Special Topics in Wood Construction Engineering - October 5-9, 2009

General Information

Who Should Attend

The primary audiences for this course are registered design professionals, residential designers, truss and framing designers, building code professionals, and general contractors that want to expand their general knowledge of wood as a building material and their knowledge of building design beyond the introductory level. Manufacturers and suppliers of building products used in the construction of wood-frame buildings may also benefit by the in-depth discussion of wood material properties and wood building design issues that impact the performance of wood buildings in-service.

What Will You Learn

This course offers a buffet of topics often faced by wood design professionals, yet background data and references on the topics are not readily accessible. The first unit on Basis of Allowable Stresses for Dimension Lumber will address how current allowable stresses for lumber are based on full-size lumber tests from the early 70's and demonstrate the methodology for determining the allowable lumber properties from test data.

The second unit on Creep of Solid-Sawn Joists, I-Joists, and MPC Floor Trusses will address the literature and recognized standards on methods to evaluate long term deflection of the three member types caused by long-term loads.

In Design Considerations for Preventing Flat Roof Failures from Gravity Loads, we will discuss the well-known problem area of the collapse of "flat-roofs" due to ponding and snow/ice accumulation. The potential roles of creep (discussed in unit 2) and the variability of truss deflection due to inherent E-variability as a contributing factor for roof collapse will be presented.

In Wood Shrinkage Basics and Construction Related Issues, we will review published data on the relationship between shrinkage and moisture content (MC), how environmental humidity and temperature dictates the equilibrium moisture content of lumber, and demonstrate through examples how changes in MC can adversely affect wood framing and connections.

In Performance of Wood Preservatives from Laboratory Tests, the performance of selected new preservatives in a laboratory environment will be presented. After reviewing the research data, discussion will focus on selecting the appropriate "retention level" for various wood construction applications.

In Additional Failure Modes for Bolt Connection Design, participants will learn how to calculate known failure modes of bolts included in the National Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction but not currently required by the NDS. This instruction is valuable to the forensic engineer in understanding the possible failure mechanism of connections in an existing structure and to the design engineer for the design of new constructions.

In Decay Process, Design for Durability, and Insects that Attack Wood, the decay process, conditions necessary for the decay process, and common types of decay fungi will be presented. Design concepts and details to prevent decay will be demonstrated by example buildings and case studies. Lastly, insects that attack wood and their impact on wood products will be reviewed.

In Evaluating Structural Capacity of Fire-Exposed Wooden Beams and Design for Protection of Fasteners in PPT Lumber, the published calculation methodology for residual structural capacity and industry recommendations will be reviewed, respectively.

In Truss Responsibilities when Registered Design Professional Mandated or Not Mandated, we will discuss the responsibilities of the Owner, Registered Design Professional or Building Designer, Contractor, Truss Design Engineer or Truss Designer, and Truss Manufacturer when metal-plate-connected wood trusses are utilized in a project. ANSI/TPI 1-2007 defines the various responsibilities for the parties involved in the use of MPC trusses. ANSI/TPI 1-2007 will be referenced in the 2009 International Building Codes.

In Permanent Truss Bracing Design Basics, procedures for calculating required lateral bracing forces in webs and chords without sheathing (as for piggyback trusses and valley sets) will be presented. Recommended bracing for vibration control of floor trusses will be include in the discussion.

In Basics of Diaphragm and Shearwall Design, we will present load path concepts and basic design methodologies for resisting lateral loads due to wind and seismic events. Examples will illustrate design of framing, panels, chords and tie-down anchorage.

In Interpreting Diaphragm/Shearwall Design Values from the SDPWS and 2006 IBC, we will reveal sources of design values for diaphragms/shearwalls, and illustrate how to apply appropriate adjustment factors for Allowable Stress Design (ASD) and Load and Resistance Factor Design (LRFD).

In Evaluating Potentially Degraded Lumber (In-Service) and Determining Ungraded Lumber/Timber Design Values, the instructors will present statistical concepts for sampling lumber that may be degraded and outline procedures for obtaining stress grades for ungraded timbers in existing structures.

Course Materials and CEU Credit

A notebook containing course materials, lunch on both days, continuous refreshment service and a certificate for 1.5 CEUs (15 contact hours) are included in the registration fee.