CE 429

DESIGN OF WOOD STRUCTURES

Course Outcomes

Course Outcomes
Understand the material properties of wood
members and how to determine them
Lesson Outcomes
Be able to find design values for section and
mechanical properties of wood using the NDS
Supplement
Understand the effects of wood moisture
content and be able to estimate shrinkage in
wood members/systems
General Wood Characteristics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hgsa6r1
KfLo
Watch to 4:24
General Wood Characteristics

American Wood Council, AWC-DES310-Connections-1hr-141128.pdf

Grade Stamps
General Wood Characteristics
General Wood Characteristics
 Properties of Wood in the NDS Supplement
Reference Design Values
Categories
Lumber
Dimension lumber
Timbers
Decking
Structural Glued
Laminated Timber
Softwood
Hardwood
Round Timber Piles and
Poles
Treated timber piles
Timber poles
Properties of Wood in the NDS Supplement

Clear Wood
In-Grade
Properties of Wood in the NDS Supplement

Commercial Grades
Agencies
Visually graded lumber
Mechanically graded lumber
Properties of Wood in the NDS Supplement
Properties of Wood in the NDS Supplement

Commercial Grades
Agencies
Visually graded lumber
Mechanically graded lumber
Properties of Wood in the NDS Supplement

Grades
Visually graded lumber
Select structural
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
Stud
Construction
Standard
Utility

USDA, Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook

Engineering Properties

Reference Design Values

Supplement Tables 4A to 6B
With exception of E, all values include reductions
for safety
Used for both ASD and LRFD (after adjustments)
Engineering Properties
Moisture in Wood

Terms
Free water
Bound water
Moisture content
Fiber saturation point
Equilibrium moisture content
Moisture in Wood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPxSia
Wb3Vs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqseYG
rI1L8
Moisture in Wood

Dry lumber: MC ≤ 19%

Unseasoned/green lumber: MC > 19%
Lumber Drying

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyAni1G
BJmM
Moisture in Wood

USDA, Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook

Moisture in Wood

American Wood Council, AWC-MAT102-Characteristics-131018

USDA, Forest
Products Laboratory,
Wood Handbook
Moisture in Wood

USDA, Forest Products Laboratory, Wood Handbook

Moisture in Wood

Simplest method for estimating shrinkage

Rule of thumb is for every 5% change in MC you
get 1% change in dimension.
 Board Dimensional Changes

A 14-ft-long 4x10 board changes moisture content

from 19% to 8%. Estimate the change in the board
dimensions.

4 x 10

14’
 Board Dimensional Changes
A 14-ft-long 4x10 board changes moisture content from 19% to 8%. Estimate the
change in the board dimensions.

1% . 0.2% .
5% 1%

Thickness: 3.5 0.002 19% 8% 0.077

Width: 9.25 0.002 19% 8% 0.204
Length: No change
Moisture in Wood

Implications
Individual members
Connections
Framing systems
Structure shrinkage calculation

Estimate the total

vertical shrinkage in
the wall system
considering a
moisture content
change from 19 to 9
percent.
Sizes of Structural Lumber
Size Categories and Commercial Grades
Size Categories and Commercial Grades
Size Categories and Commercial Grades
Engineering Properties
Homework #4

Problem 4.9
Problem 4.10
Problem 4.16 (parts a, e and f)
Problem 4.35