The 2018 Edition of the Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, designated ANSI/AWC WFCM-2018, is approved as an ANSI American National Standard (Figure 1). The 2018 WFCM was developed by the American Wood Council’s (AWC) Wood Design Standards Committee (WDSC) and is referenced in the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2018 International Building Code (IBC). …
Author Archives : John “Buddy” Showalter, P.E.
John “Buddy” Showalter is a Senior Staff Engineer with the International Code Council (bshowalter@iccsafe.org)
The 2018 Edition of the National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction was recently published. The updated standard, designated ANSI/AWC NDS-2018, was approved as an ANSI American National Standard on November 30, 2017 (Figure 1). …
Changes to the 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and 2018 International Existing Buildings Code (IEBC) were approved by the International Code Council (ICC) during their 2015/2016 code development cycle. This article outlines changes to the code requirements for wood construction, the majority of which are changes to the IBC. Only a few changes for exterior balconies involve the IEBC. …
Per 2015 WFCM and 2015 SDPWS
In this article, a wood frame shear wall is analyzed and compared per American Wood Council’s 2015 Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) and 2015 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS). The difference between the segmented and perforated shear wall design approach and an overview of various hold-down design methods is discussed. Designers will likely find that the 2015 WFCM contains time-saving features for calculation of loads and design of shear walls and other building systems and components within the scope of the document. …
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. …
This article provides an overview of a bolt design example utilizing the American Wood Council’s (AWC) 2015 National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction. Topics include connection design philosophies and behavior, an overview of 2015 NDS provisions related to bolt design including local stresses in fastener groups, and a detailed design example. …
The 2015 Permanent Wood Found-ation (PWF) Design Specification addresses structural design requirements of wood foundations for light-frame construction. The standard for designing wood foundations is most commonly used in residential structures in the upper Midwest. The 2015 PWF standard is adopted by reference in the 2015 International Building Code (IBC) and the 2015 International Residential Code (IRC). …
The 2015 Edition of Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) was approved as an American National Standard on September 8, 2014, with the designation ANSI/AWC SDPWS-2015 (Figure 1). The 2015 SDPWS was developed by AWC’s Wood Design Standards Committee (WDSC) and contains provisions for design of wood members, fasteners, and assemblies to resist wind and seismic forces. …
The 2015 Edition of the Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings (ANSI/AWC WFCM-2015) was approved on October 10, 2014 as an ANSI American National Standard (Figure 1). The 2015 WFCM was developed by the American Wood Council’s (AWC) Wood Design Standards Committee and is referenced in the 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2015 International Building Code (IBC). …
The 2015 Edition of the National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction was recently published. The updated standard designated ANSI/AWC NDS-2015 was approved as an ANSI American National Standard on September 30, 2014 (Figure 1). The 2015 NDS was developed by the American Wood Council’s (AWC) Wood Design Standards Committee and is referenced in the 2015 International Building Code (IBC). …