Loren Ross is Manager of Engineering Research with the American Wood Council. He can be reached at lross@awc.org.
According to recent industry reports, 6,500 people have been injured from collapsing balconies and decks in the United States since 2003. Complicating matters for existing homes, the North American Deck and Rail Association (NADRA) estimates there are 40 million decks in America that are more than 20 years old. This means these decks were installed prior to today’s building codes. …
The Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings was updated and is designated ANSI/AWC WFCM-2012 (Figure 1). The 2012 WFCM was developed by the American Wood Council’s (AWC) Wood Design Standards Committee and is referenced in the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2012 International Building Code (IBC). …