Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area

[T_Bat]

Hey Everyone,

I have a few heavily loaded multiply LSL beams that are bearing on a double 2x pine top plate. My triple ply beam woorks for everything except sill plate bearing (or I guess crushing really). Instead of adding more plies is it possible to nail blocks on each side of the beam at bearing to increase the bearing area? You would end up to something similar to squash blocks beside and plywood web joist. Seems reasonable to me but I'm not sure if I'm missing something. There is porbably some nail slip/deformation that will allow some movement but is this something anyone else has done?

Thanks!

 

[Scratch3r]

Check My-ti-con. They're in Canada and sell to the USA as well. They have design guides and testing information for their products. I think all of these fasteners are from Europe.

 

[Tommy385]

Yep, those are actually "Würth" screws from Germany. They also have very good design software (freeware but only on Eurocode basis.

 

[Scratch3r]

Do you have a link for that?

Lots of these European based fasteners are coming into our market. It's driven by cross lam. I recently used a 45-degree washer to screw the top flange of a steel beam to the underside of an existing top plate. It saved me adding a nailer to the top of the beam. The client appreciated the extra headroom.

 

[Tommy385]

sure..

https://www.wuerth.de/web/de/awkg/kontakt/emailformulare/technical_sw.php

just fill it up and you will get a link.
it is possible to change a language.
if you will need some assistance (eurocode has become pretty complicated..) let me know.

Greetings from europe