Wood products are regaining popularity due to increased interest in renewable building materials, stronger pre-engineered products to meet a wide variety of specialty applications, software to help determine accurate load calculations, and associations working diligently to assist engineers, architects, and contractors.

In response to a request from Structural Engineer, a number of companies provided the following information about their products and services. Some companies declined to participate by failing to return the questionnaire by our deadline. We apologize for inadvertent omissions. To be added to our contact list, please e-mail Jennifer Goupil, P.E., at jgoupil@zweigwhite.com.

Ainsworth Group of Companies offers Durastrand Floorings, an enhanced grade, APA-rated Sturd-I-Floor guaranteed against delamination for 50 years. Durastrand Flooring reduces or eliminates the need for sanding at the jobsite due to an enhanced edge that blocks moisture and reduces swelling. The engineered panel is rigid and strong, and lies flat with no warping or sagging. Engineered to prevent splits, cracks, and splinters, the panel is suitable for single-layer floor construction and combination subfloor/underlayment. Durastrand Flooring is available in standard sizes and thicknesses nationwide from a network of independent distributors and dealers and is easily recognized by its distinctive purple edge-seal.
www.ainsworthengineered.com

According to the American Institute of Timber Construction, structural glued laminated timber (glulam) is the nation’s original engineered wood, dating back to the 1930s. It is widely specified for residential, commercial, and institutional projects because of its strength, warm aesthetics, and competitive cost. Glulam is popular for headers, ridge beams, and floor beams, as well as curved members and arches. Unlike steel and concrete, which consume natural resources, glulam is a renewable material harvested from millions of trees that are replanted monthly.
www.aitc-glulam.org

American Wood Council (AWC) is the wood products division of the American Forest & Paper Association. AWC develops internationally recognized standards for wood design and construction. Its efforts with building codes and standards, engineering and research, and technology transfer ensure proper application for engineered and traditional wood products.
www.awc.org

APA provides engineered wood products that flex with one’s imagination, offering a wide range of options for nearly any building type. APA Performance Rated Panels, glulam, LVL, I-joists, and Rim Board can be used in floor, wall, and roof systems, as well covered walkways, bridges, and other construction uses. Common applications include panelized roofs, post-frame construction, and shear walls and diaphragms. Engineered wood also offers commercial building designers and builders fire- and noise-rated systems. APA online portfolios depict engineered wood use in schools, churches, resorts, senior living, and transportation structures.
www.apawood.org

Bentley’s structural products support analysis of structural models made of any material. Both STAAD.Pro and RAM Advanse support design of wood members. STAAD.Pro supports AITC 1984 or 1994, CSA086-01 or to Eurocode EC5, 1995-1-1:2004 codes. STAAD.Pro also contains an extensive database of standard section profiles from the AITC and Canadian suppliers. RAM Advanse supports design per the latest NDS (2005) code in both ASD and LRFD and allows for optimization of members. A future enhancement in RAM Advanse includes wood shear wall design using segmented, force transfer around openings, and perforated shear wall methods.
www.Bentley.com

Boise Cascade Engineered Wood Products offers Versa-Stud laminated veneer framing lumber. These are ideal for tall walls, entrance door walls, window walls, stairwells, elevator shafts, walls where cabinets will be installed, and other applications requiring strong, straight, accurately sized lumber. Versa-Stud offers 2.1 times more bending strength and 20 percent more stiffness than No. 2 SPF 2x6 studs. It’s available in 1-1/2-inch width, five depths, lengths up to 60 feet, and constructed of 1/6-, 1/8- or 1/10-inch-thick veneers, laminated with grains parallel. Versa-Stud is a green product, made using 100 percent SFI-certified wood fiber.
www.bc.com

Cascade Consulting Associates, Inc., released StruCalc 8.0, a software solution for design and analysis of beams, columns, joists, rafters, and footings using solid sawn lumber, steel, and tube steel, structural composite, glulams, flitch beams, and I-joists. It is the first version to take advantage of the latest XP and Vista systems in easy-to-use interface design. Utilizing new one-page printouts and a single-screen interface, StruCalc 8.0, offered at just $495, puts more information at your fingertips, and includes the new 2006 IBC, 2005 NDS, and full AISD 13th Edition Steel Calculations, collar ties, hip beams, stud walls, and many other features.
www.strucalc.com

Commins Manufacturing, Inc., provides the AutoTight Rod Tie-Down System for multi-story buildings. The AutoTight System provides shrinkage compensation for shear wall connections that maximize code strength and minimize system stretch. Design packages for value-engineered, turn-key systems are available. See the system on the company’s website and ask for a demonstration of the shrinkage compensating device.
www.comminsmfg.com

EnWood Structures’ Custom Design Division supports engineers and designers with the most complex and challenging projects. For more than 60 years, EnWood has built a rich history in the laminated wood market and a proud partnership with some of the finest names in the engineering industry. Professionals and clients come to EnWood for its ability to design, engineer, and manufacture quality laminated wood structures and bridges. The EnWood Design Collection also features numerous models of pre-engineered shelters, pavilions, and bridges for both large and small projects.
www.enwood.com

Hoover Treated Wood Products, Inc., offers lumber and plywood treated with either Pyro-Guard interior or Exterior Fire-X outdoor fire retardant. Both products are pressure-impregnated and kiln-dried under third-party monitoring, and bear the Underwriters Laboratories classification mark.
www.frtw.com

IES VisualAnalysis is quick and easy for structural analysis and design of trusses. This friendly tool helps users construct analytical models, generate typical trusses, or import configurations from a DXF file. Simply apply loads to obtain support reactions, member deflections, internal forces, and stresses. Member design checks, per IBC 2006, are available for wood, as well as for structural and cold-formed steel.
www.iesweb.com

iLevel by Weyerhaeuser with TimberStrand laminated strand lumber (LSL) and iLevel Tall Wall Calculator software offers an easy solution to the challenge of designing tall walls full of windows, especially because the IRC provisions stop at 10 feet. Available in lengths up to 30 feet, TimberStrand LSL provides single-piece studs for more stable tall walls. The studs are stiff, consistently straight, and resist bowing, twisting, and shrinking. With the Tall Wall Calculator, fast and simple data input leads to efficient product specification for meeting the load-carrying requirements of any tall wall.
www.iLevel.com

Jager offers a one-stop solution for engineered wood products. According to the company, its products and services provide a great start to building better living environments. That includes everything from JSI brand I-Joists and Temlam brand LVL to expert product engineering, consultative sales, and industry-leading QuickTools software and support.
www.jagerewp.com

Open Joist-Universal Forest Products are open-web, all wood floor trusses engineered for long spans and superior load-carrying capabilities. The open-web design allows for safe and quick installation of electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Open Joist is assembled with precision finger joinery and waterproof structural glue, resulting in less weight and a stronger welded connection. While Open Joist trusses use approximately 35 percent less wood fiber than solid lumber, they are stronger and straighter than solid wood joists. Tested to more than twice its maximum allowable load, Open Joist is the only individually tested floor truss and is backed by a lifetime warranty.
www.openjoist.com

PLYWALL is the only pre-engineered, ASTM E-90 tested, pressure-treated, kiln-dried, all wood sound barrier on the market. Post and panel construction ensures easy low-impact site construction with no concrete footings, while the warm look of wood provides curb appeal not offered by other rated barriers. Extreme heights, high wind loading, and variable terrain can be accommodated.
www.plywall.com

According to RISA, its software product, RISA-3D, is often described by engineers as fast, accurate, and productive. Packed with the most current steel, concrete, cold-formed steel, and timber design codes, RISA-3D gives users the tools to tackle multi-material projects with confidence. Advanced features such as flexible design rules allow the engineer to control the design, not just the program. Review results for the entire model graphically, or view member detail reports to see analysis results and design calculations for each member. RISA-3D also integrates seamlessly with RISAFloor and RISAFoot, including links to top detailing, drafting, and BIM packages for a complete building design solution.
www.risa.com

Simpson Strong-Tie says its THJU hip/jack hanger offers flexibility, ease of installation, and performance. The hanger’s configuration allows it to handle both right- and left-hand hips and installs either before or after the hip and jack are in place. It’s offered to fit a range of hip skews up to 65 degrees and various single and 2-ply hip/jack combinations. For more information, call 800-999-5099 or visit our website.
www.strongtie.com

Southern Pine Council invites you to discover the advantages of a raised floor foundation system by reviewing the Raised Wood Foundations publication. Engineers and architects can use this comprehensive 48-page guide during the design and building phases. A free copy of this fully illustrated guide with construction details, as well as facts about moisture control, soils and site preparation, foundation types, design loads, span tables, and floor framing, can be downloaded from the Council’s website.
www.southernpine.com

Structural Building Components Research Institute (SBCRI) is a one-of-a-kind research and testing lab that offers an extensive list of testing options for structural building components and related products under a variety of conditions. SBCRI is equipped to test single components or full component systems under a variety of applications, attachment, and loading conditions to lead to more accurate and efficient design and improved installation or use of products. Proprietary testing at SBCRI is conducted professionally and the data is confidential. Visit the SBCRI website to view a talking brochure.
www.sbcri.info

Structural Desktop Inc. (SDT) integrates the analytical programs with AutoCAD. Users can build an analytical model inside AutoCAD and import the model into the analytical program where the model is analyzed and designed. The model can be imported back into SDT for adjustment and automatic creation of annotated AutoCAD 2-D and 3-D drawings. According to SDT, Structural Desktop reduces costs, increases accuracy, and has a minimal learning curve. It draws concrete sections, AISC sections, LGSI and AISI light-gage sections, steel joists, wooden beams and studs, and others. It creates solid models for rendering and 2-D drawings for contract documents that are 100 percent compatible with AutoCAD.
www.structuraldesktop.com

Timberweld Manufacturing specializes in complete or simple laminated timber structural systems for many applications in the Rocky Mountain and Midwestern areas of the United States. Its staff of experienced sales engineers, professional engineers, and structural detailers can assist in value engineering or conversion of steel to wood structures. Timberweld is the longest standing AITC manufacturing member since 1957. Structural packages include Douglas-Fir arches, trusses, and radial beams, connecting hardware and T&G deck.
www.timberweld-southwest.com

Unadilla Laminated Products manufactures engineered wood products with a wide variety of applications, including religious structures, field houses, pavilions, swimming pool enclosures, ice skating rinks, gazebos, horse riding arenas, bridges, and indoor water parks. Unadilla is certified as a Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) chain-of-custody for purchasing, manufacturing, erecting, and selling FSC pure and FSC mixed lumber for use in its custom glue-laminated beams, trusses, and arches. Unadilla also is fully licensed by the American Institute of Timber Construction (AITC) to produce all types of glulam products to the ANSI standard.
www.unalam.com

WTCA, established in 1983, represents the Structural Building Components Industry and is the only international trade association representing manufacturers of structural building components, as well as related suppliers and professionals. WTCA provides the technical and educational products and services its membership needs to expand the market share of all building components by promoting the common interests of those engaged in manufacturing trusses, wall panels, and related components to ensure growth, continuity, and increased professionalism. WTCA offers an Enhanced Professional Membership created for design professionals that contains many helpful products and resources about structural building components.
www.sbcindustry.com

WoodWorks, with technical guidance from the American Wood Council of the American Forest & Paper Association, produced WoodWorks Software. Users can quickly design light-frame or heavy timber structures based on the 2005 edition of the AF&PA’s National Design Specification for Wood Construction.
www.woodworks-software.com