A new automated tool provides assistance in the design of force transfer around openings (FTAO).
The Engineered Wood Association developed the free tool that includes a calculator and Technical Note. The FTAO method of shear wall design provides structures with a more comprehensive lateral resistance design which otherwise omitted the sheathing around windows or other large openings, according to a news release by the association.
“The FTAO method used to be considered cumbersome and somewhat undefinable due to the lack of specificity in the design code,” said Jared S. Hensley, P.E., APA Engineered Wood Specialist. “Now we have a new tool that simplifies the structural design process and makes the FTAO method more approachable and more precise.”
The APA FTAO Calculator provides the required hold-down forces, tension strap forces, and wall sheathing capacity, and automatically completes the design check in the final step. It also provides shear wall deflection calculations for the 3- and 4-term deflection equation options.
Related Stories
Codes and Standards | Aug 17, 2018
Zoning changes can be crucial to filling large, empty retail spaces
Alternative uses often require action by local officials.
Codes and Standards | Aug 16, 2018
Nearly a quarter of opioid overdose deaths attributable to construction workers
Massachusetts public health study finds pressure to work in pain contributes to problem.
Codes and Standards | Aug 15, 2018
ICC creates new committee on building safety and security
Will include experts from many different disciplines.
Codes and Standards | Aug 14, 2018
Philadelphia adopts 2018 IECC energy code, while state opts for 2015 code
City is one of the first jurisdictions to adopt newest code.
Codes and Standards | Aug 9, 2018
Denver’s goal of 100% renewable energy by 2030 includes net zero energy buildings
Community solar programs for low income residents part of plan.
Codes and Standards | Aug 8, 2018
Too much parking in U.S. cities proving costly
As car ownership rates drop, excess parking seems more wasteful.
Codes and Standards | Aug 7, 2018
International Fire Safety Standards (IFSS) Coalition created
Professional associations and building standards organizations join forces.
Codes and Standards | Jul 31, 2018
Workers allegedly held in captivity by construction subcontractor in San Jose pay theft case
Contractor pays $250,000 in back wages in Dept. of Labor enforcement action.
Codes and Standards | Jul 17, 2018
Heat island effect can turn deadly in extreme conditions
Of all the impacts of global climate change, it’s extreme heat that kills more Americans each year than any other weather-related event.
Codes and Standards | Jul 17, 2018
NIMBYism, generational divide threaten plan for net-zero village in St. Paul, Minn.
The ambitious redevelopment proposal for a former Ford automotive plant creates tension.