Continue to Site

Eng-Tips is the largest engineering community on the Internet

Intelligent Work Forums for Engineering Professionals

  • Congratulations KootK on being selected by the Eng-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Wood Column size and prescriptive Code

Status
Not open for further replies.

Apexpredetor

Civil/Environmental
Oct 16, 2013
52
can anybody point me in the right direction to determine , by prescriptive code, the correct sized column for a deck. I am thinking it will have an unbraced length of approx. 10ft. MY initial reaction is to go with a 6x6, but I want to confirm with NYS residential code rather than blasting out calculations for it.

Thanks all

 
Replies continue below

Recommended for you

Sorry, I'm in NY State, not the City. I looked in there and I didn't see anything about the unbraced length.

 
Now you made me look in the AWC publication. Try the post requirements on page 7 or look at figure 22. Maximum post height is 14' with a kicker/brace 2' from the top of post.
 
NDS requires that the slenderness ratio not exceed 50. I looked quick and I don't see anything in the IBC Wood section. Depending on your end conditions, anything smaller than a 6x6 may not be adequate.
 
Western Wood Products publication Tech Guide 9 has tables for axial load capacity of solid wood columns of various lengths for western wood lumbers. The one I have is based on NDS 2001 and 1998 WWPA grades, but I don't think there are significant changes with current NDS regarding solid wood columns. Appears the wood columns will need to be treated for your application.
 
NDS.. ahhhh Totally slipped to look there. I was thinking that it must have been outlined in the Residential code that I was blinded.

 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor