|
|
|
|
Archives
| Awareness
Level Firefighter Training |
| Despite
the successful conclusion of the partnership with
the United States Fire Administration, AWC is continuing
its effort to reach out to the U.S. fire service
with educational materials. Recently, the CD developed
under the partnership, containing a wealth of educational
material for the fire service, was improved and
duplicated for distribution. In addition to a message
from Richard Jaehne, Director of the Illinois Fire
Service Institute, the |
|
|
CD
contains eight wood industry Resource Guides, and
educational materials that demonstrate
typical house framing. As requests for CD's are received
from AWC’s www.woodaware.info website,
they will be distributed to the fire service.
For
more information, contact Dr. Kuma Sumathipala
at kuma_sumathipala@afandpa.org or
202/463-2763.
|
Green
Building Standardization
|
| With
the emergence of green building as an issue and opportunity,
a number of parallel efforts have been underway to
develop standards for evaluating and describing green
buildings. AF&PA staff have been participating
in a number of these standardization groups. Reports
on the activities within three of these groups follow. For
more information on any of these stories, contact Kenneth
Bland at kenneth_bland@afandpa.org or
202/463-2765. |
| |
| ASHRAE/USGBC/IESNA
189P |
Proposed
Standard 189, Standard for the Design of High-Performance
Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential
Buildings is under development in an effort
jointly sponsored by the American Society of
Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning
Engineers (ASHRAE), the Illuminating Engineering
Society of North American (IESNA), and the
U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The
committee recently met to review
|
|
|
| comments
received on the first public draft of the proposed
standard.
Although AF&PA only enjoys observer status on this
committee, we were allowed to address a number of concerns
raised during the public comment period. As perhaps
expected from a committee dominated by non-industry
interests, they did not respond favorably to the majority
of comments submitted by the wood products industry.
Summarizing their actions, the committee: |
| |
| |
1. |
Took
no action to reduce restrictive provisions
on what constitutes an acceptable building
site. Most agricultural and timberland
will need to be out of production for a
10-year period before qualifying as a building
site. |
| |
|
|
| |
2. |
Took
no action to change the scope of the standard
for multi-family buildings. Currently,
multi-family construction of “more
than three stories” is required to
comply with the standard. |
| |
|
|
|
 |
| |
3. |
Favorably
resolved an incorrect reference to the permitted
trade of endangered wood species as addressed
by the Convention on International Trade in
Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
(CITES). |
| |
|
|
| |
4. |
Took
no action to reduce the required thermal resistance
(R) values for wood frame structures. |
| |
|
| |
5. |
Allowed
for the remediation of mold that appears
on building products during the course
of construction. Initially, a task group
recommended that products containing
mold be removed and replaced. |
| |
|
|
| |
6. |
Favorably
changed from requiring a “durability
plan” to a “service-life
plan.” |
|
 |
| |
|
|
| |
7. |
Took
no action to reference the recent California
Air Resource Board (CARB) emissions thresholds
for particleboard, medium density fiberboard,
and hardwood plywood in lieu of the current “no
added urea formaldehyde” requirement. |
| |
|
|
| |
8. |
Modified
a proposal that would have required sound transmission
ratings for exterior walls to be based solely
on the more restrictive outdoor-indoor transmission
class (OITC), rather than the more common sound
transmission classification (STC) system. Correlated
OITC ratings will be included as an alternative
to STC. |
| |
|
|
A
building products group has raised a challenge related
to the scope statement approved by ASHRAE and USGBC.
The challenge is of concern to the committee, since
the current scope statement does not contain the word “construction,” yet
the standard contains construction requirements. The
scope currently limits the standard to the “design” of
green buildings. This is a fine point, but one that
seems to be of concern to the committee and may delay
publication of the standard. |
| NAHB
Residential Green Building Standards |
NAHB’s
ANSI consensus committee, which is developing
the residential green building rating system,
met recently at NAHB headquarters to resolve
committee and public comments on the latest draft
of the NAHB Residential Green Building Standard.
There were approximately 1,000 comments submitted
by committee members and the public.
AF&PA submitted a number of comments on the public draft version,
including proposals on:
|
Advanced
Framing |
|
Termite
Resistant Construction |
|
Definition
of Engineered Wood Products |
|
Bio-based
Materials |
|
Abundant
Resources |
|
|
|
Important
action remains on a proposal by the Kitchen Cabinet
Manufacturers Association (KCMA) to recognize their
Environmental Stewardship Program and inclusion of
a formaldehyde emission threshold for particleboard,
as approved by the California Air Resource Board (CARB).
NAHB hopes to announce release of the standard at the 2008 International
Builders Show in February 2008. |
| Academic
Comparison of Green Building Standards |
Writing
in the September edition of the Forest Products
Journal, Dr. Jim Bowyer, Professor Emeritus at
the University of Minnesota, compared seven green building
programs in an article titled, Green Building Programs – Are
They Really Green? Comparing LEED, Green Globes,
Seattle Built Green, Austin Green Building, California
Green Builder, Built Green Colorado, and Wisconsin
Green-Built program, the article highlights deficiencies
in the LEED for New Construction and LEED for Homes
standards on the use of wood for construction. Dr.
Bowyer writes that the identification of environmentally
preferable materials has been haphazard within the
LEED standards, and is based on little more than “personal
bias, intuition, internal politics and single attributes.”
The article goes on to commend the Green Globes program for favoring the
use of materials that minimize resource depletion, are highly durable,
and minimize waste. The author concludes that green building programs are
effectively encouraging more responsible building practices, but basic
changes must be made to eliminate the current bias against wood products.
None of the green building programs examined in the study require certification
of any other materials than wood, and the article asks if wood is being
held to a higher social and scientific standard, shouldn’t all other
materials be as well?
For a copy of the article, please contact Victoria
Lockhart at 202/463-5177, victoria_lockhart@afandpa.org. |
| ICC
Balanced Fire Protection Study Group |
The
Balanced Fire Protection Study Group of ICC's Code
Technology Committee (CTC) reviewed code change proposals
that impact balanced fire protection (height and area
issues). The Study Group endorsed its own proposals
and rejected all efforts to reduce allowable heights
and areas submitted by the Alliance for Fire and Smoke
Containment and various California fire service interests.
The CTC then considered proposals on balanced fire protection, terror-resistant
buildings, climbable guards, carbon monoxide detectors, and care facilities
issues. The CTC endorsed all of the Study Group’s proposals
and voted to oppose all efforts to reduce allowable heights and areas!
This is an important endorsement for height and area issues. The CTC endorsements
followed AWC's recommendations in every case.
For more information, contact Sam Francis at 610/869-4774
or sam_francis@afandpa.org. |
| New
Design Guidance for Timber Rivet Connections |
Timber
rivet connections have been used successfully in many
structures over the past 30 years and are a versatile
means of making large-scale timber connections functionally
and aesthetically possible. Although part of U.S. and
Canadian structural wood design codes, unfortunately
there are few published design examples to aid designers—until
now.
|
|
|
A
new document, available free from www.awc.org,
provides a summary of the 2005 NDS® design
process for timber rivet connections, along with comprehensive
comments on design issues of common interest. Features
and installation, connection strength and failure limit
states, moisture issues, moment resisting applications,
and seismic connections are all covered.
The 2005 NDS timber
rivet design process is completely explained and a handy
flowchart is provided to illustrate the flow of the design process. The design
process for timber rivets is demonstrated through three worked examples
of typical connections using allowable stress design
(ASD) and load resistance factor design (LRFD).
Free download at: http://www.awc.org/pdf/TimberRivetConnections.pdf
For more information, contact Dr. Robert Taylor at robert_taylor@afandpa.org. |
| Adopt-a-University
Program: UNLV + Roseburg |
|
The
University of Nevada, Las Vegas’s Howard
R. Hughes College of Engineering, received
a donation of 25
|
| copies
of the 2005 Wood Design Package for
its Design of Timber Structures course from
Roseburg Forest Products. Professor Ladkany
and Assistant Professor Aly Said are both |
| grateful
for the donation made possible
by Bill Bolduc of A.C. Houston Lumber Company
and John Assman, Territory Sales Manager for
Roseburg. |
|
For
more information on how your company can sponsor university
students, contact Buddy
Showalter at 202/463-2769 or buddy_showalter@afandpa.org. | |
California
to Implement New Fire
and Building Codes Beginning January 2008
|
| Kate
Dargan, California State Fire Marshal, has announced
that California will be instituting new building
fire regulations, beginning January 2008, to address
urban wildland interface (UWI) fires. Under the new
regulations, residential construction in state responsibility
(regulated) areas or very high fire hazard severity
zones would be required to meet new fire |
|
performance
criteria for walls, eaves, decks,
and windows. The new requirements for ignition-resistant
materials in these locations are intended to prevent burning
embers from entering and igniting the building. A map of
the designated areas is available on the CAL FIRE website
at: www.fire.ca.gov/wildland_zones.php.
For more information, contact David Tyree at david_tyree@afandpa.org or
719/633-7471. |
AWC/ICC
Release New
Wood Deck Construction Guide |
AF&PA’s
American Wood Council (AWC) and the International Code
Council (ICC) announced publication of Design for
Code Acceptance (DCA) No. 6 - Prescriptive Residential
Deck Construction Guide. This new document provides
guidance on the ICC's International Residential
Code (IRC) provisions for single-level residential
wood deck construction.
“Information like this is imperative because it provides easy-to-understand
code compliant construction solutions for wood-frame residential decks,” stated
Kenneth E. |
|
Bland,
P.E., AWC’s Senior Director for Building Codes and
Standards. “Working closely with ICC ensures that the Deck
Guide gets to designers, builders, and the code enforcement
community quickly and efficiently.”
With a strong need in residential construction for simple design tools,
AWC has developed this new easy-to-use Guide for builders and
home owners who are constructing single level decks in all areas of the
country. The new publication is co-branded with ICC and Fairfax County,
Virginia.
“The Deck Guide will be highly effective in improving the construction
and safety of wood decks. It provides simplified solutions and detailed drawings,
and will improve construction consistency and building code compliance,” said
Mark Johnson, Senior Vice President of Business and Product Development for ICC.
Prescriptive solutions presented in the Guide are in compliance
with the 2006 IRC. Use of the Guide will result in design
solutions that prescriptively meet the requirements of the IRC.
Additional provisions, not included as requirements in the IRC,
are contained in the document and are considered good practice recommendations.
The Guide was developed with input from, and in cooperation with,
the National Association of Home Builders, ICC, Fairfax County (Virginia),
Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Virginia Tech, Washington State University,
WTCA-Representing the Structural Building Components Industry, Southern
Pine Inspection Bureau, APA-The Engineered Wood Association, and the Southern
Forest Products Association.
For more information, contact John “Buddy” Showalter
at buddy_showalter@afandpa.org.
To download a free copy, visit www.awc.org. |
| Online
Heights and Areas Calculator Updated |
The
AWC Heights and Areas Calculator was recently updated and
re-launched on the AWC website. The calculator determines
maximum heights and areas for buildings of various occupancies
and fire protection based on 2006 IBC provisions
for combustible construction types III through V.
In the new Calculator, as users input basic data for a building, allowable
construction types are determined. For multi-story buildings, the maximum
single floor area can be any size up to the total building floor area.
Calculations, however, are currently limited to single occupancy buildings.
One handy feature included in the new version determines the minimum width
of open space around the building based on the weighted width of public
way or open space provisions from the 2006 IBC. Buildings can
be of any shape, as long as they are four-sided.
An extensive Help page for understanding background calculations and terms,
along with examples, is also available. |
|
|
The
new Heights and Areas calculator is available at: http://www.awc.org/calculators/IBCheightarea/IBCHeightArea.html
or from the icon pictured above under Calculators on the AWC website homepage.
For more information, contact Dr. Robert Taylor at robert_taylor@afandpa.org or
202/463-2771.
|
Adopt-a-University
Program: U. Wisconsin
+ U. Alabama |
The
University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Fall
Timber Engineering class received a donation of thirty 2005
Wood Design Packages. iLevel by Weyerhaeuser provided
the manuals to engineering students in Professor Steve
Cramer’s class.
|
|
 |
“The
most meaningful way to attract new students to
wood engineering is to lower the barrier of entry
for learning. Providing manuals and design information
necessary for them to begin to explore wood structural
design is a great opportunity which our students
and our university sincerely appreciate,” said
Cramer, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs in the
College of Engineering.
iLevel also donated 20 copies of the 2005 Wood
|
Design Package to
the University of Alabama’s Department of Civil, Construction & Environmental
Engineering. Professor Michael Triche is teaching the fall
Wood Design course to a growing number of students.
“With the cost of education continually on the climb, the students truly
appreciate the generous support of iLevel in providing Wood Design Manuals for
everyone enrolled in our CE 436/536 Structural Wood Design class. Through their
support, iLevel by Weyerhaeuser helps us promote wood and educate more structural
wood designers for the future,” said Dr. Kenneth J. Fridley, Professor
and Head of the Department of Civil,
| Construction, & Environmental
Engineering at the University of Alabama. |
|
For more information on
how your company can sponsor university students, contact Buddy
Showalter at 202/463-2769 or buddy_showalter@afandpa.org.
|
| ICC
Chooses AWC to Write Portions of a New Publication |
 |
ICC
recently asked AWC’s Southwest Regional Engineer,
David Tyree, to rewrite a new chapter in an updated
ICC publication titled Building Department Administration.
The first edition of the book was published in 1973
by the late Robert E. O’Bannon and was later
updated in 1989 by Roy Fewell, a building official
in California. The third edition, updated and released
in July 2007, is a major rewrite of the publication
to address significant changes in building codes
over the past 18 years. Mr. Tyree was asked to
|
rewrite
Chapter 2, "Building Codes and Federal Influences." Of
the 23 authors chosen to assist in the rewrite of this publication,
Mr. Tyree was the only industry representative asked to participate.
For more information, please contact Kenneth Bland
at 202/463-2765 or at kenneth_bland@afandpa.org. |
| ASTM
Standards Development |
ASTM
is balloting the draft Standard Specification for
the Minimum Attributes of a Building that Promotes
Sustainability. AF&PA’s Dr. Jeffrey
Stone chairs this activity.
In particular, the Task Group focused on determination of appropriate “minimum” requirements
consistent with principles described in ASTM E2432 - Guide for
General Principles
of Sustainability |
|
Relative
to Buildings,
and the guiding
principles set forth in the “Federal Leadership in
High Performance and Sustainable Buildings Memorandum of
Understanding” (2006).
There are a wide variety of design guides, metrics, and tools associated
with green building, life cycle assessment, and sustainability assessment.
Each produces its own unique report, including, in some cases, a score
for environmental performance. The Task Group carefully reviewed various
guides, metrics, and tools available (including rating programs such as
LEED, Green Globes, Austin Green Builder, NAHB, HERS, Energy Star, etc.)
in the development of this standard.
This proposed new standard will establish a common baseline for developing
claims regarding a “green” building, and promote consistency
in the market for reporting sustainability aspects relative to building.
As is common for ASTM, the new standard allows for self-reporting as well
as third party reporting. |
| American
Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers
(ASHRAE) |
| ASHRAE
reports that 225 individuals filed proposed modifications
to the public comment draft of SPC 189 Standard
for High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise
Residential Buildings. The committee plans to
review all chapters and related comments at their upcoming
meeting. The committee chair has stated that only comments
that affect policy and challenges to |
|
current
provisions will be considered.
ASHRAE 189P is not intended as a rating system, but rather provides a set
of provisions for advanced green building design. The application of this
standard, relative to other rating systems, has yet to be determined. AF&PA
has been extensively involved to ensure that the standard reflects acceptable
wood products industry practices and interests. |
| ANSI/
GBI Green Globes |
 |
The
Green Globes Technical Committee met to review development
of the draft standard. Subcommittees have been meeting
regularly via conference call for the past nine months
to review existing Green Globes provisions and make
changes as appropriate. AF&PA has been actively
participating on the Resources
|
|
Subcommittee
and the Technical Committee. The committee approved release
of the draft standard for public comment.
The Resources Subcommittee recommended that the standard include reference
to the Assembly Estimator Tool (AET), developed by the ATHENA Institute.
The AET provides users with the ability to select building assemblies (walls,
floors, and roofs) based on life cycle assessment (LCA). Points are awarded
for assemblies that score above average on distinct environmental indicators
when compared to other typical assemblies. The introduction of the AET
into Green Globes makes this the first U.S. rating system to incorporate
LCA in a meaningful and useful manner. |
| ANSI/
NAHB Residential Green Building Standard |
The
full consensus committee for the ANSI/NAHB Residential
Green Building Standard met recently in Washington,
DC. The NAHB Research Center (NAHBRC) is serving as the ANSI
committee secretariat for the process. The purpose of the
meeting was to review subcommittee recommendations for addressing
first round public comments on the standard. There were approximately
350 comments requiring action by the consensus committee.
The standard is structured to require compliance with certain mandatory
provisions, which may contain points. Additional points necessary to achieve
a predefined level are selected from an assortment of available provisions.
The Resource chapter contains few mandatory provisions, all of which are
identical to requirements of the International Residential Code.
Completion of the standard is on an accelerated schedule. NAHBRC released
the draft standard for public review on August 10, 2007, with a closing
date of September 24, 2007. Committee action on public comments will be
completed by October 2007. NAHB is planning to release the Standard at
the International Builders Show in February 2008.
For more information, contact Kenneth Bland at 202/463-2765
or kenneth_bland@afandpa.org. |
| Wood
Engineering Achievement Award: Dr. Roy Pellerin |
 |
John "Buddy" Showalter
(right), AWC Director - Technical Media, presents
the 2007 Wood Engineering Achievement Award to
Dr. Roy Pellerin (left), formerly of Washington
State University.
|
|
AWC
sponsored and presented the 2007 Wood Engineering Achievement
Award at the 61st International Convention of the Forest
Products Society (FPS) to Dr. Roy Pellerin, formerly of Washington
State University. This year’s award was in the category
of Lifetime Achievement.
The nomination stated, “…His leadership in the development
of nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques for wood products has led
to remarkable advances in grading and quality control in the manufacturing
process for both solid sawn lumber and advanced wood-based composites..
In addition, Roy's development of stress wave inspection techniques continues
to impact the fields of structural and forensic engineering by bringing
a quantifiable scientific basis to traditional qualitative methods for
assessing the integrity of timber structures. Both of these “outgrowths” from
Roy’s research have provided meaningful improvements in the safety
and reliability of wood structures, thus enhancing public safety.”
For more information, contact Buddy Showalter at
202/463-2769 or at buddy_showalter@afandpa.org. |
| Wood
Products Council Seeks to Fill New Positions |
The
Wood Products Council (WPC), working to grow the non-residential
market for wood, is seeking a Regional Manager and several
technical experts in each of three markets for its recently
launched program. The markets include California, the Southeast
(NC, SC, GA), and the North-central region (IL, MN, WI).
For more information, contact Dwight Yochim, Vice-President,
Wood Products Council – Non-residential Market Program,
at dwight@woodisgood.org. |
| Adopt-a-University
Program: iLevel + WSU |
iLevel
continued their support of Washington State University’s
Timber Design programs by providing copies of the 2005
Wood Design Package for two engineering courses,
CE 436 and CE 539. Eighty-five students are enrolled
in the Design of Timber Structures and Advanced Wood
Engineering courses this fall.
|
|
“The
students and faculty at Washington State University have
benefited from the generous support of iLevel for a
number of years. iLevel provides design manuals, class
lectures and project advice to our students. Our close association
with industry generates strong interest among our students
to pursue careers in the engineered wood products industry.
 |
Thank
you, iLevel!" said Don Bender, Weyerhaeuser
Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of
the WSU Wood Materials & Engineering Laboratory.
For
more information on how your company can sponsor
AF&PA publications for students, contact Buddy
Showalter at 202/463-2769 or at buddy_showalter@afandpa.org.
|
| |
| Public
Review & Comment ANSI/TPI 1-2002 |
| The
Truss Plate Institute (TPI) announced the opening of
a public review and comment period for the draft BSR/TPI
1-200X (revision to ANSI/TPI 1-2002) |
|
“National
Design Standard for Metal Plate Connected Wood Truss Construction.” The
Public Review & Comment period is open until July 2,
2007. Those wishing to participate in the Public Review of
the draft BSR/TPI 1-200X standard should visit TPI’s
website (www.tpinst.org/my_TPI1PC.htm)
or contact the Truss Plate Institute at 703/683-1010 for
further information. |
| Minnesota
Formally Recognizes Green GlobesTM System |
Minnesota
recently became the seventh state in the United States
to formally recognize the Green Building Initiative’s
(GBI) Green Globes environmental assessment and rating
system by passing its “Next Generation Energy
Act of 2007” into policy.
Among its many directives, the “Next |
|
Generation
Energy Act of 2007” sets a stated goal of certifying
100 commercial buildings to the Green Globes or U.S. Green
Building Council’s LEED standard by December 31, 2010,
and mandates utilities to include in their conservation improvement
plans programs that facilitate professional engineering verification
to qualify a building as Green Globes-certified, Energy Star-labeled,
or LEED-certified.
Minnesota joins Arkansas, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, Pennsylvania,
and Wisconsin as states that have formally recognized Green Globes in green
building legislation or executive order.
For more information about the Green Globes environmental
assessment and rating system, or the GBI, visit www.thegbi.org. |
 |
| More
than 500 architects stopped by the AWC booth at this
year's AIA International Convention in San Antonio,
TX to pick up free Standards & Design Tools CD's.
The CD's feature the new High Wind Guides among other
information relevant to architects and building designers.
Dr. Robert Taylor (above) was on hand to respond
to queries about AWC's publications and education/outreach
programs. (Photo courtesy: Jay Farrell, SFI Inc.) |
|
| Adopt-a-University
Program: iLevel + Iowa State |
 |
iLevel
by Weyerhaeuser donated nine copies of the 2005
Wood Design Package to the Department of Civil,
Construction and Environmental Engineering at Iowa
State University–Ames.
Max Porter, Professor in the Civil Engineering |
Department,
taught the Timber and Masonry Course
last semester and wrote:
“I’d like to thank iLevel very much for their sponsorship of the
wood design documents for our students who are taking the course this semester.
Without the sponsorship, the students would not |
|
have
access to this very important design information. This is
an elective course and if the cost is too high, students
will elect to not take the course, so this sponsorship is
extremely important in order to get this information into
the hands of these students. The students in this class are
all either graduate students or undergraduate students interested
in pursuing a career in structural engineering. They are
all pursuing degrees in Civil or Structural Engineering.
Your sponsorship is greatly appreciated.”
For more information on how your company can sponsor
AF&PA publications for students, contact Buddy Showalter
at 202/463-2769 or at buddy_showalter@afandpa.org.
|
|
AWC
Appointed to NAHB
Green Building Consensus Committee |
And,
the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) announced
the make-up of its residential green building ANSI Consensus
Committee. AF&PA’s Director of Building Codes
and Standards, Kenneth Bland, was appointed to
the group that’s charged with developing
the National (Residential) Green Building Standard™.
Previously,
NAHB announced a partnership with the International Code
Council (ICC) to develop and market the ANSI approved
Guidelines. Co-branding of the standard should
provide better credibility and name recognition,
compared with the proposed USGBC LEED Homes rating system.
This should bode well for wood.
To
make life easier for designers, GBI announced that it
is offering free use of the Green Globes environmental
assessment and rating system to professional members.
To learn more about this offer, visit www.thegbi.org.
For
more information, contact Kenneth Bland at kenneth_bland@afandpa.org or
202/463-2765.
|
 |
AF&PA’s
Fire Service Liaison, Dan Smits (center), delivered
a Wood Product Display Case to Director David
Wall (left) and Jeff Dean (right) of the Georgia
State Fire Academy.
|
|
AF&PA
Wood Products Display Delivered
to Georgia Fire Academy |
| AF&PA’s
Fire Service Liaison, Dan Smits, delivered a wood product
display case to the Georgia State Fire Academy. Academy
Director David Wall was thrilled to receive the
case and will use it for training classes at the Academy.
The display
cases were developed as part of the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA)
grant to AF&PA which is now complete.
Early in the USFA project, AF&PA representatives
visited several fire academies to gain a better understanding
of the current curriculum on wood construction. The
display case provides industry product samples that
will be used to enhance the building construction curriculum
taught at the academies.
For
more information, contact Kenneth Bland at 202/463-2765
or kenneth_bland@afandpa.org.
|
USFA
Announces Web-Based Educational Program for the Fire Service:
Building Performance of Lightweight Construction
During Fires |
 |
|
|
 |
News
Release Date:
February 28, 2007
Emmitsburg, MD - The United
States Fire Administration (USFA), in partnership with the American
Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA), announced the release
of a comprehensive Web-based educational program developed
to enhance firefighter awareness of the performance of different
forms of lightweight construction components during fires in order
to create a safer operational environment for the fire service.
These components include trusses, glue laminated beams, I-joists,
structural composite lumber, and wood structural panels.
|
|
Included
in this program is FireFrame, an interactive
tool on building construction for the fire service.
This Web-based program was developed with the assistance
of several state and local fire training systems.
“Firefighter safety and building construction is an important issue for
the fire service today,” said Charlie Dickinson, Acting U.S. Fire Administrator.
“Education
is critical for firefighters operating
at incidents to understand how modern building
products perform in fires.”
“AF&PA was proud to work in partnership with USFA as well as several
State and local fire training organizations to develop a program to educate the
fire service on today’s and tomorrow’s building components,” AF&PA
President and CEO Juanita D. Duggan stated. “Through this educational outreach
and partnership we are committed to supporting the operational safety of the
firefighters that bravely protect us everyday.” |
|
Further
information on this program can be found under the Research
section of the USFA web site. This program is
also available at http://www.woodaware.info.
|
| AWC
Seminars Exceed Audience Expectations |
“Prior
to my retirement as Director of Construction, Codes, Grand
Traverse County, in 2000, I graduated Michigan State University
BS Construction Management, operated a truss and component
plant for 17 years and completed my career in code enforcement.
The most helpful and outstanding organization has
been NFPA, now AF&PA, throughout my working years. Your
technical resources are without equal.”
—J. David Lather, Grand Traverse County, Michigan; Metro Fire.
Mr. Lather’s comments came after he attended a Basics of Wood
Frame Construction—7-hr.seminar as part of Michigan’s
2007 Spring Education Institute. AWC’s Dennis Pitts and Robert
Taylor presented the seminar. Similar positive feedback was
also received at the ICC-Colorado Institute in Denver,
CO, where the same program was presented by AWC’s David Tyree and
Dennis Pitts.
Clearly, this program is hitting the mark. AWC’s
seminar events with knowledgeable, engaging instructors make learning
fun, and “The Basics” program has become especially
popular among building regulator groups.
Interested in getting AWC to present a one- or two-day seminar to your
chapter or event? We have years of experience doing
it, and it’s still not too late to book for Summer or Fall
2007. See seminar offerings and hosting details at http://www.awc.org/HelpOutreach/seminars/sem-otln.html.
And if you can’t get to a seminar, why not try an eQuiz
online? Look for them at http://www.awc.org/HelpOutreach/eCourses/index.html.
For more information, contact Dr. Robert Taylor
at 202/463-2771 or robert_taylor@afandpa.org.
|
| Adopt-a-University
Program: iLevel + OSU |
|
iLevel
by Weyerhaeuser is donating 77 copies of the 2005
Wood Design Package to junior-level students
in the Construction Engineering Management program
at Oregon State University. The Structures
II course is being taught this Spring by Associate
Professor John Gambatese, Ph.D., P.E. |
|
“The
students use the manuals extensively in the class
as they learn how to design wood structures,” Gambatese
said. “OSU and the Department of Civil,
Construction and
|
|
Environmental
Engineering appreciate the support provided by AF&PA
and Weyerhaeuser for the CEM 383 – Structures
II class. AF&PA and Weyerhaeuser’s support and
generosity in providing the NDS® wood
design manuals will greatly contribute to the learning
experience in the classroom and to the students’ knowledge
of wood construction and design of wood structures.
Course textbooks and other reference materials can be prohibitively
expensive for many college students. The donated manuals
provide a much needed resource for the students in the class
and help to support their education.”
For more information on how your company can sponsor
AF&PA publications for students, contact Buddy Showalter
at 202/463-2769 or at buddy_showalter@afandpa.org.
|
|
| California
Adopts 2006 International
Building Code |
|
After
a two-year process, the California Building Standards
Commission finally approved new building codes
for the State. The process included adoption
of the 2006 International Building Code (IBC)
by all four relevant State agencies:
the Department of Housing and Community Development,
|
|
the Office of Statewide
Health Planning and Development, the State Fire Marshals
Office, and the Division of the State Architect. The Office
of the State Fire Marshal proposed significant amendments,
a number of which were opposed by industry.
AWC
has been involved in the very complicated code process
in California for nearly a decade. California Code
of Regulations (CCR), Title 24, also known as the California
Building Standards Code, is a compilation of building
standards from three different origins:
|
|
Standards
that have been adopted by state agencies without change
from building standards contained in national model
codes; |
| |
|
|
Standards
that have been adopted and adapted from national model
code standards to meet California conditions; |
| |
|
|
Standards,
authorized by the California legislature, that constitute
extensive additions not covered by the model codes
that have been adopted to address particular California
concerns. |
| |
|
|
| Notwithstanding,
the standards adopted into Title 24 apply to all occupancies
in California except for modifications adopted by state agencies
and local governing bodies. Specifically, buildings
that the State has authority to regulate are required to
comply with model code provisions and amendments adopted
by the State, whereas buildings the State does not have authority
to regulate are required to comply only with the standards
as they are referenced in Title 24.
By
State law, individual cities and counties in California
have a certain timeframe to also adopt the codes that
have been enacted by the State agencies. Although
that exact date has not yet been established, it is anticipated
that cities and counties will have 180 days after the
final State package goes into effect and is published—possibly
as soon as January 2008.
| AWC
will continue its close involvement in development
of the California Building Standards Code and
its affect on wood products. The State Fire Marshals
Office proposed that revisions to height and area
provisions of the IBC will only apply to assembly,
educational, hazardous, institutional, and residential
occupancies. Business, mercantile, storage, and other
occupancies will not be affected by these revisions.
AWC has been assured by the State Fire Marshals Office
that issues related to height and area provisions,
which were enacted over AWC objection, will be |
|
submitted
for resolution in the ICC code change process, and whatever
comes from that process will be submitted to the California Building Standards Commission
for inclusion back into the California Building Standards
Code. It is anticipated that the 2007 California Building
Standards Code will be published this summer. AWC will
be on guard for unfriendly amendments to the codes being
proposed by individual jurisdictions and will also provide
education to building departments, engineers, and architects
on the use of the new I-codes and how they apply to wood
buildings.
For more information, please contact David Tyree at
719/633-7471 or david_tyree@afandpa.org.
 |
AF&PA's
Fire Service Liaison, Dan Smits (center), delivered
a Wood Product Display Case to the Florida Fire
College. Smits attended the conference on behalf
of AF&PA and assisted Ron Coleman (left), retired
California State Fire Marshal, with a presentation
of the display case to Dave Casey (right), Bureau
Chief at the College. (See article below.) |
|
| Fire
Service Meeting Attendance on the Rise |
Although
the partnership agreement with the U.S. Fire Administration
has been completed, opportunities resulting from the many
new relationships formed are increasing. In January, Dan
Smits, AF&PA’s Fire Service Liaison consultant,
attended two high profile fire service functions.
NFFF
Mini-Summit
Smits
was among 100 fire service leaders who met in Washington,
DC for the National Prevention Mini-Summit sponsored
by the National Fallen
Firefighter’s Foundation (NFFF). In attendance were several top
administrators from the U.S. Fire Administration, top fire service leaders
from major organizations, such as the International Association of Fire
Chiefs, and other key public safety officials. The goal of the mini-summit
was to develop an action plan that will result in “a positive outcome
in the reduction of firefighter line-of-duty deaths and injuries through
the reduction of incidents and their severity.” The mini-summit
consisted of five breakout groups addressing: prevention, fire research,
codes and standards, burn care, and technology. This summit was a part
of the larger Life Safety summit that will take place on March 3–4
in Novato, CA, and will involve 300 invited fire service leaders, including
AF&PA.
Fire-Rescue
East
This
annual conference sponsored by the Florida Fire
Chief’s Association,
provided the ideal opportunity for AF&PA to deliver Florida’s
Wood Product Display Case to the Florida Fire College. Smits attended
the conference on behalf of AF&PA and assisted Ron Coleman, retired
California State Fire Marshal, with presentation of the display cases
to Dave Casey, Bureau Chief at the college. Early in the USFA project,
AF&PA representatives visited the Fire College to meet with staff
instructors to gain a better understanding of the curriculum on wood
construction currently available to the fire service. The display case
provides industry product samples that will be used to enhance the building
construction curriculum taught at the college.
Chief Coleman was invited by the Fire College to be the keynote speaker
at the closing session. His session focused on the need for the fire
service to be more informed on modern building construction. Chief Coleman
used the display case as a prop to illustrate the broad range of products
commonly used in residential construction. Every student viewed the display
and was seen writing down the website location: www.woodaware.info.
For more information, contact Kenneth Bland
at 202/463-2765 or kenneth_bland@afandpa.org.
|
| Residential
Green Building Standard Coming |
The
two most influential groups in the home building industry
and the code development and enforcement community are
collaborating to bring uniformity to sustainable building
practices. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)
and the International Code Council (ICC) will undertake
the development and publication of a residential green
building standard. NAHB President David Pressly and ICC
President Wally Bailey made the announcement at the NAHB
International Builders Show in Orlando on February 7.
NAHB
has long been recognized as an innovator in building
green homes, but their efforts were local and without
any regional or national reference. NAHB members needed
clearer guidance, but wanted to maintain flexibility
and be able to incorporate regional distinctions. NAHB
took on this task with the publication in 2005 of the Model
Green Home Building Guidelines, now a nationally
recognized green building certification tool. AF&PA
was a leading sponsor of this work.
ICC
has been promoting green building requirements through
its widely adopted family of International Codes, which
set minimum standards for energy efficiency and sustainable
building practices for the construction industry and
also recognized the need for a national set of standards
for home builders and others wishing to voluntarily adopt “above-code” practices.
The
NAHB Research Center, which is accredited by the American
National Standards Institute (ANSI) as a standards developer
and oversaw the development of the Guidelines, will now
develop an ANSI standard for residential green building.
AF&PA has applied to the NAHB and the Code Council
for membership in the consensus committee for the development
of the ANSI green home building standard.
For
more information, contact Michael Virga, 202/463-2712, michael_virga@afandpa.org.
|
| 2005
NDS Available Electronically |
For
simple, electronic access to its collection of building
code-referenced design manuals, the American Wood Council
(AWC) has created searchable, indexed PDF versions
of the:
|
2005
Wood Design Package (WDP), including the 2005
National Design |
|
|
| |
Specification® (NDS®)
for Wood Construction |
| |
|
|
2001
Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One-
and Two-Family Dwellings. |
These
manuals are available on the Standards and Design Tools
Digital Library as keycode-protected files which can
be purchased by users through the AF&PA eCommerce
website. Once the software is installed, the manuals
to be purchased can be added to a shopping cart linked
to AF&PA’s eCommerce website.
Additional
online publications, available through the AWC website,
are also included in the Digital Library.
To
download the files, visit: http://www.awc.org/software/CD/index.html.
|
| New
Design Aids Series |
Two
new design aids are now available on the ever-growing AWC
website. These documents are intended to aid in use and understanding
of AF&PA design standards such as the NDS and WFCM.
DA1:
Application of Technical Report 12 for Lag Screw
Connections
In
the 2001 and 2005 National
Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction,
calculation of reference lateral design values for lag screws and wood screws will typically require use
of the fastener root diameter, Dr, unless a more detailed analysis is performed to account for
the varying moment and bearing resistance of the fastener (NDS Section
11.3.2). One alternate method of accounting for the
moment and bearing resistance of the threaded
|
|
portion
of the fastener and moment acting along
the length of the fastener is provided in AF&PA’s Technical
Report 12 (TR12) - General Dowel Equations for Calculating
Lateral Connection Values. This Design Aid provides
example calculations for lag screw connections, although
the design approach is also valid for wood screws.
DA2:
Toenail Connections
The
second Design Aid was developed to supplement the NDS in
design of toenail connections. Tables in the Design
Aid are based on provisions of the 2001 and later editions
of the NDS. Both lateral and withdrawal design values
are tabulated for toe-nail connections. Tabulation
of lateral design values eliminates the need for designers
to run calculations per the NDS yield limit
equations.
|
|
For
more information, contact the AWC Helpdesk at awcinfo@afandpa.org or
202/463-4713.
|
| AWC
Connection Calculator Hits Nail-on-the-Head |
 |
AWC’s
web-based connection calculator provides users
with an approach to calculating capacities for
single bolts, nails, lag screws, and wood screws
per the 2005 NDS. Both lateral (single and double
shear) and withdrawal capacities can be determined.
Wood-to-wood, wood-to-concrete, and wood-to-steel
connections are possible.
To
access the connection calculator, go to: http://www.awc.org/
calculators/index.html
| About
the calculator, an engineer from North Carolina
wrote: "You all are doing such a great
job and it's really appreciated from my end!
Thank you all for making the "calculator'
available! What a significant time-saver.
I use it frequently and really appreciate
the availability." |
|
|
| 2006
AWC Technology Transfer Statistics |
| Webpage
Hits |
13
million |
| Helpdesk
Inquiries |
4,098 |
| Live
Seminar Attendance |
5,556 |
| Publications
Sold |
14,926 |
| University
Courses Receiving Materials |
86 |
| University
Students in those Courses |
2,695 |
| Website
eQuizzes Taken |
97 |
| Adopt-a-University
Program: TECO + OSU; Boise + VT |
 |
Rakesh
Gupta, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Wood
Science and Engineering, Oregon State University, expressed
his appreciation for the TECO donation of thirty 2005
Wood Design Packages for the Wood Design course
at OSU: |
“Thank
you very much for supporting the Wood Design class at Oregon
State University again. This course is one of the most popular
elective courses in Civil Engineering and TECO’s continued
support shows their commitment to the success of this
course. Since about 90% of all structures in the U.S.
are wood frame structures, it is critical that all graduating
civil
engineers
have some exposure to wood engineering. TECO’s
generous support will help in ensuring well-qualified
civil engineers with that exposure.
Thanks again for your support!”
|
|
| |
|
| Similarly,
Boise Wood Products donated 50 copies of the 2005
Wood Design Package to students in the Design
of Wood Structures course at Virginia Tech
this winter. Assistant Professor Daniel Hindman
and his students |
|
are
very appreciative of the donation as it helps to reduce
some of the rising costs of textbooks and tuition. Senior
civil engineering student, Andrew Peterson, wrote: “I
would like to thank everyone at Boise for their generous
donation of the NDS books for our use. Anyone who experiences
college understands how expensive books are and how fast
the cost of books adds up. It speaks volumes about Boise’s
character and reputation when they actually offer to pay
for books to help expand students’ education. In return,
I made the most of out of the class and NDS by putting extra
effort in my work. Your help and extra efforts paid off because
I received a well rounded education of wood structures and
produced high grades in the class. Thanks again, Boise, for
your contribution and help.”
 |
Amanda
Rader, also a Civil Engineering senior, wrote: “This
class has opened my eyes to all of the engineering
involved in designing wood connections and I look
at all wood structures around me with a new light
now. I had never before
considered a wood building to require |
as much engineering as a steel structure. It always just
seemed so simple to
put together a couple of 2x4’s with some nails. Now
I realize there is so much more to a wood structure than
that. The use of the manuals and supplement can really make
an engineer’s life so much easier. This class has really
opened my eyes to the career possibilities involved in working
with wood. Your donation was a nice relief. I only wish more
companies would be willing to donate more of our text books.”
For
more information on how your company can sponsor AF&PA
publications for students, contact Buddy Showalter
at 202/463-2769 or at buddy_showalter@afandpa.org.
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
