Technical Topics

TT-097D MAY 2020

Designing Diaphragms Over

Existing Board Floors Or Roofs
When facing the retrofit of an existing structure, the designer must often provide diaphragm
resistance where a board floor or roof deck already exists. If the existing floor or roof deck is
still in serviceable condition and the designer wants to maintain the look of the old boards
from below, or wants to save the cost of removing the existing floor or roof, a diaphragm may
be added to the existing structure. A similar situation may arise in new construction when the
architect requires the appearance of a wood deck from below a roof or floor, and the structural
requirements dictate the use of a wood structural panel (WSP) deck.

This Technical Topic provides guidance for the designer facing such a situation.

Diaphragms Over Existing Board Floors or Roofs

To maintain structural integrity with a roof or floor diaphragm, designers should:

 ensure suitability of existing deck for use as substrate,

 provide sufficient anchorage to keep the WSP diaphragm from buckling out of plane,
 provide minimum nail penetration,
 provide for shear transfer between panels, and
 provide for transfer of loads into and out of the diaphragm.

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Designing Diaphragms Over Existing Board Floors Or Roofs

Assess the condition of the existing deck

Two key steps should be taken to determine the adequacy of the existing deck. First, check its
physical condition. It is essential that the old deck provide a sufficient foundation for the new
WSP diaphragm. As the diaphragm requirements may permit the use of a thinner panel than is
required by the vertical loads, the vertical load capacity of the existing deck must be checked.
In addition, the existing deck must be free of decay, broken elements, and any other features
that might diminish the effectiveness of its use as a nailing base for the attached diaphragm
panels. The nailing of the existing board deck to the supporting members should be checked for
adequacy.

If the retrofit is a roof diaphragm, and the roof sheathing will be nailed directly to the existing
substrate, the substrate below must be attached to the roof framing with sufficient capacity to
resist the wind uplift loads that will be transferred from the WSP sheathing into the original
substrate. The condition of the original nailing should be considered and additional nails
supplemented as needed to ensure the substrate connection is adequate.

Second, determine the species of the existing framing lumber. The diaphragm tables are based on
the use of Douglas-fir or southern pine framing. The existing deck must be one of these species to
use the tables directly, or adjusted as prescribed by the table footnote.

Attach WSP sheathing to prevent buckling out of plane

The field nailing in each panel of the diaphragm’s primary function is to prevent buckling. Barring
any unusual circumstances (high wind loads, or the attachment of very thick panels), the field
nailing required is 8d (0.131 inch x 2-1/2 inches) or 10d (0.148 inch x 3 inches) common nails
at 12 inches on center at all supports inside the perimeter of each panel. Thus, a Performance
Category 7/16 panel with a Span Rating of 24/16 would have lines of fasteners at 12 inches on
center into the framing located in the field of the panel at a minimum of 24 inches on center for
roofs and 16 inches on center for floors. When framing is not available, as when the panels are
placed over an existing deck, the same nailing schedule is required to attach the panel into the
board deck. The minimum nail-fastening schedule at panels ends (for unblocked diaphragms),
and ends and edges (for blocked diaphragms) is 8d (0.131 inch x 2-1/2 inches) or 10d (0.148 inch
x 3 inches) common nails at 6 inches on center. Note that even when applied over an existing
structural roof or floor deck, this is the minimum required attachment schedule to
ensure the panel remains flat during normal service conditions as well as during design
lateral events. The field nailing must be the same whether it is penetrating framing or an
existing board deck.

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Designing Diaphragms Over Existing Board Floors Or Roofs

Ensure adequate fastener penetration into existing deck or framing

The diaphragm tables in APA literature, the codes and the 2015 ANSI/AWC Special Design
Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS), require a specific depth of penetration for all fasteners
used to attach the panels that form the diaphragm. The minimum penetration depth is dependent
on the nail pennyweight and is 1-1/2 inches for 10d common (0.148 inch x 3 inches) nails and 1-3/8
inches for 8d common (0.131 inch x 2-1/2 inches) nails. These are the minimum depths required
by the tables to develop the tabulated shear capacity of the panel. If the nail penetration is less than
the required minimum, the designer may use APA Technical Topic, Diaphragm Nail Penetration and
1-5/16-Inch Thick I-Joist Flanges, Form TT-061 or APA Report T98-22, (www.apawood.org) to evaluate
the impact on shear capacity.

If the existing deck does not allow for full penetration of fasteners, the diaphragm capacity should
be reduced to account for the reduced nail penetration.
Ensure shear transfer between panel edges
While not a problem with board decks that are installed at a diagonal, shear transfer can be an
issue with boards installed parallel to the strength axis of the panel. Panel end and edge nailing
transfers shear forces between adjacent panels. Parallel joints in the existing board deck that
lie between adjacent panel edge or end nails will prevent transfer in the affected area and thus
adversely affect the diaphragm’s design capacity.

To assure continuous shear transfer, offset panel joints from those of parallel board joints such
that a continuous load path is maintained between adjacent panels. When the existing board deck
is oriented parallel to one of the building’s principal axes, placement of the panels at a diagonal
may be the most effective solution.

Transfer loads into and out of the diaphragm

One of the most crucial aspects of diaphragm design is to ensure that the applied loads are
transferred both into and out of the diaphragm. This is accomplished at the intersection between
the diaphragm and shear walls, known as the diaphragm perimeter. APA, building code and
SDPWS diaphragm tables have special requirements for diaphragm perimeter nailing. When a
panel diaphragm is added over an existing board deck, care must be taken to ensure that the
requisite perimeter attachment is made through the wood deck and into the perimeter shear walls
below diaphragm boundary. The existing wood deck may be used as part of this load path but
to do so, it must be fastened to the diaphragm boundary with sufficient capacity. The connection
between the diaphragm boundary and the shear walls should be detailed carefully as loads are
present at these intersections in all three principle directions – both perpendicular and parallel to
the face of the wall, and in the vertical direction.

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Designing Diaphragms Over Existing Board Floors Or Roofs

An important distinction that is often overlooked when attaching diaphragm nailing is that
the perimeter of the diaphragm is often not the outside edge of the diaphragm. The diaphragm
perimeter is the location in the diaphragm where the force is transferred out of the diaphragm into
the shear walls below. If there is a roof overhang associated with a roof at a gable end, for example,
the diaphragm perimeter nailing is required at the gable-end in the section with the diaphragm.
Similarly if a roof overhang exists at a side wall, the diaphragm perimeter nailing must be made at
the side wall intersection.

Along with any discussion of diaphragm perimeter nailing in a retrofit situation, it is important
to address diaphragm chords. When designing a blocked diaphragm – one with shear transfer
nailing at panel edges as well as panel ends, and the one most commonly associated with a board
roof retrofit – the engineering model used by designers results in chord forces. These chord
forces are normally distributed to and resisted by tension/compression elements located near
the diaphragm perimeter on all four sides. A ledger supporting the roof, the reinforced top of a
concrete wall, or even the double top plate of a wood framed wall may be designed to act as the
chord for a given diaphragm. It is important to recognize that the diaphragm perimeter nailing
must engage the chord through the load path and that the chord itself and all splices must be of
adequate tensile and compressive capacity to resist these forces.

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Form No. TT-097D
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