The American Wood Council's 2015 “Wood-Frame Construction Manual for One- and Two-Family Dwellings” (WFCM ) has been approved as an American National Standard by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). WFCM is referenced in the International Code Council’s 2015 “International Building Code” and 2015 “International Residential Code” (IRC).
The manual equips designers with engineered construction methods that result in buildings better able to withstand damage and protect occupants should disaster strike,” said AWC President & CEO Robert Glowinski. “Since the WFCM was first published in 1995, AWC has been providing a solution for design of wood-frame structures to resist natural disasters. Each successive edition of the standard continues to provide solutions to more severe events as required by building codes.”
The WFCM includes design and construction provisions for connections and wood wall, floor, and roof systems. A range of structural elements are covered, including sawn lumber, structural glued laminated timber, wood structural sheathing, I-joists, and trusses.
Primary changes in the new WFCM include:
· Tabulated spans for lumber framing members now reflect changes to design values referenced in the 2015 “National Design Specification for Wood Construction”.
· New tables provide prescriptive wood-frame solutions for rafters and ceiling joists in response to new deflection limits for ceilings using gypsum wallboard or brittle finishes adopted in the 2015 IRC.
· Designers may begin using the new standard immediately, but are encouraged to seek approval from the authority having jurisdiction.
The free view-only 2015 WFCM is now available in electronic format on the AWC website. Print versions of the standard are expected to be available for purchase in early 2015.
Related Stories
| Oct 18, 2012
Chicago pushing green roofs to reduce heat island effect
The city of Chicago has mandated that all new buildings that require any public funds must be LEED certified, usually with a green roof.
| Oct 11, 2012
OSHA launches pilot program for alternative dispute resolution on whistleblower complaints
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is launching an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) pilot program for complaints filed with OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program.
| Oct 11, 2012
Bill promotes investment in commercial, multifamily retrofits
The Commercial Building Modernization Act recently introduced in the Senate would extend and streamline a current tax deduction to encourage commercial and multifamily residential building owners to perform comprehensive energy-efficient retrofits.
| Oct 11, 2012
Morristown, N.Y., settles code violation dispute with Amish
The town of Morristown, N.Y., has dropped charges of building code violations against local Amish communities to settle a First Amendment complaint.
| Oct 11, 2012
Mesquite, Nev., rebels against state-mandated energy code
The city council of Mesquite, Nev., voted against adopting a new energy efficiency code adopted by the state.
| Oct 11, 2012
Bloomingdale, N.J., restricts ground solar and wind energy installations
The borough of Bloomingdale, N.J., recently adopted regulations for solar-energy and wind energy systems.
| Oct 3, 2012
Bill introduced to extend home energy efficiency tax credit
A bill to extend the expired residential energy efficiency tax credit for installing qualified furnaces, boilers, central air conditioners, and heat pumps was recently filed in the U.S. House of Representatives.
| Oct 3, 2012
OSHA publishes more detailed information on variances
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enhanced its variances Web page to improve public understanding of the variance approval process and increase access to the agency's decisions regarding variance requests.
