AWC Releases 2012 WFCM Workbook

The American Wood Council (AWC) has released a new workbook titled Design of Wood Frame Buildings for High Wind, Snow, and Seismic Loads (2012 WFCM Workbook) providing a design example and typical checklist for a wood-frame structure in accordance with the 2012 Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two- Family Dwellings. The free workbook is available on the AWC website.

The workbook uses plans from a two-story residence as the basis for a structural design to resist high wind, seismic and snow loads. All three loading conditions are evaluated in the example to show the broad range of the WFCM applicability.

The 2012 WFCM is referenced for proper design in both the 2012 International Residential Code and the 2012 International Building Code. Roughly half of the United States have adopted these 2012 codes, including five states with high seismic loads and nine Atlantic and Gulf Coast states that have high winds.

“Newer research allows for better prediction of forces from earthquakes and high winds,” said AWC President & CEO Robert Glowinski. “This research resulted in the inclusion of new performance criteria in building codes for wood construction, offering an increased level of protection against the threats of natural disasters to make buildings more resilient, sustainable and livable for generations. The WFCM Workbook takes users through a solved example of these new design requirements.”

For more information, contact Buddy Showalter at [email protected].

The American Wood Council (AWC) is the voice of North American wood products manufacturing, representing over 75 percent of an industry that provides more than 360,000 men and women with family-wage jobs. AWC members make products that are essential to everyday life from a renewable resource that absorbs and sequesters carbon. Staff experts develop state-of-the-art engineering data, technology, and standards for wood products to assure their safe and efficient design, as well as provide information on wood design, green building, and environmental regulations. AWC also advocates for balanced government policies that affect wood products.