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NY Code Council Rejects I-Joist Ban
Culminating a year-long effort, AWC successfully opposed
a more restrictive local standard (MRLS) proposed for implementation
by the Village of East Hills, NY. All local amendmentsin New York State
must first be approved by the New York State Codes Council, and the
one offered by East Hills would have effectively eliminated use of
engineered wood products, particularly I-joists and metal-plate connected
trusses.
Following this
issue closely, in July 2005 AWC provided written arguments to staff
at the N.Y.Department of State, Codes Division for
their use in analyzing the East Hills MRLS. The
AWC analysis emphasized the lack of substantiation forconditions unique
to East Hills, as required
under New York law. Following AWC testimony at
the December Codes Council hearing on the EastHills request, the Council
voted unanimously to
reject the East Hills application, protecting the
local market for engineered wood products.
At the hearing,
AWC also testified on the
broader implications of local use of MRLS's,
as the State had identified as many as 80 communities
which claim to have
MRLS's, but have never
applied for State approval. AWC advocated for
a more pro-active approach by the Codes Division,
including notifying those communities that their
MRLS cannot be enforced. As a result of that
additional
testimony, the Codes Division was instructed by
the Council to contact each of
these communities and (1) notify them that state
law requires a filing within 30 days of enacting
an MRLS or it may not be enforced; and (2)
ask each community for a copy of its MRLS.
For more information,
contact Sam Francis at 610/869-4774.
2005 AWC Seminar Attendance
2005 concludes as another good year for the American
Wood Council's (AWC) technical education targeting designers and building
officials. Thirty-five technical seminars were presented to more than
9,300 participants, providing information on design and use of traditional
and engineered products. With each seminar averaging 4 1/4 hours, there
were in excess of 14,319 contact hours in 2005. The most popular offerings
continue to be the two-day or one-day Wood Design Workshops where participants
use the WFCM Workbook to design a real house.
For most live contact
training programs, seminar attendees receive special
discounts on publication purchases, a comprehensive seminar kit, and
a certificate upon seminar
completion. Many state building officials, 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, e-mail your request to awceducation@afandpa.org,
stating in which seminar 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.
AF&PA is an accredited provider of Continuing Education by the American
Institute of Architects(AIA), International Association
for Continuing Education and Training (IACET), American
Institute of Building Designers
(AIBD), and International Codes Council (ICC). For
more information, contact Robert Taylor at 202/463-2771.
Revised Design Standard Approved by ANSI
AF&PA's Special
Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) was
approved by ANSI as an American National Standard on
October 26, 2005, with the designation ANSI/AF&PA SDPWS-2005. The
SDPWS covers materials, design and construction of
wood members, fasteners, and assemblies to resist wind
and seismic forces, and
is applicable to either allowable
stress design (ASD) or load and resistance factor design
(LRFD). Criteria for proportioning, design, and detailing
of engineered wood systems,
members, and connections in lateral force resisting
systems is included. Nominal shear capacities of diaphragms
and shear walls are provided for
reference assemblies. The ASD/LRFD SDPWS was first
issued in 2002. To download a freecopy of the 2005
SDPWS, link to the SDPWS page at: http://www.awc.org/Standards/SDPWS.html.
AWC Supports Reconstruction Efforts in Gulf Coast
American Wood
Council staff continue
to support reconstruction efforts along the Gulf Coast. With AWC
support, Louisiana recently passed legislation adopting the International
Building Code and International Residential Code
throughout the state.
This statewide building code retains references to
the current edition of the Wood Frame Construction Manual for One-
and Two-Family Dwellings
(WFCM). The legislation also established a State
Uniform Construction Code Council to process proposed amendments
to the code. AWC has distributed
free copies of its WFCM to the Council to familiarize
its members with important provisions for construction in hurricane-prone
areas.
Additionally,
AWC is participating in regular discussions held
by the Department of Energy to address ways to
save energy in reconstructed buildings along
the Gulf Coast.
Participants in the open conference calls include
HUD, FEMA,NAHB, Habitat for Humanity, Louisiana
StateUniversity, and the U.S.
Green Buildings Council,as well as other groups.
In addition to energy savings, the discussions
include green building implementation. For more
information, contact Dennis Pitts at 972/690-0242.
Adopt-a-University
Program Aids Iowa State
Weyerhaeuser has provided
12 copies of AF&PA's Allowable Stress Design
(ASD) Manual for Engineered Wood Construction to Iowa State University
students in its Timber and Masonry Design Course, CE 536. Responding
to the Weyerhaeuser donation, Professor Max Porter said, "We are
very appreciative to Weyerhaeuser for the sponsorship of the new ASD/NDS
manuals for use in our class CE 536. The use of these manuals is very
important for the students to learn to use the wood and timber values
for engineering design of wood and timber structures." Weyerhaeuser
will also provide a guest lecturer to speak about engineered wood products
applications.
For more
information on how your company can sponsor AF&PA
publications for students, contact Buddy Showalter
at 202/463-2769.
NY Codes Council Addresses Energy Code
At the Codes Council's
September meeting, AWC was asked to testify on proposed
changes to the state energy code.
Despite AWC arguments against parts of a proposed
new energy code, the Council nonetheless voted to approve
it. However, at the request
of the homebuilders association, the energy code
adoption was reconsidered at the December meeting.
Unfortunately, any delay to adopting the energy
code would also delay adoption of the International
Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code
(IRC). A later public comment and
hearing period will allow for the consideration of
technical changes to the energy code without jeopardizing
adoption of the IBC and IRC.
For more information,
contact Sam Francis at 610/869-4774.
PBS Films at AWC
When expertise on
disaster resistant home design
and construction was needed for a television
documentary, the Public Broadcasting Service
(PBS) turned to AF&PA's American Wood
Council. On September 16, a PBS film crew spent
the morning with AWC staff, filming for an hour-long
episode to be shown this Fall on good design
and new products available to increase the disaster
resistance of homes.
Through on-camera
interviews, PBS viewers will be educated by AWC staff on proper design
for
homes and small businesses that may be threatened
not only by hurricanes, but by earthquakes and
wildfires as well. The PBS taping allowed AWC
staff to share how wood can play an important role
in helping designers, builders, and homeowners
make their homes more disaster resistant.
Additionally, the
industry's Wood Frame Construction Manual, specifically developed by
AF&PA for aiding design of buildings in high
wind, snow, or seismic areas, was highlighted, and
hopefully will receive considerable PBS air time
as the U.S. Southeast begins its post-Katrina, post-
Rita rebuilding process.
Watch the documentary online here...
For more information,
contact Brad Douglas at 202/463-2770.
Adopt-a-University
Program Aids University of Alabama
Trus Joist - A Weyerhaeuser Business
recently provided 24 copies of AF&PA's 2005 National
Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction
and 2005 NDS Supplement to the University
of Alabama's (UA) Wood Design Course
students. Professor Michael Triche will be teaching
the Wood Structural Design course in which
students learn to design a light frame wood
building located in a high wind zone.
According
to Professor Triche, "The lack of state funding has
resulted in increased tuition throughout much of
the country, so students are already paying more.
Our structural design courses require a textbook
and the IBC referenced code; for wood it's the
NDS. Therefore, students have to buy two books
for the same class." He says, "Industry support is
mutually beneficial to all involved. Students not
only have part of their book costs defrayed, but
they are able to interact with design professionals,
which improves student interest. Professors'
interaction with industry professionals keeps us up
to date and leads to improved teaching and ideas
for research. Lastly, our industry partners have
input into the education of their future employees.
The Civil & Environmental Engineering program
at The University of Alabama is very appreciative
of the continued support provided to our program
by Trus-Joist, both in donating materials and in
hiring our graduates." For more information
on how your company can sponsor AF&PA publications for students, contact
Buddy Showalter at 202/463-2769.
Wood Engineering
Young Engineer Award Presented to Doug Rammer
AWC recently presented the FPS
Wood Engineering Young Engineer Award to Doug Rammer at
the Forest Products Society International Convention.
Mr. Rammer is a research scientist at the
USDA Forest Products Lab.
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
2005 Wood Engineering Achievement Award was
given for Young Engineer.
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 Mr. Rammer, the Judging Committee
considered the following information submitted
by those who nominated him:
"During his tenure,
he has made outstanding contributions to the field of wood engineering
in
the following areas: 1) connection design, 2)
strength of notched beams, 3) column design and
4) shear strength of beams. By focusing his work
on challenging issues in wood engineering,
Doug's research has significantly influenced
development of the National Design Specification
for Wood Construction (NDS) and AF&PA/ASCE
16 Standard for Load and Resistance Factor
Design (LRFD) for Engineered Wood Construction.
Doug has also been an active participant in
committees responsible for development of the
NDS, AF&PA/ASCE 16, and ASTM standards for
wood." For more information,
contact Buddy Showalter at 202/463-2769.
2006 FPS
Wood Engineering Achievement Award Nominations Open
The Call for Nominations for the 2006 Forest
Products Society (FPS) Wood Engineering
Achievement Award has been announced. This
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 achievement and innovation.
In 2006, the
award is designated for engineering innovation.
The Engineering Innovation Award honors
specific, creative contributions to the discipline.
These contributions may, or may not, have
reached the marketplace, but they offer high
potential. Nominations of individual(s), project(s),
or product(s)/device(s) are acceptable. The Wood
Engineering Achievement Award Committee of
the Wood Engineering Division will evaluate
nominations. This committee consists of three
FPS members representing academia, industry,
and government. This award has been sponsored
by AWC in cooperation with FPS since its inception.
Send nominations
and supporting information in electronic format to the Award Committee
Chair no later than April 5, 2006. Supporting
information should include background information
and letters of support. Send Nomination
Packages by e-mail before April 5, 2006 to:
Bohumil Kasal, Professor, Pennsylvania State
University, 212 Sackett Bldg.,University Park, PA
16802-1408. E-mail: bo_kasal@engr.psu.edu.
TECO Donates Texts to University
TECO sponsored
the donation of copies of the 2001 ASD Manual for engineering
students at
Oregon State University this spring. The materials
will be used in the Wood Design course
offered by the Department of Wood Science and
Engineering at the university.
TECO is North America’s third-party certification
and testing agency of structural panel products.
They evaluate and certify OSB, plywood,
particleboard, MDF and agrifiber panels produced
throughout North, Central and South
America, as well as Europe.
If your company
is interested in sponsoring students in other timber engineering courses,
contact Buddy Showalter at 202/463-2769.
Green Building Newsletter Introduced
The Green
Building Initiative (GBI) has introduced the GBI News,
an e-newsletter offering
the latest news about the work of GBI and its
most recent successes. The new not-for-profit
organization was established to promote green
building to mainstream builders, architects,
developers and others who want manageable
options for designing and building energyefficient
and environmentally sustainable
structures. The GBI is supported by a broad
cross section of organizations and individuals
with an interest in residential and commercial
construction—including the wood industry.
To
view GBI’s inaugural e-newsletter, the GBI
News, go to www.eltondesigns.com/GBINews. For more information, contact
www.thegbi.org.
2005 NDS® Approved by ANSI
The 2005 Edition of
the National Design Specification® for Wood Construction was approved as an American
National Standard on January 6, 2005,
with a designation ANSI/AF&PA NDS-2005. The 2005 NDS was developed
as a dual format specification incorporating design provisions
for both allowable
stress design (ASD) and load and resistance factor design (LRFD).
AWC’s
Wood Design Standards Committee (WDSC) guided it through the ANSI
consensus process over the course of 2½ years. The NDS is adopted
in all model building codes in the U.S. and is used to design
wood structures worldwide. Publication of the new NDS is expected
first quarter
of 2005.
Articles appear in
the Winter 2004 edition of Wood Design Focus about the contents
and application of the 2005 NDS. For a sneak peak on what the
new NDS contains, click
here. Wood Design Focus is a journal
of the Forest Products Society and is one of the benefits of
Design Professional Membership. AWC plans to post a new eCourse on the 2005
NDS by the end of the first quarter of 2005.
For more information,
contact Buddy Showalter at 202/463-2769.
ICC
Publishes WFCM Workbook
In a cooperative
agreement with AWC, the International Code Council (ICC) has published
Design of Wood Frame Buildings for High Wind, Snow, and Seismic
Loadings (WFCM Workbook). The WFCM Workbook provides
a design example, typical checklist, and background information
related to design of a wood frame structure in accordance with
AF&PA’s Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two- Family
Dwellings, 2001 Edition.
The design example uses plans from a two-story residence as the
basis for a structural design to resist wind, seismic and snow loads.
Reaction to the WFCM and WFCM Workbook has been
extremely positive. “I want to master the WFCM. I’m convinced
it is the ‘holy grail’ to allow me to do custom residential in a
timely manner,” says Bill Polhemus, Polhemus Engineering Company,
Katy, TX. “Very nicely done.”
To further assist designers in “mastering the WFCM,” AWC
has developed a full-day seminar called the Design of Wood Frame
Buildings Workshop (AWC207). This 7-hour course, which provides
valuable continuing education units (CEU), gives an overview
of
provisions for the 2001 NDS® and 2001 WFCM.
Participants then apply their knowledge through the detailed structural
design of a twostory house subjected to 120 mph wind and seismic
design category D1 loads (actual load conditions near Charleston,
SC); including the design of all components, diaphragms, shear walls,
and connections.
For more information regarding the WFCM Workbook and Seminar,
visit AWC’s website.
Experts Review Recent Hurricane Damage
The American Wood Council participated in a
recent day-long review—held by the Florida
Building Commission—of Hurricanes Charley,
Frances, Ivan and Jeanne. The objective of the
review was to discuss preliminary assessments
of hurricane wind speeds and building damage
that resulted from exposure to the hurricane
force winds.
Presenters
at the meeting discussed methodologies employed to measure wind
speeds and various
limitations inherent in each. There were notable
differences in the methodologies employed by each
participating organization. The expert consensus
was that the one-minute sustained winds of the four
hurricanes were approximately:
| Hurricane |
Miles per Hour |
| Charley |
137 |
| Frances |
104 |
| Ivan |
109 |
| Jeanne |
104 |
As reported
in the September/October issue of IMPACT, Charley was an extremely
compact but
powerful storm. Because of its size and quick
movement, it did not create a large storm surge.
Destruction was primarily a result of its winds.
Yet, because Hurricane Charley was considered a
design event, the amount of destruction should not
have been so great. Wind speeds in the other storms were slightly less than full design, but the
large size of these other three and their slow
movement caused a large storm surge and extensive
flood damage. Wind damage was also widespread.
Experts
also addressed other aspects of the four hurricanes:
- Rick Dixon of the Florida
Department of Community Affairs gave an overview of
damage done to recently constructed buildings.
His conclusion, like AWC’s, was that newer
structures built to current building codes
performed quite well.
- Dr. Tim
Reinhold presented findings of the Institute of Business and
Home Safety (IBHS).
He concluded that current building code requirements
are generally satisfactory, and
buildings constructed to current code provisions
fared quite well. Dr. Reinhold also noted, as did
AWC, that manufactured homes built after
1994 performed fairly well, but those same
types of building constructed before 1994 were
severely damaged as a result of high winds. He
advocated even higher standards than currently
exist for manufactured housing—the same
standards as site-built structures. Further, he
noted his concern for fatigue of building products,
especially metallic materials and roofing.
He said that research is urgently needed on the
durability of building products and systems.
Lastly, he questioned the allowable 1.3 stress
increase for some building materials. However,
Dr. Reinhold specifically mentioned that the
load duration factor for wood members was not
of concern.
- Richard
Reynolds of the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) also
concluded that houses
built according to building code provisions
fared exceedingly well. He did admit that one
of the problems of code compliance is the
inconsistent level of knowledge in tradespeople performing structural work on houses.
Although
experts agreed that current building
code provisions are generally adequate, they
recommended further research and attention to
retrofitting existing structures to resist hurricane
force winds. According to some, accurate wind
measurement is expected to greatly improve over
the next ten years due to technological advances
and increased federal funding.
For more information, contact Dr. Jeffrey Stone
at 727/367-0531.
Green Building Initiative Website Unveiled
The Green Building
Initiative (GBI) has launched their new website at
http://www.thegbi.com. The GBI, a not-for-profit educational organization,
helps builders, developers, architects, building owners and others
interested in residential and commercial construction better understand
green building. Through the GBI website, users can now access Green
Globes, the first interactive, web-based, commercial green building
assessment protocol available in the United States. Green Globes guides
the integration of “green” principles into a building’s
design by identifying
a building’s environmental strengths and weaknesses and
instantly recommending sustainable design improvements.
The GBI has also been active in residential green
building through the National Association of
Home Builders (NAHB) Model Green Home
Building Guidelines. The NAHB residential
guidelines, currently being pilot-tested, are expected
to be officially launched in January.
For
more information, contact Robert Glowinski at
202/463-2768.
Upcoming Hurricane Symposium: Tough Lessons Lead to Safer Buildings
Stronger building codes for hurricane-prone
regions is the goal of a February meeting. Tomorrow’s homes
and buildings will stand up
better to hurricanes as a result of what is learned
from the 2004 hurricane season. Building safety
professionals, government officials, engineers,
architects, insurance professionals, building
owners and the public will share information to
support construction of stronger, safer structures
to better protect lives and property. The Hurricane
Symposium, Feb. 11–13, 2005, in Tampa,
FL, will assess the impact of Hurricanes Charley,
Frances, Ivan and Jeanne.
Hurricane
Symposium participants will examine the effects of four unprecedented,
consecutive
hurricanes. The public forum will include
discussions of the effects of wind and water on
buildings and structures and analysis of how the
storms impacted hurricane preparedness and
disaster response.
“The
hurricane symposium is an important, initial step in identifying
which structures held
up well during the storms and which structures
did not,” said International Code Council (ICC)
CEO James Lee Witt. “When the final analyses
are complete, ICC will use this information to
enhance standards used for hurricane-resistant
construction and enhance public safety in
hurricane-prone areas.”
“The
Florida Building Commission (FBC) will
use the hurricane symposium as an opportunity to
gain additional insight into building performance
during the four storms,” said Commission Chairman
Raul Rodriguez, AIA. “It will provide
valuable information for our evaluation and
updating of the state’s future building codes.”
The Hurricane
Symposium will consist of one
day of presentations on Feb. 11 and two days of
committee meetings on Feb. 12-13. A report of
all proceedings of the symposium will be
distributed by ICC and the Florida Department
of Community Affairs (DCA).
Expected
topics of discussion include the
performance of roof, window and door systems,
water penetration, the impact of wind-borne
debris, mobile home performance, power
distribution infrastructures and public communication
during the hurricanes.
The International
Code Council currently has three committees addressing hurricane-related
issues: Hurricane Resistant Construction; Storm
Shelter; and Disaster Response. Each of these
committees will meet during the Hurricane
Symposium.
For
more information on the Hurricane Symposium and to register,
visit www.iccsafe.org/hurricane. Registration is free and attendees
may have the opportunity to earn Continuing
Upcoming Hurricane Symposium: Tough Lessons Lead to Safer Buildings
Education Units (CEUs) and Learning Units
(LUs), pending approval from state licensing
boards. The meetings will be held at the
Embassy Suites USF/Busch Gardens in
Tampa, FL.
Co-sponsors
of the Hurricane Symposium are
the ICC, the Florida DCA/FBC, the Institute
for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), the
Building Officials Association of Florida
(BOAF), the Federal Alliance for Safe
Homes (FLASH), the Federal Emergency
Management Agency (FEMA) and the
Structural Engineering Institute (SEI).
For
more information, contact Dr. Jeffrey Stone at 727/367-0531.
AWC Educational Initiatives
The American
Wood Council (AWC) has completed another good year of
providing technical education to its
target audiences of designers and
building officials. Fifty-three technical
seminars to more than 7,200 participants
provided information on design and use
of traditional and engineered wood
products. With each seminar averaging
nearly two hours, there were in excess
of 15,200 contact hours in 2004.
For most
live contact training programs, seminar attendees receive special
discounts on publication purchases, a
comprehensive seminar kit and CD, 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. To arrange a
seminar for your state or local chapter,
e-mail your request to awc_education@afandpa.org, stating
in which seminar you are interested, and the size of your
group. For upcoming seminar events, visit the AWC
website.
AF&PA is an accredited provider of Continuing Education by
the American Institute of Architects, American Institute of
Building Designers, and International Association for Continuing
Education and Training.
For more
information, contact Dr. Robert Taylor at 202/463-2771.
American Wood Council Receives Thanks for Donated Texts
The American
Wood Council and Boise Engineered Wood Products have partnered
to donate copies of the
LRFD Manual for Engineered Wood Construction and
the 2001 National Design Specification® for Wood
Construction to the Wood Science and Forest Products Program at
Virginia
Polytechnic Institute and State University.
To most of
the students in the Civil Engineering program at Virginia Tech,
the course in Design of Wood Structures represents their only
exposure to
wood engineering. Daniel Hindman, Ph.D., an assistant professor
at
Virginia Tech, wrote to Boise that, “[w]ith the rising costs
of textbooks
and tuition, the students were genuinely appreciative that a
company
would make such a donation.” Dr. Hindman said that the students
commented
to him that none of the steel or concrete companies were willing
to
donate textbooks. “The prices of books have been rising steadily
and we
greatly appreciate your generous offer that has
saved us a significant amount of money,” wrote
Garth Wilkin, a student in Dr. Hindman’s class.
Another student, Seth Pritchett, wrote, “[t]hese
texts have been integral parts of my learning
experience this semester with regard to timber
structures. It is unlikely that this course would
exist in its current state without these texts, and I
would like to express my gratitude for them…I’m
certain that future students will benefit as much
from these reference materials as I have.”
More
than 40 manuals were distributed to students; many of whom already
have huge financial
burdens. The donated materials saved the students
the added expense of reference materials for the
course in Wood Design as well as provided an
essential resource in understanding engineered
wood construction.
“Your
generosity is greatly appreciated and the donation certainly
enhanced our learning environment,” wrote student Anthony Verdi. “The
books were instrumental in understanding and applying
the theories and practices set forth in our wood
design class.” And, according to student Malak
Bahram Bahrami, donating materials such as the
NDS and LRFD to engineering students “…will
increase the quality of work performed by engineers
in the world of tomorrow.”
On behalf
of all Virginia Tech wood design students, AWC thanks Boise for
their generous
donation.
If your company
is interested in sponsoring students in other timber engineering
courses,
contact Buddy Showalter at 202/463-2769.
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