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This webinar was co-sponsored by ASCE's Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) and ASCE Continuing Education

Instructor:  Tom Williamson, P.E.

Course Length: 1 Hour

Purpose and Background

Wood is truly the only sustainable structural material and it is a carbon sink—as such, its use greatly benefits the environment, including its excellent life-cycle performance characteristics. However, one of the most common concerns expressed by engineers is the apparent complexity of designing connections for wood-framed structures. If design professionals are going to use more wood in nonresidential, commercial-type structures they must be comfortable with the connection-design aspects of wood framing. The intent of this webinar is to provide this “comfort zone.”

Primary Discussion Topics

The presenter will dispel the concerns over connections for wood-framed structures and demonstrate that designing and detailing connections is not as complex as imagined.

The presenter will discuss:

• Common fastener types, how design values are determined for them, and the wood-connection philosophies relevant to each
• Orthotropic nature of wood and how it affects connection design
• Techniques for designing efficient, durable, and structurally safe connections while minimizing environmental effects on wood connections
• Design examples illustrating some of the principles discussed

As designers embrace the concept of sustainable design and the use of environmentally friendly products, wood can become a material of choice.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Recognize how to establish design properties for wood connectors as well as the adjustment factors to apply for proper performance of these connectors
• Apply wood-connection techniques to ensure efficient, durable, and structurally sound connections
• Know the connectors available for wood-framed structures and how to use the connectors most effectively
• Observe examples that illustrate these principles and become acquainted with additional resources available to assist in wood-connection design and detailing

Webinar Benefits

• Assure designers that they have the latest information related to the connections detailing of wood-framed structures
• Learn how alternative connection solutions can benefit you in your next design project that uses wood
• Examine the possibilities for using wood in commercial type structures
• Avoid costly errors in designing connections for wood-framed structures
• Explore the unique characteristics of wood and how those characteristics can effect connection detailing
• Learn the intricacies of the 2005 National Design Specification for Wood Construction related to connections designs for wood.
• Significant changes to the connection design provisions in the 2012 National Design Specification for Wood Construction will also be reported
• Acquaint yourself with key design considerations that must be considered to ensure both the structural performance and long-term durability of wood-framed structures

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed via a short post-assessment (true-false, multiple choice and fill in the blank questions).

Intended Audience

• Structural engineers
• Civil engineers interested in the design of wood-framed structures

Webinar Outline

• Wood as an orthotropic material and how that relates to wood-connection design
• Overview of basic wood-connection design philosophies
• The range of fastener types available and how they can be best used for a specific design situation
• How fastener design values are derived and how they must be adjusted for end-use conditions
• Overview of how environmental effects (moisture) can influence a connection design
• An innovative portal frame solution for narrow walls
• Simple examples of wood-connection designs
• Review of the many additional information resources available

How to Earn your CEUs/PDHs and Receive Your Certificate of Completion

To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to complete a short on-line post-test and receive a passing score of 70% or higher within 1 year of purchasing the course.

How do I convert CEUs to PDHs?

1.0 CEU = 10 PDHs [Example: 0.1 CEU = 1 PDH]