WOOD MOMENT FRAME

[afk2000]

Hi,

Is it possible to build wood moment frame ?(for residential usage,like under the roof of the balcony).
If yes,how should I connect them together and to the foundation?

Thanks in advance.

 

[RARWOOD]

See wood moment frame under Moment Frame and Shear Walls.

I think you would be farther ahead to use some knee bracing.

 

[Ron]

afk2000....ditto on RARSWC's comment.

 

[Dinosaur]

Is this a problem where Glulam beams/arches would be appropriate. Glulams are the only thing in wood that act like moment frames of which I am aware. Glulams are engineered products so they will do the engineering for you, I believe, but you'll have to pay for it.

 

[afk2000]

Thanks for all of your inputs,...

Dinosaur!, The G.L.B. would be fine, the only thing is designing the connections, is there a book that shows how to design wood moment frame connections ?

 

[RARWOOD]

Try the AITC "Timber Construction Manual" or the "Wood Engineering & Construction Handbook".

 

[dougantholz]

Fix the bases by embeding them in a pilaster or create a cheap moment frame by kicking the top of the column to the beam. Make it a "truss" with K type connections into the columns.

 

[Dinosaur]

I have a book called "Structural Design in Wood" by Stahnaker & Harris, published by Van Nostrand Reinhold. It appears to be a well written book covering a wide range of subjects relevant to wood design including connections.

The glulam frames I have seen in the past are actually three hinged arches. The bottom two hinges are restrained by casting steel U-shaped pieces into a substantial concrete slab. The arches are then set inside the U-shaped cup and lean against one another at midspan (the pak of the roof). There are a large number of contemporary churches constructed this way beginning sometime in the 1960s.

To support a balcony, you may be able to stand one half arch up and restrain the bottom toe, but restraining the knee would be a difficult matter. It sounds as if you want to retrofit a balcony onto an existing structure. This makes the problem more complicated since we have to deal with the existing structure as well. Good Luck.

 

[afk2000]

Thanks again,
specially Dinosaur!.