AWC releases Guides to Wood Construction in High Wind Areas

Leesburg, Va. — The American Wood Council (AWC) has developed a free series of easy-to-use Guides to Wood Construction in High Wind Areas, based on provisions contained in AWC’s 2015 Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM). The guides can be found on the AWC website at www.awc.org/codes-standards/publications/wfcm-2015.

“AWC published a similar series last year based on the 2012 WFCM. The 2015 Guides are a continuation of our mission to develop tools to make it as easy as possible for designers, code officials and builders to design, approve and use wood products,” AWC Vice President of Engineering Bradford Douglas said.

The guides, developed specifically for builders, are directed toward ensuring structural integrity to resist wind loads. The WFCM is the referenced document for high-wind wood-frame construction in the  International Building Code; therefore, use of the high-wind provisions of these WFCM Guides provide design solutions that are intended to meet the applicable requirements of the WFCM, IRC and IBC.

Separate Guides address wind design requirements for 115-, 120-, 130-, 140-, 150- and 160-miles-per-hour (Exposures B and C) wind zones. Areas vulnerable to hurricanes include the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts where basic design wind speeds are greater than 115 mph.