The American Wood Council (AWC) has released an update to the mobile apps and web-based Maximum Span Calculator for Wood Joists and Rafters to include the design values as found in the 2018 National Design National Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction Supplement.
The mobile apps and the web-based calculator were also updated to include design values for non-North American species to ensure their proper use.
AWC Vice President of Engineering Bradford Douglas said in a prepared statement, “One of AWC’s core initiatives is to help code officials and designers streamline the use of wood products. This update will bring the web-based version of our most popular calculator up-to-date with the latest codes, and will continues to help designers, plan reviewers and code officials save time when checking spans for proposed lumber floor joists, ceiling joists, and rafters.”
The Span Calculator performs calculations for all species and grades of commercially available softwood and hardwood lumber and applies common uniform loading conditions and optional adjustments for wet service conditions. Additionally, it features a “span options” mode that allows selection of multiple species and grades for comparison purposes.
The free Span Calculator app is available on the AWC website and in the Android, iOS and Windows app stores, all of which are updated to the 2018 NDS design values.
The American Wood Council (AWC) is the voice of North American wood products manufacturing, an industry that provides over 450,000 men and women in the United States with family-wage jobs.
AWC represents 86 percent of the structural wood products industry, and 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.
(Source: Heather Stegner)
