Structural Wood Design Capstone

Demonstration of Structural
Wood Design Using
Engineered Wood Products
Tyler Blackwell, Jeremy Coate, Ali El Gandour, Eyob
Kebede
CVT Students
Construction Management Option
School of Construction
SAIT Polytechnic

Cover Illustration: “Structural Composite Lumber (SCL),” American Plywood Association (APA), [online]
Available: http://www.apawood.org/structural-composite-lumber. [Accessed: March
25, 2015].

Demonstration of Structural
Wood Design Using Engineered
Wood Products
Written for:
Mark Dann, Design Manager, Akx Lumber Ltd.
Written by:
Tyler Blackwell, Jeremy Coate, Ali ElGandour,
Eyob Kebede
CVT Students
Construction Management Option
School of Construction
SAIT Polytechnic
Requested by:
Carlo Velcic, CIVL Advisor
Bonnie Brightlee, COMM Instructor
SAIT Polytechnic
10 April 2015

ii
Executive Summary
This project presents a collaborative approach to designing, verifying and comparing design methods
between industry professionals and JATE Design. This report includes compiled data and information as
a result of structural wood design calculations, an analysis of cost, constructability and floor
performance. All data and calculations were completed in compliance with the Wood Design Manual, a
structural wood design guide published by the Canadian Wood Council.
Structural wood design is a process of selecting individual wood members based on moment resistance,
shear resistance, deflection, and vibration. In today’s wood industry, there are many products that could
be used in the process of design such as conventional lumber and engineered wood products. The
products used in this structural wood design include 110, 230, 360, and 560 TJI joist series, along with
LVL, PSL, and LSL beams. The different joists and beams are designed to withhold a certain loading,
depending on the desired strength. The various TJI series also vary in depth and width.
This report contains a design completed by JATE Design, Akx Lumber Ltd, and a comparison between the
two procedures. The various topics covered in this report include a methodology section which explains
the different methods taken to complete the design. The comparison includes layout, floor
performance, and constructability variances. Along with a cost analysis that involves all material cost.
After completing the design, compiling data, and comparing the different design methods taken by JATE
design and Akx Lumber Ltd., it was found that the techniques used by JATE design to be more cost
effective.

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Table of Contents
Executive Summary................................................................................................................................. ii
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................... iii
Table of Illustrations................................................................................................................................ v
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................1
Purpose...............................................................................................................................................1
Background .........................................................................................................................................1
Scope ..................................................................................................................................................2
Preview ...............................................................................................................................................2
Products..................................................................................................................................................3
Joists ...................................................................................................................................................3
Beams .................................................................................................................................................3
Methodology...........................................................................................................................................4
Architectural Drawings ........................................................................................................................4
Forte Software.....................................................................................................................................7
Forte Assumptions...........................................................................................................................7
TJ-Pro Rating Vibration ....................................................................................................................7
Design Manual Calculations.................................................................................................................8
JATE Design...........................................................................................................................................11
Supporting Main Floor.......................................................................................................................11
Joists..............................................................................................................................................12
Beams............................................................................................................................................18
Bearing Walls.................................................................................................................................23
Steel Post.......................................................................................................................................23
Supporting Second Floor....................................................................................................................24
Joists..............................................................................................................................................24
Beams............................................................................................................................................31
Bearing Wall ..................................................................................................................................37
JATE Drawings ...................................................................................................................................37
AKX Lumber Ltd. Design.........................................................................................................................40
Comparison...........................................................................................................................................43
Layout Differences.............................................................................................................................43

iv
Main Floor.....................................................................................................................................43
Upper Floor ...................................................................................................................................43
Cost...................................................................................................................................................44
Joists..............................................................................................................................................44
Beams............................................................................................................................................45
Floor Sheathing..............................................................................................................................46
Concrete........................................................................................................................................47
Floor Performance.............................................................................................................................47
Area M-A.......................................................................................................................................47
Weighted Average.........................................................................................................................48
Vibration Conclusion......................................................................................................................48
Constructability .................................................................................................................................48
Conclusion.............................................................................................................................................49
References ............................................................................................................................................50
Appendix A: Beam Resistive Forces Calculations......................................................................................A
Appendix B: Main Floor Joists Calculations ..............................................................................................B
Appendix C: Main Floor Joists Calculations ..............................................................................................C
Appendix D: Upper Floor Beams Calculations ..........................................................................................D
Appendix E: Upper Floor Beams Calculations...........................................................................................E
Appendix F: Bearing Wall Calculations..................................................................................................... F
Appendix G: Support Post Calculations ................................................................................................... G

v
Table of Illustrations
Figure 1: Load Transfer ......................................................................................................................2
Figure 2: Architectural Drawings- Main Floor ......................................................................................5
Figure 3: Architectural Drawings- Upper Floor .....................................................................................6
Figure 4: Floor Vibration .....................................................................................................................8
Figure 5: TJ-Pro Rating Vibration .........................................................................................................8
Figure 6: Main Floor Joist Areas ......................................................................................................12
Figure 7: Upper Floor Joist Areas ......................................................................................................24
Figure 8: JATE Main Floor Drawing ......................................................................................................38
Figure 9: JATE Upper Floor Drawings ...............................................................................................39
Figure 10: Main Floor- Akx Lumber Design .......................................................................................41
Figure 11: Second Floor- Akx Lumber Design .................................................................................42
Table 1: TJI Joist Specifications ................................................................................................................3
Table 2: Beam Specifications ...................................................................................................................4
Table 3: Comparison of Joist Types ........................................................................................................13
Table 4: Summary- Joists Section M-A ...................................................................................................13
Table 5: Forte Solution- Joists Section M-A ............................................................................................13
Table 6: Joist Strength- Section M-A ......................................................................................................14
Table 7: Joist Deflection- Section M-A....................................................................................................14
Table 8: Summary- Joists Section M-B....................................................................................................14
Table 9: Forte Solution- Joists Section M-B ............................................................................................14
Table 10: Joist Strength- Section M-B ....................................................................................................15
Table 11: Joist Deflection- Section M-B..................................................................................................15
Table 12: Summary- Joists Section M-C..................................................................................................15
Table 13: Forte Solution- Joists Section M-C ..........................................................................................15
Table 14: Joist Strength- Section M-C.....................................................................................................16
Table 15: Joist Deflection- Section M-C..................................................................................................16
Table 16: Summary- Joists Section M-D .................................................................................................16
Table 17: Forte Solution- Joists Section M-D ..........................................................................................16
Table 18: Joist Strength- Section M-D ....................................................................................................17
Table 19: Joist Deflection- Section M-D..................................................................................................17
Table 20: Summary- Joists Section M-E..................................................................................................17
Table 21: Forte Solution- Joists Section M-E...........................................................................................17
Table 22: Joist Strength- Section M-E.....................................................................................................18
Table 23: Joist Deflection- Section M-E..................................................................................................18
Table 24: Beam Comparison..................................................................................................................18
Table 25: Forte Solution- Beam MB-1 ....................................................................................................19
Table 26: Moment and Shear- Beam MB-1 ............................................................................................19
Table 27: Beam MB-1 Deflection Limits .................................................................................................19
Table 28: Beam MB-1 Deflection ...........................................................................................................19

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Table 37: Bearing Wall- Main Floor........................................................................................................23
Table 38: JATE Post Design ....................................................................................................................23
Table 39: Summary- Joists Section U-A ..................................................................................................25
Table 40: Forte Solution- Joists Section U-A...........................................................................................25
Table 41: Joist Strength- Section U-A .....................................................................................................26
Table 42: Joist Deflection- Section U-A...................................................................................................26
Table 43: Summary- Joists Section U-B ..................................................................................................26
Table 44: Forte Solution- Joists Section U-B ...........................................................................................26
Table 45: Joist Strength- Section U-B .....................................................................................................27
Table 46: Joist Deflection- Section U-B...................................................................................................27
Table 47: Summary- Joists Section U-C ..................................................................................................27
Table 48: Forte Solution- Joists Section U-C ...........................................................................................27
Table 49: Joist Strength- Section U-C .....................................................................................................28
Table 50: Joist Deflection- Section U-C...................................................................................................28
Table 51: Summary- Joists Section U-D ..................................................................................................28
Table 52: Forte Solution- Joists Section U-D...........................................................................................28
Table 53: Joist Strength- Section U-D.....................................................................................................29
Table 54: Joist Deflection- Section U-D ..................................................................................................29
Table 55: Summary- Joists Section U-E...................................................................................................29
Table 56: Forte Solution- Joists Section U-E ...........................................................................................29
Table 57: Joist Strength- Section U-E......................................................................................................30
Table 58: Joist Deflection- Section U-E...................................................................................................30
Table 59: Summary- Joists Section U-F...................................................................................................30
Table 60: Forte Solution- Joists Section U-F............................................................................................30
Table 61: Joist Strength- Section U-F......................................................................................................31
Table 62: Joist Deflection- Section U-F...................................................................................................31
Table 63: Forte Solution- Beam UB-1.....................................................................................................31
Table 64: Moment and Shear- Beam UB-1 .............................................................................................31
Table 65: Beam UB-1 Deflection Limits ..................................................................................................32
Table 66: Beam UB-1 Deflection ............................................................................................................32

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Table 87: Bearing Wall- Upper Floor ......................................................................................................37
Table 88: Total Comparative Costs.........................................................................................................44
Table 89: JATE’s Main Floor Joist Costs ..................................................................................................44
Table 90: Akx’ Main Floor Joist Costs .....................................................................................................44
Table 91: JATE’s Upper Floor Joist Costs.................................................................................................45
Table 92: Akx’ Upper Floor Joist Costs....................................................................................................45
Table 93: JATE’s Main Floor Beam Costs ................................................................................................45
Table 94: Akx’ Main Floor Beam Costs ...................................................................................................45
Table 95: JATE’s Upper Floor Beam Costs...............................................................................................46
Table 96: Akx’ Upper Floor Beam Costs..................................................................................................46
Table 97: Floor Sheathing Costs.............................................................................................................46
Table 98: Concrete Costs .......................................................................................................................47
Table 99: Floor Perfomance Comparison ...............................................................................................47
Table 100: Weighted Average of TJ-Pro Ratings.....................................................................................47

1
Demonstration of Structural Wood Design Using Engineered Wood Products
Blackwell, Coate, ElGandour, Kebede
Introduction
This report is a demonstration of structural wood design using engineered wood products.
Purpose
This report communicates compiled data and information as a result of structural wood design
calculations, an analysis of cost, constructability, and floor performance. The purpose of this project was
to design the structural layout of a residential home recommended by Akx Lumber Ltd. using Forte®
design software and to verify the results with hand calculations using the Canadian Wood Council Wood
Design Manual 2010 handbook, skills gained in the CIVL 358: Structural Wood Design course, and the
assistance of Carlo Velcic. Upon completion of this design, called the JATE design, it is compared based
on cost, floor performance and industry recommendation to the design completed by the professionals
at AKX Lumber Ltd. using Javelin Software.
Background
Structural wood design is a process of selecting individual wood members based on moment resistance,
shear resistance, deflection, and vibration. All individual members must be selected, and linked together
to construct an entire wood arrangement to satisfy a required strength. The required strength in
structural wood is designed to withhold a various scope of loads. These loads include live loads such as
people, and dead loads such as structural members. Understanding the material presented in this report
requires a basic understanding of structural wood design.
The basis of any structural design project is to understand how loads are transferred throughout the
structure and into the soil. A residential home experiences various loads including dead, live, and snow
loads that must be supported. A proper structural wood design must be able to work as a single system
to maintain proper performance.
The roof experiences dead and snow loads that it transfers from the sheathing to the roof trusses, down
the exterior walls, into the foundation, and then transferred into the soil. These loads and load transfers
are not being covered due to time constraints.
The interior of the home experiences dead loads and live loads which must be transferred through the
load path to the soil as well. These are the loads and load transfers which will be discussed through the
report. These loads are first transferred from the floor sheathing, to the floor joists. There are various
paths the joists may transfer the loading to. In the JATE design theses loads are transferred to beams,
bearing walls, or exterior walls. From the beams loads are transferred to bearing walls, exterior walls,
foundation walls, or posts. Bearing walls, exterior walls and posts transfer the load to the foundation.
The foundation then transfers the load to soil to support the structure. Figure 1 illustrates typical load
transfer.

2
Figure 1: Load Transfer Source: [Primary]
Scope
All data, calculations, and information gathered in this report were completed in compliance with the
Wood Design Manual 2010 by Canadian Wood Council. The design completed was based on
architectural drawings received from Akx Lumber Ltd. All product information was gathered from a
binder containing product specifications, which was provided by Carlo Velcic and produced by
Weyerhaeuser.
The topics considered in this report included structural joist, beam, post, and bearing wall designs.
However, due to a time constraint, all structural concrete, roof, and exterior wall designs were excluded.
In addition, a cost analysis was completed; yet, all labour and delivery costs were excluded.
Preview
The content covered in this report includes the products used, a methodology section entailing load
transfer, architectural drawings, and various software techniques. This report also contains a design
completed by the JATE team, another design completed by Akx Lumber Ltd, and a comparison between
the two designs. The comparison includes layout, floor performance, and constructability variances,
along with a cost analysis that involves all material cost.

3
Products
Many industry professionals may argue on the productivity of conventional lumber when compared to
engineered wood products. In the past, conventional lumber was commonly used; however, the modern
framing materials in today’s society include engineered wood products. Engineered wood products are
constructed of oriented wood fibers held together with glue and resins. The process of engineering
wood provides great strength and consistency, and can be more environmentally friendly than
conventional lumber. The products that are used in this report are Trus-Joist products, which are
manufactured by Weyerhaeuser, including TJI joists, as well as LVL, PSL, and LSL beams. The different
joists and beams, which are explained further in the following subsections, are designed to withhold a
certain loading, depending on the desired strength.
Joists
TJI joist engineered wood products are used in the floor system as a joist component. It has great
strength in relation to its size and weight. The major notable difference from dimensional lumber is that
the I-joist carries heavy loads with less lumber than a dimensional solid wood joist. Presently, most of all
wood light framed floors in Calgary use I-joists. I-joists are common because of their span and
performance capabilities and their efficient use of wood fibers. I-joists were designed to help eliminate
typical problems that come with using solid lumber as joists. The advantage of I-joists is they will not
bow, crown, twist, cup, check or split as would a dimensional piece of lumber. Based on many factors
that affect the floor performance such as TJI joist series, depth, spacing, location of partitions on floor
and bearing conditions, it is designed as a TJI 110 series, TJI 210 series, TJI 230 series, TJI 360 series, or a
TJI 560 series. Table 1 shows the difference in weight, maximum moment resistant, maximum vertical
shear and price for each type of TJI series.
Depth
TJI
series
Joist
Weight
(lbs/ft)
Maximum Resistive
Moment (ft-lbs)
Maximum
Vertical
Shear (lbs)
Price
Floor joist
$/ft
11 7/8
110 2.5 5,255 2,460 2.55
230 3.0 7,010 2,610 3.45
360 3.0 10,280 2,690 4.50
560 4.0 15,795 3,235 6.90
Table 1: TJI Joist Specifications Source: [1, 2]
Beams
Other Trus-Joist engineered wood products such as Microllam LVL, TimberStrand LSL and Parallam PSL
are chosen for the beams in the floor system. Microllam Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) is a layered

4
composite of wood veneers and adhesive. LVL is mainly used as structural framing for residential and
commercial construction. To reduce handling of heavy beams, LVL can be site built in wider beams
nailing or bolting. Popular applications include beams, headers, columns, joists, studs, and truss chords.
Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL) is made from flaked wood strands. It used in variety of applications from
studs to millwork components. LVL can be particularly useful for vertical members in commercial
applications. Parallel Strand Lumber (PSL) is a high strength structural composite lumber product
manufactured from veneers clipped into long strands laid in parallel formation and bonded together
under pressure. Like LVL and LSL, PSL is well suited for use as beams and columns for post and beam
construction, and header applications where high bending strength is needed. PSL also has a unique
grain that is perfect for applications where beams are exposed. Table 2 shows the design properties of
LVL, LSL, and PSL beams along with the beam weight, depth and width, maximum moment resistance
and maximum vertical shear.
Microllam LVL Timberstrand LSL Parallam PSL
Size (width) 1 ¾” 1 ¾” or 3 ½” 1 ¾”, 3 ½”, 5 ¼”, or 7”
Cost Most economical Midrange Most expensive
Strength
Mr Up to 14,845 ft.-lbs. Up to 26,525 ft.-lbs. Up to 66,215 ft.-lbs.
Vr Up to 6,610 lbs. Up to 14,340 lbs. Up to 26,935 lbs.
Table 2: Beam Specifications Source: [2]
Methodology
This section explains the design process that is followed in JATE’s design. It includes an explanation of
the different software used and the assumptions made with the software, as well as an explanation of
the manual calculations completed.
Architectural Drawings
In order to begin the structural design process, JATE first received architectural drawings from JATE’s
industry contact Mark Dann at Akx Lumber. The architectural drawings contained information about
where beams and bearing walls were located, but gave us no information on what products were used
in each location, or the direction the joists span. Figures 2 and 3 show the Main and Upper floor
drawings our design was based on.

5
Figure 2: Architectural Drawings- Main Floor Source: [4]

6
Figure 3: Architectural Drawings- Upper Floor Source: [4]

7
Forte Software
Once the JATE team determined where joists, beams and bearing walls would be located we then
selected products to be used in each location. Products for the beams and joists were selected using
Forte® v4.6 design software by Weyerhaeuser. Forte® is a program which aids the user in selecting
various structural products produced by Weyerhaeuser. Products were selected based on passing
minimum resistive moment, shear force, deflection and vibration. In order to keep costs at their lowest
the lightest product to satisfy these criteria was selected for each application.
Forte Assumptions
While performing design using the Forte software, there were various design constants we used for
consistency in our results. First, out-to-out measurements were used for the joist and beam lengths.
Bearing lengths were assumed as 104mm over exterior walls, 144mm over bearing walls, and 89mm on
hangers.
Another assumption that was made was to avoid the use of blocking to decrease floor vibration. In
order to decrease vibration without the use of blocking, JATE designed using 1-1/8” sheathing on the
joists instead of the 23/32” sheathing as used by Akx Lumber Ltd. This pricing difference of the
sheathing is included in the comparison. The sheathing was also assumed to be glued and nailed. The
gypsum sealing was excluded as a factor in the JATE design process.
The design loads that are inputted into Forte are consistent with industry standards in residential
construction. A dead load of 15PSI [5] is converted to 0.57 kN/m2
and input into each design. A live load
of 1.9kN/m2
is used, stated in Division B 4.1.5.3 of the National Building Code of Canada [6]. These are
also used in the Design Manual Calculations which are completed to verify the Forte results.
The maximum allowable deflections are held constant as well. The maximum allowable total load
deflection was set to L/240 and a maximum live load deflection of L/360. These maximums are common
to the design manual verification.
TJ-Pro Rating Vibration
Traditionally, floor rating was established only on live load deflection. Vibration in floors depends on
multiple factors, not just deflection. When one walks perpendicular to floor joists in a typical residential
home, they transfer force through the sheathing, deflecting the joist. When the person walking transfers
their weight on their next foot stepping forward they deflect the next joist and the other pushes back up
into its original position. As one continues to walk across the floor a wave effect is caused by the
continuous transfer of forces. This causes vibration in the floor, which can lead to dissatisfied customers.
This effect is illustrated in Figure 4.

8
Figure 4: Floor Vibration Source: [Primary]
TJ-Pro Rating is a floor vibration rating system which has been incorporated into Forte and other
structural design programs such as Javelin®.
Factors which affect a floor’s TJ-Pro Rating are joist size, spacing, and depth.[5] To help quantify the TJ-
Pro rating, Figure 5 shows the percentage of customers satisfied with floors at different rating.
Figure 5: TJ-Pro Rating Vibration Source: [7]
The JATE design used a minimum TJ-Pro Rating of 45 when selecting joists. The TJ-Pro rating is often
taken as an average for an entire floor system to give it an overall vibration performance rating.
Design Manual Calculations
The first step of designing joists and beams is finding the strengths of each joist or beam. To do this, we
use formulas from the Canadian Standards Association in the Canadian Wood Design Manual and
calculate them using a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

9
To find the strengths of each beam, we used an Excel spreadsheet. First, Equation 1 and Equation 2 were
used to calculate the moment resistance, Mr. Next, the shear resistance is calculated using Equation 3
and Equation 4. Since each of the beams has different dimensions and properties, this process is
repeated for each type of beam.
Equation 1:
Where:
= factor of safety = 0.9 S = section modulus (mm3
) =
KZb = size factor KL = lateral stability factor
Equation 2:
Where:
fb = specified strength (MPa) KD = load duration factor
KH = system factor KSb = service condition factor
KT = treatment factor
Equation 3:
Where:
= factor of safety = 0.9 AN = cross-sectional area (mm2
)
KZv = size factor
Equation 4:
Where:
fv = specified strength (MPa) KSv = service condition factor
Next, the factored line loads for each beam and joist are calculated using Equations 5 and 6. Using these
loads, the factored moment and shear values can be calculated using Equations 7 and 8.
Equation 5:
Where: D = dead load (kPa), L = live load (kPa)
Equation 6:
Equation 7:
Equation 8:
The second part of the hand calculation process checks the deflection against the deflection limits.
There are two different limits set: the first limit is for the deflection caused by the total unfactored load,
and the second limit is for deflection caused by only the unfactored live load. The first deflection limit is

10
equal to the span length divided by 240 (L/240), and the second limit is equal to L/360. Once the limits
are calculated, the actual deflections of the beams (Δ) are calculated using Equation 9 and Equation 10.
Equation 9:
Where:
Δ = deflection (mm) w = unfactored total or live load
Es = factored modulus of elasticity I = moment of inertia
Equation 10:
Where:
E = modulus of elasticity KSE = service condition factor
The joists require a different calculation for simple span joists. Engineered TJI joists experience shear
deflection at the bearing location which must be added to the moment deflection. Equation 11 includes
deflection experienced at the supports. Weyerhaeuser tested 110, 210, 230, 360 joists to derive the
equation. The units are left in imperial because of the complexity of the equation. [2]
Equation 11:
Where:
Δ = deflection (in) w = unfactored total or live load (lbs/ft)
L= Span (ft) d= out-to-out depth (11- 7/8” for all)
EI= modulus of elasticity x moment of inertia factor (from “Design
Properties” Table (lbs·in2)
Vibration in the floor was not checked with any hand calculation. The calculation is far too complex to
verify by hand calculations. As it is not a structurally integral factor, the Canadian Wood Design Council
does not include a calculation in the Code Book.
Forte does not include bearing wall design options. As a result the bearing walls which were required for
the JATE design were selected using resistive calculations in Equation 12 from Clause 5.5.6.2.3 of
Canadian Wood Design Council Design Manual. [8]
Equation 12:
Where:
= Factored compressive resistance (kN) = 0.8
= fc(KDKHKScKT) (MPa) A= Cross Sectional Area (mm2
)
Slenderness factor

11
A post was required in the basement of the JATE design. This post was selected based on the factored
shear force on the post. Once the shear force was known a post was selected based on length and
STEMCO Inc. design tables. [9]
Some beams in the flooring systems experienced complex load pattern. These beams could not have
the factored shear force or moment calculated using the simple span formulas. In order to overcome
this obstacle we used SAFI 3D Structural Design Software v6.5.1. This software calculated the factored
shear force and moment based on the loads we input
JATE Design
Upon reviewing the architectural drawings the JATE team selects a joist layout pattern for each floor.
The location and direction of the joists determines the beams and bearing wall location. It is desirable
for construction purposes to run joists in the same direction, and at a constant spacing. These guidelines
were relaxed in an attempt to improve performance and lower costs.
Supporting Main Floor
Minimal modifications are made to the main floor layout. The post supporting the large beam was
moved to under the point load from the bearing wall above. This is done to attempt and minimize the
moment occurring in the long spanning beam. The pad footing is also moved under the post in order to
more efficiently transfer the load to the soil.

12
Joists
With these modifications made to the main floor design JATE began selecting joists for the various areas.
These areas are illustrated in Figure 6. More detailed calculations are shown in Appendix B.
Figure 6: Main Floor Joist Areas Source: Primary
Now that we have these areas we can select joists based on the Forte results. The appropriote out-to-
out span and bearing lengths are input for each area. The lightes product to pass the Forte test for
resistive moment, shear resistance, deflection and vibration is selected for that area.
These results are then verified to pass all CSA requirements using the formulas from the Canadian Wood
Design Handbook, and Microsoft Excel to perform the calculations (excluding checking vibration). Simple
span formulas are used to calculate the Mf and Vf for each span. An appropriate joist is selected based
on selecting a joist with Mr and Vr greater than Mf and Vf. The resistive values for the available floor joists
is illustrated in Table 3.

13
TJI Series 110 230 360 560
Flange Size in. 1 3
/4 x 1 3
/8 2 5
/16 x 1 3
/8 2 5
/16 x 1 3
/8 3 1
/2 x 1 3
/8
Strength Mr ft-lbs 5,255 7,010 10,280 15,795
Vr lbs 2,460 2,610 2,690 3,235
Table 3: Comparison of Joist Types Source: [2]
The deflection of each is calculated using the formula provided by Weyerhaeuser, and checked against
the maximum deflection described in the methodology.
Section M-A
Section M-A supports the kitchen and living room area. It is supported over the west foundation wall
and above a beam. This is the longest spanning joist section in the design, making it most vulnerable to
vibration. The 560 series joists could be placed at 19.2” on-centre and be acceptable in this area. In an
effort to reduce costs, 360 series were placed at a narrower 16” on-centre. The details of the joist
selection are shown below.
Summary Units
Length 20' 2-3/4" ft-in
Series 360
Spacing 16 In
Number 21
Tot. Length 424.81 Ft
Table 4: Summary- Joists Section M-A Source: [Primary]
Forte® 4.6 Software Solution
Below is a summary of the results from the Forte software
Table 5: Forte Solution- Joists Section M-A Source: [Primary]
Design Manual Solution
Below is a summary of the verifying that the Forte Software meets CSA standards.

14
Strength
Joist Series Vr (kN) Vf (kN) Mr (kN-m) Mf (kN-m)
360 11.97 > 4.47 13.94 > 6.89
Table 6: Joist Strength- Section M-A Source: [Primary]
Performance
Deflection Check (mm)
Tot Δ= 20.79
Max Tot 25.69
Live Δ= 16.00
Max Live 17.13
Table 7: Joist Deflection- Section M-A
Source: [Primary]
Section M-B
Section M-B supports the flex room and west portion of the front entry. It is supported by a beam on
the west side, and by a beam and bearing wall on the east side (varies). The length is constant through
the bearing change. A summary of the results is shown below.
Summary Units
Length 17'5-1/4" ft-in
Series 230
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 13
Table 8: Summary- Joists Section M-B Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for Section M-B.
Table 9: Forte Solution- Joists Section M-B Source: [Primary]

15
Strength
230 11.97 > 4.62405 9.5 > 6.14
Table 10: Joist Strength- Section M-B Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 14.02
Max Tot 14.77
Live Δ= 10.78
Max Live 22.15
Table 11: Joist Deflection-Section M-B
Source: [Primary]
Section M-C
Section M-C supports the remainder of the entry way. It is supported by a beam on the west end and
the foundation wall on the east end. A summary of the results is shown below.
Summary Units
Length 6'-4" ft-in
Series 110
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 8
Table 12: Summary- Joists Section M-C Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for section M-C.
Table 13: Forte Solution- Section M-C Source: [Primary]

16
Strength
110 10.94 > 1.68 7.12 > 0.81
Table 14: Joist Strength- Section M-C Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 0.55894
Max Tot 8.46709
Live Δ= 0.429954
Max Live 5.644727
Table 15: Joist Deflection- Section M-C
Source: [Primary]
Section M-D
Section M-D supports the remainder of the east end of the kitchen. It is supported by a beam on the
west side and a bearing wall on the east side. A summary of the selection is shown below.
Summary Units
Series 360
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 6
Table 16: Summary- Joists Section M-D Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for Section M-D
Table 17: Forte Solution- Joists Section M-D Source: [Primary]

17
Strength
230 10.94 > 1.01 7.12 > 0.29
Table 18: Joist Strength- Section M-D Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 0.10
Max Tot 4.82
Live Δ= 0.08
Max Live 3.21
Table 19: Joist Deflection- Section M-D
Source: [Primary]
Section M-E
Section M-E supports the washroom. It should be noted that the exact location of the toilet is unknown
to JATE. The drain from the toilet must be noted to avoid cutting joists. It is supported by a bearing wall
on the west side and the foundation wall on the east side. A summary of the selection is shown below.
Summary Units
Series 110
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 6
Table 20- Summary- Joists Section M-E Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for section M-E.
Table 21: Forte Solution- Section M-E Source: [Primary]

18
Strength
230 11.94 > 1.54 7.12 > 0.68
Table 22: Joist Strength- Section M-E Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 0.357199
Max Tot 7.35584
Live Δ= 0.274768
Max Live 4.903893
Table 23: Joist Deflection- Section M-E
Source: [Primary]
Beams
This house’s design uses beams made by Weyerhaeuser, the same manufacturer as the floor joists. This
results in an easier material procurement process and less delivery costs. Weyerhaeuser manufactures
three different types of beams: Microllam LVL (laminated veneer lumber), Timberstrand LSL (laminated
strand lumber), and Parallam PSL (parallel strand lumber) beams. A comparison is shown in Table 4. LVL
beams are the smallest and least strong, but are the most economical beams. PSL beams are the
strongest beams, but are also the most expensive beams. LSL beams are a midrange beam, with
strengths and costs between LVL and PSL beams. [3]
Microllam LVL Timberstrand LSL Parallam PSL
Size (width) 1 ¾” 1 ¾” or 3 ½” 1 ¾”, 3 ½”, 5 ¼”, or 7”
Cost Most economical Midrange Most expensive
Strength
Mr Up to 14,845 ft.-lbs. Up to 26,525 ft.-lbs. Up to 66,215 ft.-lbs.
Vr Up to 6,610 lbs. Up to 14,340 lbs. Up to 26,935 lbs.
Table 24: Beam Comparison Source: [2]
The architect of this house decided to use all flush beams in the house, opposed to using drop beams.
Using flush beams improves the aesthetics of the house by creating flat ceilings, but also makes
structural designing more difficult. When using flush beams, the designer must consider where the
heating ducts in the house will be placed. A heating duct can go through floor joists by drilling a hole
and passing the duct through the hole. Due to the large loads on beams however, a hole this size is not
structurally feasible in beams. A heating duct could be placed in a bulkhead that drops below the beam,
but this is impacts the aesthetics of the house. The best floor design does not have any places where a
heating duct intersects a beam, eliminating the need for drilling holes in the beam or placing any
bulkheads for the heating system, maintaining the aesthetics and the structural capacity of the house.
The use of flush beams also reduces the number of beams that can be used. To create a flat ceiling, the
beams have to be the same depth as the joists. This means all of the beams used must be 11 ⅞” deep.
More detailed calculations are shown in Appendices A and C.

19
Beam MB-1
This simple span beam spans from foundation wall to foundation wall, and supports the main floor joists
M-B and M-C. Because it is simply supported, it can be designed using the Excel spreadsheet as
described in the Methodology section.
For this beam, a Microllam LVL 1-¾” beam is chosen to be used.
Table 25: Forte Solution- Beam MB-1 Source: [Primary]
Mr & Vr Mf Mr Vf Vr
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL 1-3/4" 11.354 19.666 17.192 28.765 OK
LSL 1-3/4" 11.360 17.579 17.202 31.209 OK
3-1/2" 11.463 38.750 17.358 68.797 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 11.360 21.937 17.202 29.310 OK
3-1/2" 11.463 48.358 17.358 64.609 OK
5-1/4" 11.567 72.538 17.515 96.914 OK
7" 11.670 96.717 17.672 129.218 OK
Table 26: Moment and Shear- Beam MB-1 Source: [Primary]
Δtotal Δ-TL Δ-LL
mm mm
LVL 1-3/4" 4.088 3.113 OK
LSL 1-3/4" 5.278 4.017 OK
3-1/2" 2.667 2.009 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 4.545 3.459 OK
3-1/2" 2.296 1.730 OK
5-1/4" 1.547 1.153 OK

20
Table 28: Beam MB-1 Deflection Source: [Primary]
Beam MB-2 (Big Basement Beam)
The big beam supporting the main floor spans from one foundation wall to the other, with a post
supporting it in the middle. On the architectural drawings, this post is positioned adjacent to the post at
the bottom of the stairs. However, it was decided to move the post and its pad footing to another
position that would reduce the load on the beam, which in turn reduces the size and cost of the beam.
There are two point loads on the beam coming from the floor above: one coming from the end of beam
UB-1, and the second coming from the end of beam UB-3. The post is positioned as close to mid-span as
possible to reduce the span lengths of the beam, so the post is positioned underneath the point load
from beam U-3. This beam has two different spans with different loads, so each span was designed
separately. This section focusses on designing the span from the post to the foundation wall on the side
away from the stairs.
This beam is simply supported so the same Excel spreadsheet can be used to design the beam. This
beam supports the joists M-A and M-B, the line load from the bearing wall above, as well as the point
load from the beam U-1. Due to the added point load, the factored moment and shear values are equal
to the sum of the values as calculated before from the line load plus the values from the point load. The
moment and shear values are calculated using Equations 12 and 13. The deflection values also must
include the deflection due to the point load, as calculated in Equation 14.
Equation 12:
Equation 13:
Equation 14:
Where:
P = point load (N), a = distance from left support to point load (mm)
b = distance from right support to point load (mm)
When designing the beam, the 11-7/8” deep beams were not strong enough, so the beam depth is
increased to 14” deep. For this beam, a Parallam PSL 7” x 14” beam is chosen to be used.
7" 1.172 0.865 OK Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 11.01 mm
Live L/360 = 7.34 mm
Table 27: Beam MB-1 Deflection Limits
Source: [Primary]

21
Mr & Vr Mf max Mr Vf max Vr
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL (11-7/8" deep) 1-3/4" 80.217 19.666 83.625 28.765 FAILS
LSL (11-7/8" deep)
1-3/4" 80.231 17.579 83.639 31.209 FAILS
3-1/2" 80.461 38.750 83.873 68.797 FAILS
PSL (11-7/8" deep) 1-3/4" 80.231 21.937 83.639 29.310 FAILS
3-1/2" 80.461 48.358 83.873 64.609 FAILS
5-1/4" 80.691 72.538 84.106 96.914 FAILS
7" 80.921 96.717 84.340 129.218 OK
PSL (14" deep) 5-1/4" 80.815 91.474 84.232 103.663 OK
7" 81.083 121.965 84.505 138.217 OK
Table 30: Moment and Shear- Beam MB-2 Source: [Primary]
Δtotal Δ-TL Δ-LL
mm mm
LVL (11-7/8" deep) 1-3/4" 62.92 48.99 FAILS
LSL (11-7/8" deep)
1-3/4" 81.20 63.21 FAILS
3-1/2" 40.74 31.60 FAILS
PSL (11-7/8" deep)
1-3/4" 69.92 54.43 FAILS
3-1/2" 35.08 27.21 FAILS
5-1/4" 23.46 18.14 FAILS
7" 17.66 13.61 FAILS
PSL (14" deep) 5-1/4" 14.35 11.07 FAILS
7" 10.80 8.30 OK
Table 31: Beam MB-2 Deflection
Source: [Primary]

22
Beam MB-3
This beam is a simple span beam which spans from the post to the foundation wall near the stairs. This
beam is designed using the simple span Excel spreadsheet, with a TimberStrand LSL 3-1/2” beam being
chosen.
Mr & Vr Mf Mr Vf Vr
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL 1-3/4" 25.973 19.666 26.051 28.765 FAILS
LSL
1-3/4" 25.987 17.579 26.065 31.209 FAILS
3-1/2" 26.223 38.750 26.302 68.797 OK
PSL
1-3/4" 25.987 21.937 26.065 29.310 FAILS
3-1/2" 26.223 48.358 26.302 64.609 OK
5-1/4" 26.458 72.538 26.538 96.914 OK
7" 26.694 96.717 26.775 129.218 OK
Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 16.40 mm
Live L/360 = 10.94 mm
Source: [Primary]
Table 34: Moment and Shear- Beam MB-3
Source: [Primary]

23
Δtotal Δ-TL Δ-LL
mm mm
LVL 1-3/4" 21.312 16.233 FAILS
LSL
1-3/4" 27.517 20.946 FAILS
3-1/2" 13.902 10.473 OK
PSL
1-3/4" 23.695 18.037 FAILS
3-1/2" 11.971 9.018 OK
5-1/4" 8.063 6.012 OK
7" 6.110 4.509 OK
Table 36: Beam MB-3 Deflection Source: [Primary]
Bearing Walls
The JATE design contains bearing walls which are used to transfer vertical loads from joists and beams to
the foundation below. The factored axial load in compression strength of the bearing wall is dependent
on the size of the members used, the spacing of studs, and the height of the member. SPF No. 2 or
better was used for the design.
Two of these bearing walls are supporting the joist areas M-D and M-E, along the staircase. For
construction purposes these walls will be kept similar, therefore only the more critical of the two cases
is designed. The equations can be found in the methodology section. Full calculations can be found in
Appendix F. Table 37 illustrates the members selected and the resistive strength and factored forces.
Member size Spacing Pr (kN) Pf (kN)
2” x 4” 24” o/c 9.63 > 3.30
Table 37: Bearing Wall- Main Floor Source: [Primary}
Steel Post
A steel post is also used to transfer vertical forces. The post aids to support MB-2. The post was selected
from Stem-Co telescoping posts based on the height and vertical loading on the post. The loading on
the post is found in the SAFI results from BM-1. Using the product design ratings provided by STEM-CO
the lightest post to satisfy this loading is selected. In this case a STM2-8.5 post is selected. [9] These
values are shown in Table 38. Full calculations are shown in Appendix G.
Post Selected Pr (kN) > Pf (kN)
STM2-8.5 45,000lbs > 33,416 lbs
Table 38: JATE Post Design Source: [Primary, 9]
Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 16.40 mm
Live L/360 = 10.94 mm
Source: [Primary]

24
Supporting Second Floor
The design process for the second floor is similar to the first floor. More modifications were made to the
layout of the second than the first. This increase in modifications allows for a greater chance of
improvement in the design.
The first modification made to the provided layout is to remove the large beam running east- west
supporting the upper floor. The reasoning for this modification is the assumption the joists run east-
west on the south side of the beam, and run north-south on the north side of the beam. This is an
undesirable location for the joists to change direction, as this would cause a straight “seam” in the
sheathing. A seam can cause the sheathing to turn up over time, creating a ridge in the floor.
Joists
The joists for the upper floor are selected as on the main floor. The areas for layout of the joists after
modification are illustrated in Figure 7. Full calculations for these joists are shown in Appendix D.
Figure 7: Upper Floor Joist Areas Source: [Primary]

25
Section U-A
Section U-A is the longest span on the second floor. It supports the master bedroom and bath. The joists
supported the bearing wall are marginally more critical. As with the other toilets the exact location is
unknown and would need to be accounted for to avoid conflict. The joists in this span are supported by
the exterior wall on the west end and a flush beam and bearing wall on the east end (varies). The length
of the joists does not change with the bearing. Therefore the results of the joists on the bearing wall are
excluded. A summary of the joists is shown below.
Summary Units
Length 20' ft-in
Series 360
Spacing 16 In
Number 21
Tot. Length 420 Ft
Table 39: Summary- Joists Section U-A Source: [Primary]
Forte® 4.6 Software Solution (over bearing wall). More critical of two
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for section U-A.
Table 40: Forte Solution- Joists Section U-A Source: [Primary]

26
Strength
360 11.97 > 4.42 9.5 > 6.74
Table 41: Joist Strength- Section U-A Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 19.91
Max Tot 25.4
Live Δ= 15.32
Max Live 16.93
Table 42: Joist Deflection- Section U-A
Source: [Primary]
Section U-B
Section U-B joists run north-south and supports the master closet. They are supported on the north end
by the exterior wall and on the south side by a flush beam. A summary of the joists is shown below.
Summary Units
Length 9'7" ft-in
Series 110
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 2
Table 43: Summary- Joists Section U-B Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for section U-B.
Table 44: Forte Solution- Section U-B Source: [Primary]

27
Strength
110 10.94 > 2.54 7.12 > 1.86
Table 45: Joist Strength- Section U-B Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 1.92
Max Tot 12.17
Live Δ= 1.48
Max Live 8.11
Table 46: Joist Deflection- Section U-B
Source: [Primary]
Section U-C
Section U-C supports a washroom. With the joists running north-south the toilet location should not be
an issue with the location of the joists. They are supported on the north end by the exterior wall and on
the south side by a flush beam. A summary of the joists is shown below.
Summary Units
Length 9' 7" ft-in
Series 110
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 4
Table 47: Summary- Joists Section U-C Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for section U-C.
Table 48: Forte Solution- Section U-C Source: [Primary]

28
Strength
110 10.94 > 2.54 7.12 > 1.86
Table 49: Joist Strength- Section U-C Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 1.92
Max Tot 12.17
Live Δ= 1.48
Max Live 8.11
Table 50: Joist Deflection- Section U-A
Source: [Primary]
Section U-D
Section U-D supports the bonus room above the garage. The joists are supported on the north and
south ends by the exterior wall. A summary of the joists is shown below.
Summary Units
Length 20' ft-in
Series 360
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 11
Tot. Length 220 Ft
Table 51: Summary- Joists Section U-D Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for section U-D.
Table 52: Forte Solution- Section U-D Source: [Primary]

29
Strength
360 11.97 > 5.30 9.5 > 8.08
Table 53: Joist Strength- Section U-D Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 19.91
Max Tot 25.40
Live Δ= 15.32
Max Live 16.93
Table 54: Joist Deflection- Section U-D
Source: [Primary]
Section U-E
Section U-E supports bedroom areas. The joists are supported on the north end by a flush beam and
south ends by the exterior wall. A summary of the joists is shown below.
Summary Units
Length 10’ ft-in
Series 360
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 15
Tot. Length 150 Ft
Table 55: Summary- Joists Section U-E Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for section U-E.
Table 56: Forte Solution- Section U-E Source: [Primary]

30
Strength
110 10.94 > 2.65 7.12 > 2.02
Table 57: Joist Strength- Section U-E Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 2.24
Max Tot 12.70
Live Δ= 1.72
Max Live 8.47
Table 58: Joist Deflection- Section U-E
Source: [Primary]
Section U-F
Section U-F supports the upper hallway. The joists are supported on the north and south ends by flush
beams. A summary of the joists is shown below.
Summary Units
Length 7' ft-in
Series 360
Spacing 19.2 In
Number 12
Tot. Length 84 Ft
Table 59: Summary- Joist Section U-F Source: [Primary]
Below is a summary of the Forte software results for section U-F.
Table 60: Forte Solution- Section U-F Source: [Primary]

31
Strength
110 10.94 > 1.86 7.12 > 0.99
Table 61: Joist Strength- Section U-F Source: [Primary]
Performance
Tot Δ= 0.03
Max Tot 0.35
Live Δ= 0.02
Max Live 0.23
Table 62: Joist Deflection- Section U-F
Source: [Primary]
Beams
Shown in this section are the results of our design of the beams supporting the upper floor. Full
calculations are shown in Appendix E.
Beam UB-1
This simple span beam spans from an exterior wall to the bearing wall, spanning over the entry and the
flex room. It is designed using Excel, with a Parallam 5-1/4” beam being chosen.
Table 63: Forte Solution- Beam UB-1 Source: [Primary]
Mr & Vr Mf Mr Vf Vr
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL 1-3/4" 34.078 19.666 24.676 28.765 FAILS
LSL 1-3/4" 34.105 17.579 24.696 31.209 FAILS
3-1/2" 34.558 38.750 25.023 68.797 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 34.105 21.937 24.696 29.310 FAILS
3-1/2" 34.558 48.358 25.023 64.609 OK
5-1/4" 35.010 72.538 25.351 96.914 OK
7" 35.462 96.717 25.678 129.218 OK
Table 64: Moment and Shear- Beam UB-1 Source: [Primary]

32
Beam UB-2
This simple span beam spans from an exterior wall to the UB-3 beam. On one side of the beam, it
supports the U-MID joists. On the other side, it supports two joists U-B and U-C along part of its length
as well as the stairs. Due to its complexity, the moment and shear values were calculated using SAFI
software. Deflection was calculated by hand, where the total deflection equals the sum of the deflection
from the U-MID joists, the deflection from joists U-B and U-C (Equation 15), and the deflection due to
the stairs (Equation 16)
Equation 15:
Equation 16:
Δtotal Δ-TL Δ-LL
mm mm
LVL 1-3/4" 53.69 40.70 FAILS
LSL 1-3/4" 69.34 52.52 FAILS
3-1/2" 35.20 26.26 FAILS
PSL 1-3/4" 59.71 45.23 FAILS
3-1/2" 30.31 22.61 FAILS
5-1/4" 20.51 15.08 OK
7" 15.61 11.31 OK
Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 23.02 mm
Live L/360 = 15.34 mm
Table 66: Beam UB-1 Deflection Limits
Source: [Primary]
Table 65: Beam UB-1 Deflection Source: [Primary]

33
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL 1-3/4" 24.960 19.666 20.440 28.765 FAILS
LSL 1-3/4" 24.990 17.579 20.460 31.209 FAILS
3-1/2" 25.430 38.750 20.790 68.797 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 24.990 21.937 20.460 29.310 FAILS
3-1/2" 25.430 48.358 20.790 64.609 OK
5-1/4" 25.880 72.538 21.110 96.914 OK
7" 26.320 96.717 21.440 129.218 OK
Beam UB-3
This simple span beam spans from an exterior wall to the bearing wall. It supports the U-A joists as well
as beam UB-2. Its moment, shear and deflection values are calculated using the same Excel spreadsheet
as Beam MB-2. A Parallam 7” beam is used here.
Δtotal Δtotal- TOTAL Δtotal- LIVE
mm mm
LVL 1-3/4" 38.87 29.33 FAILS
LSL 1-3/4" 50.23 37.85 FAILS
3-1/2" 25.64 18.92 FAILS
PSL 1-3/4" 43.25 32.59 FAILS
3-1/2" 22.08 16.29 FAILS
5-1/4" 15.02 10.86 OK
7" 11.49 8.15 OK
Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 22.96 mm
Live L/360 = 15.31 mm
Source: [Primary]

34
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL 1-3/4" 33.840 19.666 37.590 28.765 FAILS
LSL 1-3/4" 33.850 17.579 37.610 31.209 FAILS
3-1/2" 34.070 38.750 37.840 68.797 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 33.850 21.937 37.610 29.310 FAILS
3-1/2" 34.070 48.358 37.840 64.609 OK
5-1/4" 34.290 72.538 38.080 96.914 OK
7" 34.520 96.717 38.310 129.218 OK
Beam UB-4
This simply supported beam spans from one garage wall to the other. It supports the exterior wall of the
bonus room as well as part of the upper roof and part of the roof over the garage door. Using Excel, a
Parallam PSL 5-1/4” beam is chosen.
Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 16.62 mm
Live L/360 = 9.44 mm
Δtotal Δ-TL Δ-LL
mm mm
LVL 1-3/4" 35.90 30.00 FAILS
LSL 1-3/4" 46.34 38.71 FAILS
3-1/2" 23.37 19.35 FAILS
PSL 1-3/4" 39.90 33.33 FAILS
3-1/2" 20.12 16.66 FAILS
5-1/4" 13.53 11.11 FAILS
7" 10.23 8.33 OK
Source: [Primary]

35
Mr & Vr Mf Mr Vf Vr
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL 1-3/4" 23.743 19.666 15.579 28.765 FAILS
LSL 1-3/4" 23.777 17.579 15.601 31.209 FAILS
3-1/2" 24.327 38.750 15.963 68.797 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 23.777 21.937 15.601 29.310 FAILS
3-1/2" 24.327 48.358 15.963 64.609 OK
5-1/4" 24.878 72.538 16.324 96.914 OK
7" 25.429 96.717 16.686 129.218 OK
Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 25.40 mm
Live L/360 = 16.93 mm
Beam UB-5
This simply supported beam spans over the garage door, and supports part of the roof over the garage
door. Using Excel, a Microllam LVL 1-3/4” beam is used.
Table 79: Forte Solution: Beam UB-5 Source: [Primary]
Δtotal Δ-TL Δ-LL
mm mm
LVL 1-3/4" 47.44 22.30 FAILS
LSL 1-3/4" 61.31 28.77 FAILS
3-1/2" 31.44 14.38 FAILS
PSL 1-3/4" 52.79 24.77 FAILS
3-1/2" 27.07 12.39 FAILS
5-1/4" 18.50 8.26 OK
7" 14.21 6.19 OK
Source: [Primary]

36
Mr & Vr Mf Mr Vf Vr
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL 1-3/4" 7.078 19.666 5.716 28.765 OK
LSL 1-3/4" 7.100 17.579 5.734 31.209 OK
3-1/2" 7.464 38.750 6.028 68.797 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 7.100 21.937 5.734 29.310 OK
3-1/2" 7.464 48.358 6.028 64.609 OK
5-1/4" 7.827 72.538 6.321 96.914 OK
7" 8.191 96.717 6.615 129.218 OK
Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 20.64 mm
Live L/360 = 13.76 mm
Source: [Primary]
Beam UB-6
This simply supported beam spans from the exterior garage wall to a post, spanning over the porch. It
supports part of the roof over the front door. Using Excel, a Microllam LVL 1-3/4” beam is selected.
Table 83: Forte Solution: Beam UB-6 Source: [Primary]
Δtotal Δ-TL Δ-LL
mm mm
LVL 1-3/4" 8.93 6.97 OK
LSL 1-3/4" 11.56 9.00 OK
3-1/2" 6.12 4.50 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 9.96 7.75 OK
3-1/2" 5.27 3.87 OK
5-1/4" 3.71 2.58 OK
7" 2.93 1.94 OK

37
Mr & Vr Mf Mr Vf Vr
kN-m kN-m kN kN
LVL 1-3/4" 2.680 19.666 3.517 28.765 OK
LSL 1-3/4" 2.689 17.579 3.529 31.209 OK
3-1/2" 2.826 38.750 3.709 68.797 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 2.689 21.937 3.529 29.310 OK
3-1/2" 2.826 48.358 3.709 64.609 OK
5-1/4" 2.964 72.538 3.890 96.914 OK
7" 3.102 96.717 4.071 129.218 OK
Deflection Limits
Total L/240 = 12.70 mm
Live L/360 = 8.47 mm
Source: [Primary]
Bearing Wall
There is one bearing wall supporting the second floor. This bearing wall requires the assistance of SAFI
to design because of the complex loading of the beams as well as the joists. The SAFI report and
calculations can be found in Appendix F
Member size Spacing Pr (kN) > Pf (kN)
2”x6” 0.488m 29.5 > 10.58
Table 87: Bearing Wall- Upper Floor Source: [Primary]
JATE Drawings
Once each of the building elements were designed, they were put together in a drawing made on
AutoCAD. Figures 8 and 9 show JATE’s final design drawings.
Δtotal Δ-TL Δ-LL
mm mm
LVL 1-3/4" 1.28 1.00 OK
LSL 1-3/4" 1.66 1.29 OK
3-1/2" 0.88 0.65 OK
PSL 1-3/4" 1.43 1.11 OK
3-1/2" 0.76 0.56 OK
5-1/4" 0.53 0.37 OK
7" 0.42 0.28 OK

38
Figure 8: JATE Main Floor Drawings Source: [Primary]

39
Figure 9: JATE Upper Floor Drawings Source: [Primary]

40
AKX Lumber Ltd. Design
Once JATE’s design was complete, Akx Lumber Ltd. presented their drawings, which are shown in
Figures 10 and 11. Akx Lumber Ltd. designs their houses using a software called Javelin, which is a BIM
(building information modelling) software developed by Weyerhaeuser. This software requires the user
to draw the shape and size of the entire house, and then the software designs the floor system.
One large advantage of using Javelin software is that the house is designed as one single system. This is
compared to JATE’s method of designing each member separately. Floors work as a balloon system with
multiple, light-weight members working together as a whole. Floors should thus be designed as a
system, instead of designing each member separately. [10]
A second advantage that Javelin provides is the amount of time spent designing. A professional at Akx
Lumber Ltd. can design a house in 3-4 hours, compared to the dozens of hours spent by JATE members
designing.
Another advantage of using Javelin is the capacity to make changes and to compare members. If a
change needs to be made to one member, many other members may be affected and need redesigned.
Using JATE’s methodology, each affected member must be redesigned individually. This makes changes
and comparisons very difficult and time consuming. Javelin makes this process much easier and faster. If
one member is changed or a comparison is needed, Javelin can redesign the many members
automatically and quickly. This creates a much simpler design process, and the ease of comparing
different designs leads to more cost-effective and efficient designs.

41
Figure 10: Main Floor- Akx Lumber Design Source: [10]

42
Figure 11: Second Floor- Akx Lumber Design Source: [10]

43
Comparison
Once both designs were complete, JATE compared the two designs. JATE’s design uses Forte Software to
design each floor member individually, which was checked by hand calculations. Akx Lumber Ltd.
Lumber uses Javelin to design the house, which designs the house as one balloon system.
In this section, JATE compares the layout, the cost, the floor performance, and the constructability of
the two designs.
Layout Differences
To aid in the learning process for this project, the layouts of the floor systems are changed from the
original architectural drawings before the completion of JATE’s design. With Carlo Velcic’s help, the
position and orientation of the floor joists and beams are changed. The following sections explain the
differences made to the main and upper floor layouts.
Main Floor
The first thing that is different in the main floor system is the position of the post supporting the beams
MB-2 and MB-3. The post is adjacent to the bottom of the stairs in Akx Lumber Ltd.’s design, but it is
moved towards the middle of the span in JATE’s design. In JATE’s design, there is a point load coming
from beam UB-1, so the post is positioned under this load to decrease the amount of load on the beam.
This position also decreases the span length of the beam.
Another difference is around the stairs. JATE’s design uses two bearing walls along the sides of the
stairs, with a strip footing under each wall. JATE uses a double joist spanning east-west between the
bearing walls to support the weight of the stairs. Akx Lumber Ltd.’s design uses a beam instead of the
bearing wall BW-2 to support the M-D joists. This beam needs a post at one end complete with a pad
footing, and spans from this post to the foundation wall. On the other side of the stairs, Akx Lumber Ltd.
uses a joist to support the M-E joists. To support this joist and the stairs, Akx Lumber Ltd. uses another
joist that spans east-west from the post to the foundation wall.
Upper Floor
The biggest difference in layout for the upper floor system is the orientation of the joists. Akx Lumber
Ltd. uses joists running east-west, and JATE’s joists mostly run north-south, with one section running
east-west. This creates two very different layouts, with different joist spans and different beam
placement.
Over the great room, both Akx Lumber Ltd. and JATE span joists east-west from the exterior wall to the
bearing wall BW-1. Over the kitchen, the layouts differ. Akx Lumber Ltd. uses joists spanning east-west
from the exterior wall to a bearing wall next to the stairs. In the hallway where there are no bearing
walls, Akx Lumber Ltd. uses a two beam system to support the joists. In JATE’s design, there is a beam
running north-south from the bearing wall BW-1 to the exterior wall. The joists over the kitchen run
east-west and span from the exterior wall to this beam.

44
The rest of the upper floor system is very different. Akx uses joists running east-west, while JATE uses
joists running north-south. Akx Lumber Ltd.’s floor design uses two bearing walls and two beams in
total, whereas JATE uses only one bearing wall and three beams. Orienting all the joists in the same
direction results in Akx Lumber Ltd.’s design being easier to build, but it also uses joists that have longer
spans and therefore uses more expensive joists.
Cost
One major component of a structural design is the cost of the design. An effective structural design
should be structurally safe, but should also be cost effective. In Table 88, the total cost of the floor
systems of each design are calculated. Each of the costs in the table are broken down in the following
sections.
This cost analysis does not represent the actual cost of either floor system. This uses costs found from a
variety of sources from many different locations which only serve as a comparison between the two
designs. If this floor was to be built in Calgary, local and actual prices would be used. This comparison
only looks at the relative difference in prices between the joists, beams, sheathing and concrete used. It
does not include differences in mechanical or plumbing costs, material waste, post or bearing wall costs,
or material procurement costs. Since labour differences will be minimal, labour costs are also not
included.
Item JATE Akx Lumber Ltd.
Joists Main Floor $ 2645.09 $ 3933.00
Upper Floor $ 3417.83 $ 7462.35
Beams Main Floor $ 480.52 $ 182.21
Upper Floor $ 1228.59 $ 275.58
Sheathing & Blocking $ 3039.84 $ 1054.32
Concrete $ 157.50 $ 148.20
Total Cost $ 10,969.37 $ 13,055.66
Table 88: Total Comparative Costs Source: [Primary]
Joists
The design areas for the main floor were the same for the JATE and Akx Lumber Ltd. designs, but joist
selection varied in areas. Tables 89 – 92 break down the cost of the joists for each design, which are
broken up into the two floor systems.
Main Floor JATE Akx Lumber Ltd.
TJI
Series
Unit Cost
$/ft
Total
Length
ft.
Material
Cost
110 2.55 75.92 $ 193.60
230 3.45 209.25 $ 721.91
360 4.50 384.35 $ 1729.58
560 6.90 0.00 $ 0.00
Total $ 2,645.09
TJI Series Unit Cost
$/ft
Total
Length
ft.
Material
Cost
110 2.55 0.00 $ 0.00
230 3.45 108.00 $ 372.60
360 4.50 0.00 $ 0.00
560 6.90 516.00 $ 3560.40
Total $3,933.00

45
Table 89: JATE's Main Floor Joist Cost Source: [1] Table 90: Akx' Main Floor Joist Cost Source: [1]
Upper Floor
JATE Akx Lumber Ltd.
TJI
Series
Unit Cost
$/ft
Total Length
ft.
Material
Cost
110 2.55 281.50 $ 717.83
230 3.45 0.00 $ 0.00
360 4.50 600.00 $ 2,700.00
560 6.90 0.00 $ 0.00
Total $ 3,417.83
Table 91: JATE's Upper Floor Joist Cost Source: [1]
TJI
Series
Unit Cost
$/ft
Total Length
ft.
Material
Cost
110 2.55 0.00 $0.00
230 3.45 121.00 $417.45
360 4.50 0.00 $0.00
560 6.90 1021.00 $7044.90
Total $7,462.35
Table 92: Akx' Upper Floor Joist Cost Source: [1]
Beams
Tables 93 – 96 break down the cost of the beams which support the main floor system for JATE’s design
and Akx Lumber Ltd.’s design.
Main Floor
JATE
Beam Type Unit
Cost
Total
Length
Material
Cost
Microllam LVL 1-3/4” x
11-7/8”
4.82
$/ft
8.58 ft. $ 41.36
TimberStrand
LSL
3-1/2” x
11-7/8”
9.72
$/ft
13.08 ft. $ 127.14
Parallam PSL 5-1/4” x
14”
24.15
$/ft
12.92 ft. $ 312.02
TOTAL COST $ 480.52
Table 93: JATE's Main Floor Beam Cost Source: [11, 12]
Akx Lumber Ltd.
Beam Type Unit
Cost
Total
Length
Material
Cost
9”
3.18
$/ft
21 ft $ 66.78
1-3/4” x
16”
6.79
$/ft
17 ft $ 115.43
TOTAL COST $ 182.21
Table 94: Akx' Main Floor Beam Cost Source: [11, 12]

46
Upper Floor
JATE
Beam Type Unit
Cost
Total
Length
Material
Cost
Parallam PSL 3-1/2” x
11-7/8”
13.75
$/ft
31.16 ft. $ 428.45
5-1/4” x
11-7/8”
20.99
$/ft
38.12 ft. $ 800.14
TOTAL COST $ 1,228.59
Table 95: JATE's Upper Floor Beam Cost Source: [11, 12]
Akx Lumber Ltd.
Beam Type Unit
Cost
Total
Length
Material
Cost
11-7/8”
4.82
$/ft
29 ft $ 139.78
1-3/4” x
16”
6.79
$/ft
20 ft $ 135.80
TOTAL COST $ 275.58
Table 96: Akx' Upper Floor Beam Cost Source: [11, 12]
Floor Sheathing
In Akx Lumber Ltd.’s design, 23/32” OSB floor sheathing is used. This sheathing is too thin to prevent
floor vibrations, so Akx Lumber uses I-joists as blocking to increase the stability of the floor. JATE’s
design uses 1-1/8” thick floor sheathing. This thicker sheathing prevents floor vibration, so no blocking is
required in JATE’s design. The difference in price is outlined in Table 97.
Amount Unit Price Subtotal Price Amount Unit Price Subtotal Price
23/32” OSB
Sheathing
0 0.36 $/ft2
$ 0.00 2111 ft2
0.36 $/ft2
$ 750.72
1-1/8” OSB
Sheathing
2111 ft2
1.44 $/ft2
$ 3039.84 0 1.44 $/ft2
$ 0.00
Blocking 0 3.45 $/ft $ 0.00 88 ft. 3.45 $/ft $ 303.60
Total $ 3,039.84 $ 1,054.32
Table 97: Floor Sheathing Costs Source: [1, 13]
In addition to cost, the amount of labour required to construct the two floor systems varies. With Akx
Lumber Ltd.’s design, each piece of blocking must be cut and installed, while JATE’s design does not
require any blocking installation.

47
Concrete
Overall, the concrete foundation is very similar between the two designs. However, around the stairwell,
the layout changes. In JATE’s design, there is a strip footing under each stairwell wall, and one pad
footing under the main beam. In Akx Lumber Ltd.’s design, there are only two pad footings: one under
the beam and one under the corner of the stairs. A comparison of this difference in footings is shown in
Table 98. This comparison only compares the price of concrete, using a value of $150 per cubic yard
[14]. This does not compare any labour, formwork, rebar, delivery or placement costs.
Pad Footing Strip Footing Pad Footing Strip Footing
Number of Footings 1 2 2 0
Dimensions 48” x 48” x 10” 9’ x 20” x 6” 48” x 48” x 10” 0
Volume (cu. yards) 0.494 0.556 0.988 0
Cost $74.10 $83.40 $148.20 0
Total Cost $157.50 $148.20
Table 98: Concrete Costs Source: [Primary]
Floor Performance
A comparison of the TJ- Pro Ratings of each floor design can be completed to compare floor
performance. In this report TJ- Pro Ratings are compared in the U-A joist area, as this has the largest
variation in design. A weighted average for each floor is also compared and the results are shown
below.
Area M-A
The joist layout varied most in the M-A area of the house. This area supports the kitchen and living
rooms which people spend much of their time. This area also sees lots of foot traffic which can cause
vibration.
In order to make a comparison of the area, JATE compared the joist layouts in Forte. The JATE design
used TJI 360 Series joist spaced at 16” on-centre (408mm) with 1- 1/8” sheathing. The Akx Lumber Ltd.
design called for the more expensive TJI 560 Series spaced further apart at 19.2” on-centre (488mm)
with 23/23” sheathing. The results are shown below in Table 99.
Design TJ-Pro Rating
JATE 48
Akx Lumber Ltd. 43
Table 99: Floor Performance Comparison Source: [Primary]
The JATE design outperformed the Akx Lumber Ltd. design by 5 points in the TJ-Pro Rating. The JATE
design would result in less vibration than the Akx Lumber Ltd. design. According the Weyerhaeuser’s TJI-
Pro Rating chart this would result in an approximate increase of 10% in customer satisfaction.

48
The Akx Lumber Ltd. design may have had a lower TJ-Pro Rating requirement of 40, as their result in this
area is less than the 45 requirement set by Akx Lumber Ltd. If ½” gypsum board is placed on the
underside of the joist, the Akx Lumber Ltd. design reaches 45, but was excluded from each to make an
even comparison.
Weighted Average
A weighted average was also made between the designs. The JATE design calculated a weighted
average for each floor using the results from each individual area. The Akx Lumber Ltd. design weighted
average was given as output from the Javelin file and can be found on their design drawings. Because of
this the exact criteria for the calculation cannot be known. The results are shown below in Table 100.
Design TJ-Pro Rating
Main Upper
JATE - Main 50 54
Akx Lumber Ltd. - Main 52 45
Table 100: Weighted Average of TJ-Pro Ratings Source: [Primary]
When taken as a weighted average, the Akx Lumber Ltd. design has the higher vibration rating on the
main floor by 2 points, while the JATE design is higher by 9 points in the upper floor.
Vibration Conclusion
Although the Akx Lumber Ltd. design was able to outperform the JATE design by 2 points on main floor
weighted average, the JATE design produces higher TJI-Pro ratings 8 points higher in the M-A area. This
area holds the kitchen and living room areas where people spend their time and store dishes. This area
in turn requires a higher TJI-Pro Rating to increase customer satisfaction. The JATE design is 9 points
higher in the upper floor as well. As a result we conclude the JATE design provides slightly superior
performance.
Constructability
The differences in the two layouts impact the constructability of the house. Builders would prefer to
build Akx Lumber Ltd.’s design over JATE’s design due to the orientation of the joists. It is simpler to
build when all the joists run in the same direction rather than changing direction in the middle of a floor.
Sheathing the floor also becomes much easier when the joists run the same direction. When sheathing a
floor, the strong axis of the sheathing should be perpendicular to the joist span. If the joists change
direction in the middle of a floor, the sheathing also has to change direction. Although this is not difficult
to do, it takes much longer and takes more effort to build. Changing the direction of the sheathing
creates another complication; when the sheathing stops mid-floor and changes direction, a seam is
created between the two areas of sheathing. This creates a weak spot in the floor system and does not
allow the floor system to work as a whole, but rather as two separate systems.
Another complication that is created when changing the direction of the joists is running the heating
ducts from the furnace to the upper floor. When the joists run the same direction, a heating duct can
run vertically without many issues. When the joists change direction however, the heating duct will

49
usually have to bend or move to fit between the joists. This also increases the complexity and effort
required to construct the house.
Akx Lumber Ltd.’s design is also easier to construct due to the spacing of the joists. To be more cost
effective, JATE’s design uses joists at different spacings to reduce the size or the number of joists. This is
more difficult to construct, both with laying out the joists, and with the sheathing process.
Conclusion
There are various methods which may be used in structural wood design. The JATE design team was able
to design a flooring system for a two story house in Calgary, provided by Akx Lumber Ltd. The design is
completed using Weyerhaeuser engineered wood products, industry standards for loading, Forte design
software, and The Wood Design Manual. Upon completing the design a comparison to the design
completed by the professionals Akx Lumber Ltd. follows. The scope of the comparison includes
materials costs, floor performance, and constructability.
Based on general available pricing the JATE design materials costs $2086.29 less than the Akx Lumber
Ltd. design. Due to confidentiality reasons the JATE team does not have access to Akx Lumber Ltd.
pricing. Labour differences were ignored as the addition joists in the JATE design would add time, while
the exclusion of blocking would decrease the labour time.
The floor performance of the JATE design marginally outperforms the Akx Lumber Ltd. design based on
comparison criteria. The JATE design greatly outperforms on the upper floor, while the Akx Lumber Ltd.
design marginally outperforms on main floor. The M-A joist area of the home was compared as well.
This area is chosen for comparison as it contains the greatest design difference between the two
designs. The JATE design greatly outperformed Akx Lumber Ltd. design.
The constructability of the JATE design is lower than the Akx Lumber Ltd. design. The JATE design varies
in spacing and joist orientation making it less desirable. Less experienced labourers may make errors
causing time delays. The changing of joist directions also results in the sheathing having to change
direction which is not desirable. The joists running in various directions also result in difficulty running
ventilation through the home. Bulk heads would be required, but this factor was not considered during
the JATE design.
The comparison criteria used by JATE may be missing factors faced in a real life design scenario. Based
on the simplified comparison criteria and results of the cost and performance comparison JATE is able to
conclude their design outperforms that of Akx Lumber Ltd.

50
References
[1] L. L. Co, "TJI Floor Joists," Limback, 28 10 2014. [Online]. Available:
http://www.limbacklumber.com/tji-plywood_supply.pdf. [Accessed 29 03 2015].
[2] #TJ-4500 Specifier’s guide, Trus joist, Engineered Wood Product. Canada: Weyerhaeuser, 2012.
[3] Weyerhaeuser, "Headers, Beam, And Columns," in Trus Joist Engineered Wood Products,
Canada, Weyerhaeuser , 2012.
[4] Jagerhaus, “The Orchid ‘B’ Model,” Architectural Drawings.
[5] Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing, Residential Structural Design Guide, 2000 ed.
Maryland: NAHB Research Center Inc, 2000.
[6] National Research Council of Canada, National Building Code of Canada 2005, 12th
ed. Ottawa:
National Research Council of Canada, 2005.
[7] “TJ ProTM
Ratings System,” Weyerhaeuser, [online] Available:
http://www.woodbywy.com/software/tj-pro-rating-system/. [Accessed: March 25, 2015].
[8] Canadian Wood Council, Wood Design Manual, 2010 ed. Ottawa: Accurate, 2010.
[9] “Stemco Inc. Engineered Columns,” Stemco Inc., [online] Available:
http://www.stemco.ca/prod.html. [Accessed: March 25, 2015].
[10] Mark Dann, Design Manager, Akx Lumber Ltd. In person interview. March, 24, 2015
[11] “Engineered Products,” Ashby Lumber, [online] Available:
https://store.ashbylumber.com/inet/storefront/store.php?mode=browsecategory&department
=17. [Accessed: March 29, 2015].
[12] “Sizing Engineered Beams and Headers,” University of Massachusetts, Amherst, [online]
Available: http://bct.eco.umass.edu/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/engbeams.pdf. [Accessed:
March 29, 2015].
[13] “1 1/8” x 4’ x 8’ Tongue & Groove OSB Sturdifloor,” Menards, [online] Available:
http://www.menards.com/main/osb/1-1-8-x-4-x-8-tongue-groove-osb-sturdifloor/p-
1934588.htm. [Accessed: March 29, 2015].
[14] “The Average Cost of a Cubic Yard of Concrete,” eHow, [online] Available:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5869747_average-cost-cubic-yard-concrete.html. [Accessed:
April 15, 2015].

A-1
Demonstration of Structural Wood Design Using Engineered Wood Products: Blackwell, Coate, ElGandour,
Kebede
Appendix A: Beam Resistive Forces
Calculations

A-2
Kebede
Appendix: A
Beam Resistive Moment Check
Microllam LVL 1-3/4" x 11-7/8"
TimberStrand LSL 1-3/4" x 11-7/8"

A-3
Kebede
TimberStrand LSL 3-1/2" x 11-7/8"

A-4
Kebede
Parallam PSL 1-3/4" x 11-7/8"

A-5
Kebede

A-6
Kebede
Parallam PSL 7" x 11-7/8"

A-7
Kebede

B-1
Kebede
Appendix B: Main Floor Joists
Calculations

B-2
Kebede
Appendix B
M-A Joists
Forte Report
Hand Calculations

B-3
Kebede
Performance
Total Load Deflection
Total Load Allowable Deflection
Live Load Deflection
Live Load Allowable Deflection

B-4
Kebede
M-B Joists
Forte Report
Hand Calculations

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Structural Wood Design Capstone

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