Austin Chapter - May 2019 Meeting

Exploring Tall Wood: New Code Provisions for Tall Timber Structures

Presented By:  Sherry Mundell, P.E.

Abstract:  

As interest in and use of mass timber in the U.S. has grown, so too has interest in pushing these timber structures to greater heights. Using international examples of successful tall wood buildings as precedent, some designers have proposed tall wood projects in the states using a project-specific performance-based design approach. In order to provide a uniform set of code provisions for these tall wood buildings, the International Code Council established an Ad Hoc committee on tall wood buildings that proposed a set of code changes allowing up to 18 stories of mass timber construction. Those code changes were announced as approved in January 2019 and will become part of the 2021 International Building Code. Following a brief discussion of history and motivators, this presentation will introduce the new tall wood code provisions and construction types, as well as the technical research and testing that supported their adoption.

Objectives:

• Review the global history of tall wood construction and highlight the mass timber products used in these structures.
  
• Explore the work and conclusions of the ICC Ad Hoc Committee on Tall Wood Buildings in establishing 14 new code provisions for the 2021 IBC that address tall wood construction.
  
• Discuss differences between the new tall wood mass timber construction types and existing construction types.
• Identify the key passive fire-resistance construction requirements and active systems that enable taller wood buildings to be built safely.

Bio:  

A licensed professional engineer in Texas, Sherry joined WoodWorks in 2014 after more than a decade as a structural design consultant. During this time, her project work spanned a wide range of building types—from mid-rise student housing and office buildings to schools, malls, museums and high-rises—giving her a depth of knowledge that she now uses to assist architects, engineers and others involved in the design of wood buildings. Sherry earned a BS in Architectural Engineering and is a member of the Structural Engineers Association of Texas.