Code Report: Understanding Allowable Load Changes Paul McEntee The Simpson Strong-Tie® 2019–2020 Wood Construction Connectors catalog is the first in the industry with updated connector allowable load tables to meet the new ASTM test standards required by the 2015 and 2018 International Building Code® (IBC®). It is designed to... Read More March 2019 Issue #11236 Page 90
Code Corner: New Year, New Code Developments Randy Shackelford Happy new year! A new year brings new developments on the Building Code front. A summary of relevant code activities follows. ICC Update With the end of 2018 and the start of 2019, the ICC Code Development Cycle for the 2021 I-Codes moves into its second year. The Group A cycle online... Read More February 2019 Issue #11235 Page 96
All Things Wood: Addressing the Roof Truss Design Note: “Provide adequate drainage to prevent water ponding.” Frank Woeste The purpose of this article to examine the significance and implementation of a typical note that appears on metal plate connected roof-truss drawings when a top-chord-pitch of ¼:12 or less is specified by the Construction Documents. Three questions will be addressed: What is the... Read More January 2019 Issue #11234 Page 46
Looking Back at 2018 and 2019 Outlook Robert Glowinski As 2018 draws to a close, the American Wood Council (AWC) looks back on what has been a very successful year for wood industry markets. Both federally and in the states, the opportunity for wood products has been greatly expanded, building codes have been very successfully updated to account for... Read More January 2019 Issue #11234 Page 78
Are Roof and Floor Trusses the Only Components that Need a Quality Assurance Program? Glenn Traylor Roof and floor trusses are important components that need special consideration to insure their correct manufacture. Components built to the IRC and IBC require the manufacturer to adhere to specific requirements. These requirements provide a blueprint to facilitate the manufacturing of a... Read More November 2018 Issue #10232 Page 31
New Report Available on Sound Transmission of Wood-Framed Assemblies Robert Glowinski The American Wood Council (AWC) has released a new report on sound transmission, “Technical Report 15 (TR15), Calculation of Sound Transmission Parameters for Wood-Framed Assemblies.” This first version of TR15 is applicable to wood-frame floor-ceiling assemblies. A free pdf copy... Read More November 2018 Issue #10232 Page 74
Questions Answered: Making Wood Connections Work for Two-Hour Fire Walls Paul McEntee In this article, Paul McEntee follows up on our July 25 webinar, Making Wood Connections Work for Two-Hour Fire Walls, by answering some of the interesting questions raised by attendees. We presented an hour-long webinar recently about using fire wall hangers in Type III wood-frame buildings,... Read More November 2018 Issue #10232 Page 90
Errors in Substituting Dead Load for Live Load in Wood Design Scott Coffman Introduction Custom kitchens, with high-end appliances, granite countertops, and central islands, are becoming more and more prevalent in the home market today. These products and finishes are heavy and the dead loads from the central islands and/or cabinets positioned along interior... Read More October 2018 Issue #10231 Page 48
What is a Building Designer? Steve Mickley Generally, building design refers to the broadly based architectural, engineering, and technical applications to the design of buildings. Therefore, all building projects require the services of a building designer. Statutorily, the required credentials of a building’s designer vary from... Read More June 2018 Issue #10227 Page 38
When Fashion Affects Structure—Floor Design Considerations for Preventing Tile and Stone Cracks Frank Woeste Two kinds of designers are involved in home construction—design professionals responsible for the structure and the interior-focused designers responsible for the final appearance. Although these roles can overlap, it is important for design professionals to be aware of in-service demands... Read More June 2018 Issue #10227 Page 60