2018 WFCM standard available online

Leesburg, Va. — The American Wood Council (AWC) 2018 Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings is now available online at www.awc.org/codes-standards/publications/wfcm-2018.

Primary changes in the 2018 WFCM include:

• Updated design load standard reference from ASCE 7-10 to ASCE 7-16 Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures;
• Revisions to coordinate with ASCE 7-16’s increased roof wind uplift pressures and addition of lower wind speed categories (i.e. 90, 95, 100, and 105 mph);
• Incorporation of fastener criteria from 2018 National Design Specification for Wood Construction to include provisions for roof sheathing ring shank (RSRS) nails and fastener head pull through design procedures;
• Clarification of terminology, and minimum construction details and limits of rake overhangs based on increased wind pressures;
• Revision of the “Roof Sheathing Attachment Requirements for Wind Loads” table to give common, box, and RSRS nail size and sheathing options by including requirements for uplift load per nail and fastener uplift capacity; and,
• Addition of roof rafter uplift tables to provide design wind pressure and maximum spans for roof rafters in accordance with ASCE 7-16 wind pressures.

“Framing members attached with properly designed fasteners and connectors help to resist forces associated with high winds, as do diaphragms and shear walls made from wood structural panels properly attached to lumber, wall and roof framing. The Wood Frame Construction Manual equips designers and code officials with engineered and prescriptive construction methods that result in more resilient wood buildings better able to withstand forces associated with extreme natural disasters,” said AWC Vice President of Engineering Bradford Douglas.

The WFCM is referenced for wood design in the International Code Council’s 2018 International Building Code (IBC) and International Residential Code (IRC). AWC’s volunteer Wood Design Standards Committee is responsible for maintaining AWC’s standards, such as the WFCM.

The 2018 WFCM is available in read-only electronic format at www.awc.org/codes-standards/publications/wfcm-2018. A print version of the standard is expected to be available for purchase in early 2018.