/HQ/DE-PS36-03GO93015/Grant.html.
For more information about AF&PA’s Agenda 2020 Wood and
Wood Composites Task Group, which is responsible for reviewing federal
research activities, contact Buddy Showalter at 202/463-2769.
Wood
Engineering Educator’s Summer Institute
Engineering professors new to or interested in teaching
timber engineering at the college/university level, were the beneficiaries
of fellowships awarded by AWC to attend the first AWC summer institute
on wood design, held exclusively for engineering and design faculty
in late July. Hosted by AWC, the Institute provided these educators
with an overview of wood design methodologies and technical resources.
Drawn from a number of U.S. colleges and universities, all attendees
are new to teaching wood engineering design or have the potential
to initiate a new timber engineering component in their school’s
curriculum. At the conclusion of the Institute, a number of these
educators were able to participate in the industry’s annual
Technical Committee meeting to receive a first-hand understanding
of important industry issues. The agenda included:
- Allowable stress design overview using the National Design Specification
(NDS) for Wood Construction, and applicable teaching aids;
- Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD) for Engineered Wood Construction
Overview with applicable teaching aids; and
- Pre-engineered wood design overview using the Wood Frame Construction
Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two-Family dwellings.
The institute also included applicable teaching aids, connection
design, designing for permanence (durability), engineered wood products,
research funding opportunities; and a roundtable discussion with
industry on ways to strengthen industry and university ties.
For more information, contact Kim McCabe at 202/463-2769.
CCA
Rule Finalized
EPA has finalized label requirements responding
to chemical manufacturers’ requests to phase out chromated
copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood. Wood intended for most residential
uses, including play structures, decks, picnic tables, landscaping
timbers, patios and walkways/boardwalks, cannot be treated with
CCA after Dec. 31, 2003. Treaters, however, can continue to manufacture
CCA-treated wood for permitted uses and sell all remaining inventories
of CCA-treated wood to customers. EPA deferred their decision to
eliminate CCA-treated agricultural fence posts, and in response
to AF&PA <http://www.afandpa.org>
and other industry comments, deferred its decision to eliminate
CCA-treated wood for permanent wood foundations. For more information,
contact Sharon Kneiss at 202/463-2580.
Minnesota
Seminar
AWC provided
training recently on wood frame construction in the International
Residential Code (IRC) and the International Building
Code (IBC) to over 100 code officials from the 10,000 Lakes Chapter
of the International Codes Council (ICC) and the Southwest Minnesota
Building Officials Association. For more information, contact Paul
Coats at 815/724-0048.
WFCM
& ASD Lumber Supplement Revisions
AWC recently
issued new errata for the 2001 Wood Frame Construction Manual for
One- and Two-Family Dwellings and the 2001 ASD Manual Lumber Supplement.
The errata were issued when it was learned that several floor joist
span tables contain erroneous spans for some depths of #2 grade
Southern pine (only) and all depths of #3 grade Southern pine (only)
floor joists. Users are being encouraged to replace the current
tables with revised tables. Self-adhesive tables that can be permanently
inserted into either document are available by contacting AWC with
a mailing address at awcinfo@afandpa.org
or by phone at 202/463-4713. All errata/addenda for these publications
are also available on the AWC website at: http://www.awc.org/Publications/update/index.html.
TECO
Provides Text Books
TECO’s
Certification and Testing Division provided 40 Allowable Stress
Design (ASD) Manuals for Engineered Wood Construction for Oregon
State University’s Timber Engineering course. Dr. Rakesh Gupta,
who teaches the course, responded, “This [donation] shows
the commitment your company and other company’s have towards
the wood education in this country. Your donation will go a long
way in helping the students, and ultimately the wood products industry.”
For information on how your company can sponsor AF&PA publications
for students, contact Buddy Showalter at 202/463-2769.
Kim McCabe
Joins AWC
AWC is pleased
to welcome Kim McCabe to the American Forest & Paper Association
staff. Kim serves as Program Coordinator for the American Wood Council,
responsible for the Design Professional Membership program, IMPACT
newsletter, and other Council support activities. She brings to
the position valuable customer-service skills developed while in
the telecommunications industry. You can contact Kim at 202/463-2766
or by e-mail at kim_mccabe@afandpa.org.
Welcome aboard, Kim!
USFA Cooperative
Agreement
A recent “Made-for-TV”
fire demonstration that aired live on Fox Local News in Washington,
DC showed viewers how the fire service perceives innovative lightweight
wood products. Three 8’x 8' wood assemblies, each representing
a typical floor framing system, were exposed to very large, 1.8
megawatt, heptane pool fires for approximately five minutes. The
three assemblies were constructed from solid wood joists, I-joists,
and parallel chord trusses and were supported just 4 ft. off the
ground. The intent of the demonstration was to sensationalize the
impact fire has on lightweight wood products.
In an effort
to bring a national focus that addresses fire servicecriticism,
the American Wood Council has entered into a Cooperative Agreement
with the United States Fire Administration (USFA). Under the agreement,
AWC will review fire service concerns of lightweight products, increase
firefighter awareness about their use and application, review fires
where firefighter fatalities have occurred and provide the lessons
learned. The USFA has set a goal to reduce the approximately 105
annual firefighter fatalities by 25%. It should be noted that the
majority of these fatalities are a result of heart attacks and traffic
accidents. Historically, fatalities attributed to the collapse of
all types of lightweight construction average five per year.
Working with
USFA, industry’s goal is to provide a valuable educational
program that is technically accurate, will provide firefighters
with a better understanding of the performance of these products,
and will contribute toward reducing the unnecessary loss of life.
PRESS
RELEASE
 
Timber
Bridge Awards Recognize
15 Outstanding Spans
National Timber
Bridge Awards were presented for 15 outstanding wood bridges located
across the nation. Many of the bridges which received awards in
the competition were specifically designed with wood to enhance
and protect environments where they span creeks, rivers, waterways
and wetlands.
The growing
popularity of timber bridges is not only due to their economy, strength,
durability, and nostalgic ties to America’s early history.
It is also their aesthetic presence and harmony with the environment
that causes design firms and local government agencies to value
this historic material as much as their ancestors did.
Primary sponsors
of the Timber Bridge Awards Program include APA-The Engineered Wood
Association, American Institute of Timber Construction, U.S. Forest
Service Wood in Transportation Program, and the Federal Highway
Administration. For more information, contact APA-The Engineered
Wood Association at 253/565-6600.
 
New
Fire Report Published: Calculating Fire Resistance of Exposed Wood
Members
An updated
version of AF&PA’s Technical Report 10: Calculating the
Fire Resistance of Exposed Wood Members (TR10) has been launched
at http://www.awc.org/Publications/TR/index.html.
TR10 provides
data and background information on a methodology available for use
by designers to calculate the fire endurance rating for structural
wood elements, including beams, columns, decking and connections.
Large wood
members have long been recognized for their ability to maintain
structural integrity while exposed to fire, attributable to the
charring effect of wood. As wood members are exposed to fire, an
insulating char layer is formed that protects the core of the cross-section.
Thus, beams and columns can be designed so that a sufficient cross
section of wood remains to sustain design loads for required durations
of fire exposure.
Exposed wood
structural members are popular with architects and designers of
modern buildings because they have a pleasing appearance, are economical
and easy to use, and provide necessary fire endurance. Glulam members
and large solid sawn members both offer these fire performance advantages.
The updated
version of TR10 includes results of new USDA Forest Products Laboratory
tests used to verify the applicability of a mechanics-
based (theoretical) model to tension members exposed to fire; a
two-hour application limit agreed to during balloting of the 2001
National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction;
one-hour beam-column and beam-beam connection details; and editorial
changes to make terminology in TR10 compatible with provisions of
the 2001 NDS.
2003
Wood Engineering Achievement Award—Call for Nominations
The Wood Engineering
Division of the Forest Products Society is pleased to announce a
Call for Nominations for the 2003 Wood Engineering Achievement Award.
The award recognizes excellence in the discipline of wood engineering,
including structures, structural elements, building codes, consensus
standards, design procedures and education. It is intended to honor
achievements and innovations. The award alternates each year between
Lifetime Achievement, Young Engineer, and Engineering Innovation.
The award focus for 2003 is Engineering Innovation.
The Engineering
Innovation award honors specific, creative contributions to the
discipline. These contributions may, or may not,have reached the
marketplace, but offer high potential. Nominations for individual(s),
project(s), or products(s)/devices(s) are acceptable.
The award
is sponsored by AF&PA/American Wood Council. It consists of
an engraved plaque and an honorarium, and will be presented at the
Forest Products Society Annual Meeting in Bellevue/Seattle, WA,
June 22-25.
Nominations
and supporting information should be sent to the award committee
chair no later than April 4. Please send nominations to: John Janowiak,
Pennsylvania State University, 307 Forest Resources Lab, University
Park, PA 16802 or by e-mail: jjj2@psu.edu.
Texas
Department of Insurance Adopts Codes
AWC’s
recent testimony at a public hearing before the Texas Department
of Insurance’s (TDI) Commissioner of Insurance resulted in
adoption of the International Building Code (IBC) and International
Residential Code (IRC) in lieu of the department’s in-house
coastal construction code. AWC also urged that adoption of the 2000
editions of the IBC and IRC, as was being proposed, include reference
to the latest editions of the AF&PA National Design Specification®
(NDS®) for Wood Construction and Wood Frame Construction Manual
(WFCM) for One- and Two- Family Dwellings (2001 Editions). Adoption
of these new standards helps ensure that designers and building
officials are consistently applying the latest industry-recommended
wood design and construction provisions developed through a national
consensus process.
TDI
Seminar
In support
of the new Texas codes, AF&PA presented a two-day seminar for
the Texas Department of Insurance’s (TDI) engineering and
field inspection divisions. AWC’s newly completed WFCM Workbook
entitled Design of Wood Frame Buildings For High Wind, Snow, and
Seismic Loadings, provided key education for this agency, tasked
with enforcing high wind provisions for coastal Texas.
American
Wood Preservers Institute Outsourced
Effective Jan.
1, 2003, The American Wood Preservers Institute (AWPI) Board has
determined that in order to reduce costs while continuing to serve
the wood preserving industry, it will outsource management of the
organization to an association management firm, Drohan Management
Group.
AWPI will
continue to address requests for information on treated wood from
the media and public, monitor activity in the media, issue breaking
news reports to its membership, and maintain the existing AWPI website.
For more information, contact the institute at 703/204-0500 or visit
www.preservedwood.com.
Agenda
2020 Wood and Wood Composites Task Group Meets
AF&PA’s
Agenda 2020 Wood and Wood Composites Task Group met recently to
review existing research projects funded by the Department of Energy’s
(DOE) Office of Industrial Technology (OIT). Representatives from
industry and research who convened in Oak Ridge, TN, were also treated
to a tour of Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s (ORNL) Y-12 Plant
RF/ Microwave research units, the ORNL Building Technology Center,
and the Tennessee Forest Products Center of the University of Tennessee.
At a recent
meeting of AF&PA’s Chief Technology Officers (CTO) group,
which is responsible for oversight of the Agenda 2020 program, DOE
representatives indicated that the solicitation process would last
six months. Assuming that the RFP is made available in March, proposals
could be submitted as late as August 2003. A tentative schedule
would then be as follows:
- March 2003
DOE posts solicitations on the website
- August
2003 Proposals Due
- Sept/Oct
2003 Proposals reviewed by Task Groups and CTO Committee
- November
2003 Grants awarded
In anticipation
of the OIT solicitation, an effort is underway to further educate
the industry about the Agenda 2020 process, specifically as it relates
to wood products. An article will be published in the March 2003
issue of the Forest Products Journal, which provides an overview
of the Agenda 2020 program with respect to wood and wood composites
and development of the RFP. A similar article was published in the
November 2002 issue of the Technical Association for the Pulp and
Paper Industry’s (TAPPI) Solutions magazine.
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