Wood is one of the only truly renewable construction materials. Demand for stronger, more durable, and more affordable materials that require less maintenance have driven the increased demand for manufactured wood products. Software tools that can efficiently select the most appropriate materials and design have also been developed in recent years.

In response to an open invitation from Structural Engineering & Design magazine, a number of companies provided the following information about their products. Company web addresses are provided for immediate access to additional information. To participate in Structural Engineering & Design Specifiers Guides, visit www.gostructural.com/specguide

PointSIX Flooring from Ainsworth Group of Companies (www.pointsixflooring.com) represents a new approach to the age-old problem of subfloor edge swell, thanks to a patented tapered-edge technology that offsets the effects of moisture. In a rigorous 14-day flood test, pointSIX contained edge swell to just 0.01 inches.

TEDDS from CSC Inc. (www.cscworld.com) automates the production of detailed structural calculations within MS Word. TEDDS includes a large library of calculations including wood design calculations for Structural Wood Beam Design (NDS), Structural Composite Lumber Design (NDS), Glued Laminated Timber Beam Design (NDS), Flitch Member Design (NDS), Structural Wood Column Design (NDS), Glued Laminated Timber Column Design (NDS), Simple Ledger Design (NDS), and Timber Connection Design (NDS).

Timber Design from Digital Canal (www.digitalcanal.com) uses the STRAAD FEA engine and NDS 2005 to design multi-span beams or columns for bi-axial bending, axial loads, torsion, shear, support bearing, and deflections. ASCE 2005 wind and snow loads (including drifts) and IBC 2006 moving concentrated floor and roof live loads are computed automatically. Visit the company online for a free trial.

Laminated wood structures, architectural beams, bridges, equestrian riding arenas, shelters, and pavilions from EnWood Structures, LLC (www.enwood.com) are FSC Certified and meeting AITC quality standards.

Hilti, Inc.’s (www.us.hilti.com) 18 volt SFH 18-A CPC Cordless Hammer Drill/Driver and the WSR 18-A CPC Cordless Reciprocating Saw deliver more work per charge, longer life, and greater performance in the application. Hilti’s cordless tools are designed for professionals and the cordless job site.

As the first pre-fabricated shear panel to receive ICC-ES 2009 IBC/IRC code compliance verification, now for tall walls up to 20 feet high and two-story applications, the iLevel Shear Brace from iLevel by Weyerhaeuser (www.ilevel.com) enables stable braced walls in narrow wall segments with multiple openings in light commercial projects, multi-family structures, and homes.

Powers Tapper+ from Power Fasteners (www.powers.com) is designed and tested for use in wood, concrete, and masonry base materials. Its new gimlet point provides excellent bite for self-tapping into wood. The Tapper+ with proprietary Perma-Seal coating provides unmatched corrosion protection, and has been tested and approved for use in pressure treated wood.

RISAFloor and RISA-3D from RISA Technologies(www.risa.com) form the premiere software package for wood design. Create 3D models of your entire structure and get full design of wood walls (with and without openings), flexible wood diaphragms, dimension lumber, glulams, parallams, LVL’s, joists, and more. Custom databases for species, hold-downs, and panel nailing offer total flexibility.

The Simpson Strong-Tie Strong-Drive SDW wood screw from Simpson Strong-Tie (www.strongtie.com) is a 0.22 inch diameter, high-strength structural wood screw specifically designed for fastening multi-ply truss assemblies and engineered-wood applications without gapping or flipping heavy girders. The SDW installs easily with no pre-drilling and features a large, flush head, simplifying the installation of finishes or structural connectors.

Structural Desktop, Inc. (www.structuraldesktop.com) integrates STAAD Pro, RISA 3D/RISAFloor, GT STRUDL, and SAP2000 with AutoCAD. The user can build his analytical model inside AutoCAD and import that model into their analytical program for analysis and design. They can then import the model back into SDT for automatic creation of annotated AutoCAD “DWG” contract drawings.

Una-Lam (www.unalam.com) is a leading manufacturer of glulam wood products with a wide variety of applications. They are Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certified for purchasing, manufacturing, erecting, and selling FSC lumber for their custom glulam beams, trusses, and arches. The company is also fully licensed by the American Institute of Timber Construction.

Accoya, the world’s leading high-technology wood, is supplied by Universal Forest Products (www.ufpi.com). Beginning as sustainably sourced, fast growing, softwood, Accoya wood undergoes a modification process from the surface to the core and has measurable consistency throughout. The result: a durable material that won’t rot, twist, warp, or shrink. The exceptional durability and stability mean windows do not swell shut, doors continually open freely, and coatings last up to three times longer — throughout the minimum 50-year above-ground and 25-year in-ground/freshwater life of Accoya wood.

WoodWorks (www.woodworks-software.com) provides engineers, architects, and others with free resources and technical support that enable them to build non-residential and multi-family structures out of wood more easily and at less cost. Visit the company online for Wood Solutions Fairs, online training, CAD/REVIT details, calculators, span tables, wood design awards, and more.