News Releases and Briefs 2009
Briefs:
AWC Technical Committee Meetings
More than 40 industry technical representatives joined AF&PA staff for three days of in-depth discussion and meetings on AWC technical programs for 2009-2010. The annual Technical Committee and Subcommittee meetings provided a lively forum for discussion of a wide range of issues, including industry strategies related to fire, structural engineering, and design. AF&PA also recognized three retiring industry technical experts whose leadership helped secure current industry success in codes and standards development.
AF&PA recognized three retiring industry technical experts whose leadership helped secure current industry success in codes and standards development. Pictured left to right: Tom Williamson, APA-The Engineered Wood Association; Jim Shaw and Dave Gromala, Weyerhaeuser.
Wood Performs Well in Earthquake Simulation
In the world’s largest-ever earthquake simulation, conducted in Japan, a full-scale, six-story condo building made from wood atop a single-story of steel got good marks from researchers for stability and safety after being shaken for 40 seconds in a simulated 7.5 magnitude earthquake.
The results demonstrated that wood-frame buildings can be built to withstand major earthquakes and will help researchers validate new design methods for mid-rise, wood-framed buildings in urban, earthquake-prone areas. The advances ultimately will improve the construction and safety of wood buildings in the U.S. and around the world.
"This week’s test confirms what we know to be true about wood’s strength for use in disaster-prone areas. Along with wood’s renewability, low life-cycle environmental impacts, and ability to sequester carbon, wood provides the optimal combination of green building and stability for earthquake-prone areas," said Robert Glowinski, AF&PA Group Vice President for Forestry and Wood Products. "Moving forward we can take invaluable information from this test to provide new safe wood building options for earthquake zones, as well as for other applications. Construction innovations are continually demonstrating the flexibility and superiority of wood and this research reinforces that."
Conducted in Miki City, near Kobe, Japan, on the world’s largest earthquake shake table at Japan’s National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention, the simulation was sponsored by the U.S. National Science Foundation and conducted by researchers from Colorado State University, along with advisors from industry and academia. American Forest & Paper Association’s wood engineering staff served on the advisory committee to the project and AF&PA’s Tokyo staff provided local support.
Releases
- AWC’s Wood Deck Guide Updated to 2009 IRC® - (Dec 14, 2009)
- New Coalition for Wood Products Industry Unveiled - (Nov 13, 2009)
- Commentary to 2008 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic Available - (Jul 27, 2009)
- Free Design Professional Membership Offered to Building Officials - (Jan 30, 2009)
Briefs
- AWC Technical Committee Meetings
- Wood Performs Well in Earthquake Simulation
- ASTM Honors Dr. Robert White
- Wood Engineering Achievement Award
- WoodWorks/RISA Software Release
- Firefighter Wood Product Training Cases
- Article Inspires Heavy Timber Building
- WFCM Incorrectly Referenced in 2009 IRC
- Wall Siding Fire Test Successful
- Fire Rated Wood Assemblies Update
- Wood Sill Plate Anchorage to Concrete Report
- AWC Design Tools & Standards Software
- ICC to Initiate Green Code Development
- OSB Ban Rescinded in Florida
- ICC Clarifies Braced Wall Panel Provisions
- Adopt-a-University Program: OSU & Clemson
Archives
Wall Siding Fire Test Successful
AWC is pleased to report the results of another successful exterior wall siding fire test. Conducted in accordance with California State Fire Marshal (SFM) test procedure SFM-12-7A-1, the 1x4 tongue and groove (T&G) red cedar applied vertically over OSB performed very well during the required 10-minute fire exposure and 60-minute observation period. Prior to the test, SFM staff had indicated reluctance to generically listing narrow siding, such as 1x4, placed vertically. AWC staff witnessed the test to help judge its suitability for listing as a generic specimen usable under California rules in Wildland Urban Interface areas.
Post-test evaluation of the three test specimens revealed that less than half the thickness of the cedar siding was charred in the fire exposure. The tight T&G joints performed well and there was no indication of any fire exposure to the underlying OSB board at the joints. Also, there was no evidence of char falling off and exposing the lower layers of wood to fire.
AWC will now develop suitable text for listing 1x4 red cedar siding in the SFM’s Handbook of compliant WUI products. For more information, contact Kuma Sumathipala at 202-463-2763 or kuma_sumathipala@afandpa.org.
Fire Rated Wood Floor and Wall Assemblies Update
A new I-joist assembly (WIJ-1.7) has been added that includes a double-gypsum-layer floor/ceiling assembly insulated with fiberglass. All assemblies include sound ratings (STC and IIC). The updated files are available at www.awc.org/Codes/dcaindex.html
WIJ-1.7 One-Hour Fire-Resistive Ceiling Assembly
Floor/Ceiling - 100% Design Load - 1 Hr Rating - ASTM E 119 / NFPA 251
Wood Sill Plate Anchorage to Concrete Report
With assistance from AWC, a report on anchor bolts connecting wood sill plates to concrete with edge distances typically found in wood frame construction is complete. The report findings will be used to support a change to the International Building Code to relax restrictive provisions for anchoring of wood bottom plates to concrete for resistance to seismic forces.
Anchor strength provisions in Appendix D of American Concrete Institute (ACI) Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, ACI 318, establish “non-ductile” anchor design capacities that are approximately 1/3 of that historically used for 2x4 and 3x4 wood sill plates loaded parallel to the edge of the concrete. Test results show that ductile yielding in accordance with the National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction Mode IIIs or Mode IV (see Figure A) is consistently achieved prior to concrete failure. While ductile connections are assigned increased design capacities in ACI 318, the bending yield behavior of dowels in wood connections is not specifically recognized. An example hysteresis and envelope curve for a single test of a 2x4 wood sill plate with 5/8” anchor bolt exhibiting ductile behavior is shown in Figure B.
Mode IIIs (wood bearing in side member and dowel bending in concrete)
Mode IV (wood bearing in side member and dowel bending in wood member and concrete)
Figure A. NDS yield modes IIIs and IV.
The study was sponsored by the Structural Engineers Association of Northern California (SEAoNC) Special Projects Initiative. Other contributors to the project and development of the report include members of the SEAoC/SEAoNC Light-Frame Subcommittees, SEAoC Seismology, Simpson Strong Tie, and the American Wood Council. Download the report.
For more information, contact Phil Line at 202-463-2767 or Philip_line@afandpa.org.
AWC Design Tools & Standards Legacy Software
If you own a keycode for an older manual(s) from the 2005 AWC Standards and Design Tools package (2005 Wood Design Package and 2001 WFCM only), you can request a username and password for the comparable protected PDF file(s) to replace your legacy version by emailing your request to awcpubs@afandpa.org. Please indicate which manuals you previously purchased along with your name and approximate date of purchase. Once your purchase of the legacy version is verified, a username and password will be emailed to you for the protected PDF file.
ICC to Initiate Green Code Development Project
The International Code Council (ICC) has announced its intent to initiate a “Green Building Code Development Project” targeted at the commercial market. The objective of this new project is to develop a Green Building Code for traditional and high-performance buildings that is consistent and coordinated with the ICC family of Codes and Standards. The Code is intended to provide a new regulatory framework built with leading recognized rating systems in mind, and to drive green building into everyday practice.
Feedback to ICC on this project is encouraged and requested in advance of the May 4th Board of Directors meeting. Comments may be sent to GreenBuildingCode@iccsafe.org. Going forward, the new ICC Sustainable Building Technology Committee will play a key role. Persons interested in serving on this new Committee should submit their information to www.iccsafe.org/sbtc.
In response to intense opposition by AF&PA, other forest products industry representatives, and the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA), the Gulf County Florida Board of County Commissioners (Commission) declined to enact a local amendment to the Florida Building Code (FBC) that would have prohibited the use of oriented strand board (OSB). Further, the amendment would have required enforcement of a 140 mph wind speed throughout the entire county.
In modifying their previous stance mandating wind speeds that are higher than that required by the FBC, the Commission took Gulf County Building Department advice by selecting the Intercoastal Waterway as the line separating application of the 140 and 130 mph wind speeds. The new wind speed map for Gulf County will closely match that of the FBC requiring approximately 1/3 of the county to be in a 140 mph wind speed zone with the balance remaining in the 130 mph wind speed zone.
Opposition to the Gulf County proposals was a unified effort involving the Florida Wood Council/Florida Building Materials Association, TECO, APA – The Engineered Wood Association, FHBA, and AF&PA. Testimony included discussion of possible financial liability for taking discriminatory action against a class of building products accepted for use by the FBC and elsewhere in the State of Florida.
This joint effort resulted in rescission of a 15-year ban on the use of OSB in Gulf County and thwarting an effort to require “code plus” construction requirements in this Florida panhandle county. In order to improve understanding of OSB performance and hurricane-resistive construction practice, industry plans to present continuing education classes on the use of AF&PA’s code-referenced Wood Frame Construction Manual in the coming year to builders and designers at locations in the Florida panhandle. For more information, please contact Brad_Douglas@afandpa.org.
ICC Interpretation Committee Clarifies Diagonal Brace as Part of Braced Wall Panel
The ICC Interpretation Committee recently clarified that the diagonal brace option is considered a “braced wall panel” per Method 1 as described in R602.10.3 of the 2006 International Residential Code, and therefore extends full height of the continuous diagonal brace at the top and bottom wall plates. Treatment of the diagonal brace as a “braced wall panel” recognizes that the panel is not to be interrupted by openings, such as windows or doors, in order to function as structural bracing. For more information, contact Philip_Line@afandpa.org.
TECO has donated 40 copies of the 2005 Wood Design Package to engineering students at Oregon State University. Steve Winistorfer, President and CEO of TECO wrote “Even in these tough times, we can’t disregard how important it is for the future generation of wood designers to receive this type of education, and support from industry. I know it’s a drop in the bucket but drops turn into streams turn into rivers turn into…”
Dr. Rakesh Gupta, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Wood Science and Engineering at Oregon State University expressed his appreciation for the donation:
"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 US 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!"
Additionally, iLevel has provided partial sponsorship to engineering students at Clemson University by offsetting the costs of 40 copies of the 2005 Wood Design Package. Professor of Civil Engineering and Director of the Wind and Structural Engineering Research Facility at Clemson University, Scott D. Schiff, Ph.D., responded:
"My students and I greatly appreciate the partnership between iLevel and Clemson University Civil Engineering Department. Not only will students have their own copy of the NDS package at a reduced cost, but also iLevel will be providing a lecture on the use of engineered wood products in residential and light-commercial buildings and materials used to specify engineered wood products. The industry also benefits from this partnership that exposes more structural engineering students to wood based products as a viable construction material."
For more information on how your company can sponsor university students, contact Buddy_Showalter@afandpa.org