The course covers the complete design of wood buildings, except for the foundations. By the end of the course, students will be able to determine gravity and lateral design loads (from ASCE 7-05 and IBC 2006), design structural elements and subassemblages for vertical loads (tension members, compression members, and beams), and design structural elements and subassemblages for lateral loads (beam-columns, horizontal diaphragms, and shearwalls).

CE 325 Structural Analysis or equivalent, any other course in structural design such as reinforced concrete or structural steel, and graduate standing.

The course will move at a relatively rapid pace, especially the portions dealing with the properties of wood and wood products such as glued laminated timber, plywood, and oriented strand board. Much of this information is descriptive, and it is expected that students will do the required reading in the text ahead of the brief class discussions on these topics. Class time will focus on the calculation of loads and solving a variety of design examples according to NDS specifications. We will concentrate on NDS ASD design provisions since wood design in practice is principally allowable stress design. We will cover the first 10 chapters in the textbook. The textbook is an excellent resource for self study on design of timber structures. Homework will be assigned from the text.

Homework: About one per week (35% of course grade). SEE IMPORTANT NOTE BELOW.

Tests: Two open-book, open notes, 75-minute in-class tests (30% of course grade)

Final exam: One 3-hour comprehensive final exam (35% of course grade)

Project: No specific project is required; homework assignments are comprehensive, especially several of the later ones in the course.

Software requirements: None required, although Microsoft excel will be helpful in some homework assignments.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The course offered this summer was recorded during the 15-week semester in the spring of 2007. The summer session, however, is 10 weeks in duration. Therefore, students will need to cover the course material at a considerably faster pace than during the regular semester. All course requirements must be completed during the 10-week summer session. This should be a consideration before registering for the course.

Design of Wood Structures—ASD, Donald E. Breyer, Kenneth J. Fridley, Kelly E. Cobeen, and David G. Pollock, 6th Ed., McGraw-Hill, 2007, ISBN-10: 0-07-145539-6.

ASD/LRFD Wood Design Package, 2005 Edition, American Forest & Paper Association, American Wood Council (Distance students must order this required package from the American Wood Council Publication Order Department, P.O. Box 5364, Madison, WI 53705-5364, phone 800-890-7732. The publication number is T101-05. Or, on the web, http://www.forestprod.org/awc/index.html#t101-05 ) The student price is $40 plus shipping.