woodwork userguide

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WoodWorks

Design Office

User Guide

Canadian Wood CouncilAmerican Forest & Paper Association

Developed byAcronym Software Inc.


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WoodWorks Design Office i

A Sizer 1

A.1 What is Sizer? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

A.2 Designing a Beam . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

A.3 Designing a Column . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

A.4 Designing a Structure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

B Shearwalls 113

B.1 What is Shearwalls? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

B.2 Designing for Wind& Seismic Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

B.3 Shearwalls Tutorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

B.4 Shearwall Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

C Connections 183

B.1 What is Connections? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185

B.2 Post & Beam Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

B.3 Lapped Shear Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

D The Database Editor 205

A.1 What is the Database Editor? . . . . . . . . 207

A.2 Material Databases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

A.3 Creating Custom Databases . . . . . . . . . . 210

A.4 Viewing Standard Databases . . . . . . . . . 212

A.5 Customizing the Database List. . . . . . . . 216

Welcome iii

Table of contents


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Welcome

WoodWorks Design Office

What Is Design Office

WoodWorks Design Office is anintegrated design suite for engineeringprojects. The three programs thatcomplement each other are Sizer,Connections, and Shearwalls.

Installing Design Office

The following are the requirementsfor running WoodWorks DesignOffice on your computer:

a PC-compatible system with Pentiumor better processor;

VGA or higher resolution videoadapter;

Microsoft Windows 95, 98, 2000, MEor NT.

Installing

Start up Windows 95, 98, 2000, MEor NT.

Insert the WoodWorks DesignOffice CD into your CD-ROM drive.

If the AutoPlay option is turned on,you will see the WoodWorks DesignOffice Setup screen. Otherwise,

From the Windows Explorer,

select your CD-ROM drive anddouble-click on WWAutoRun.exe;or

Go to the Start menu andchooseRun

Type d:WWAutoRun (d beingyour CD-ROM drive) and pressENTER.

Follow the instructions on screen.

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Welcomeiv

The installer creates the program direc-tory, copies all necessary files, and addsa Design Office folder to the Windowsdesktop.

Network InstallationsThere is no network install version ofWoodWorks, however the readme.txtfile in the root directory where Sizer isinstalled includes instructions on how to

run WoodWorks from a network.

Registration Keycodes

When one of the Design Office programsare run for the first time, a keycode will berequested. For purchasers of thesoftware, a keycode will be provided withyour software and is normally indicated onthe CD jewel case or on the cover of thisuser guide. Keycodes will only be given

to purchasers of the software. Thosewishing to simply evaluate the programmay type demo instead of a keycode.

Technical Support

If you have installation or performanceproblems, please contact WoodWorksSupport via one of the options listedbelow.

For questions about engineeringassumptions, features andfunctions please consult the onlinehelp which provides a keywordsearch feature.

The WoodWorks website containsadditional information which includesproduct news, frequently asked questions,maintenance releases, and updates for

registered software owners.

Voice: 1-800-844-1275

Fax: 1-519-885-1407

Email: [email protected]

URL: www.WoodWorks-Software.comor

www.WoodSoftware.com


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Sizer4

Column Mode

Column mode allows you to quicklyenter and design individual woodcolumn or beam-column members.Sizer analyzes using the stiffnessmethod.

To select Column mode when first start-ing Sizer, click on the column Tool Bar

button and then click on the new ToolBar button. If you are already in Sizer,select Column from theMode menu.

The main work area allows you tospecify a number of parameters. TheTool Bar allows you to quickly changebetween Column, Load, Point ofInterest, Results and Diagram viewsand to make Sizer design your columnor beam-column.

When Column mode is active, a check-mark is displayed next to Columnon theModemenu.


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Concept Mode

Concept mode is a graphical design andanalysis work area for the preliminarydesign of structures considering gravityloads.

To select Concept mode, click on theconcept Tool Bar button and then clickon thenew Tool Bar button.

Concept mode provides a graphicalwork area where you can configure anddesign a complete structure in plan.

The main work area contains rulers toallow you to position the cursor withinthe work area accurately and quickly.

The Concept Mode Tool Bar is the boxbelow the menu bar and to the left with

twelve buttons titledmode, level, grid,column, wall, beam, joist, loads, group,

design, elevation view andprint. TheConcept Mode Tool Bar allows you tochange between Grid, Column, Beam,Joist and Load views. Thedesign buttonmakes Sizer design the elements inyour structure and display the results.

The Concept Mode Data Tool Bar is the

box below the menu bar and to the rightof the Concept Mode Tool Bar. ThisTool Bar gives a variety of informationdepending on the selected view. Thisincludes information such as groupnames, member names, gridpointelevations, grid line locations, loadmagnitudes, load locations or joistdirection.

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Sizer6

Thestatus bar is located at the bottom ofthe Sizer window. The status bar indi-cates the function of a given Tool Barbutton, the current level and height,and the X and Y cursor positions.

When Concept mode is active, a check-mark is displayed next to Conceptin theModemenu.


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Save Before DesignSpecify whether or not Sizer shouldprompt you to save before designing.

Prompt - Sizer prompts you to save thecurrent project prior to starting thedesign process. This is the default.

Always - Sizer always saves the currentproject automatically (without prompt-

ing) prior to designing.

Never - Sizer will not save the currentproject prior to starting the designprocess. There will be no prompt.

Concept Mode Options

These settings apply only to theConcept Mode and allow you to specify: whether to use a single or double

click with the mouse,

whether or not supporting memberscan be deleted,

if a materials list should be generated, if Design Results should be generated

by member (per group or individually)

Beam and Column Mode Options

These settings apply only to Beam andColumn mode and allow you to specify: whether to enter beam or joist slopes

in degrees or as a pitch, whether to include the stock lengthwarning,

whether to report interior and can-tilever deflection separately in Beammodes Design Check report

whether to report the dead load onlydeflection to facilitate camber design,

whether to include the AdditionalData section in the Design Checkreport

Fire Endurance Rating (U.S. Only)A Fire Endurance Rating option has beenadded (U.S. only). This option permitsyou to specify the minimum required fireendurance rating for solid sawn beamsand columns. Fire endurance is not a

requirement of NDS and is provided herefor information purposes only.

If you enable this feature, Sizer will addfire endurance as another design criterionthat must be satisfied. The number thatappears in the Fire Endurance field is adefault that automatically appears foreach project. In Concept mode thisdefault can be over-ridden in the Groupsdialog on a group-by-group basis. Similar

input fields exist in the Fire Resistanceand Treatment dialog of Beam andColumn modes, that is accessed from theFire Design button. The number of sidesexposed to fire (0, 3 or 4) can also be set.

Further information on this subject canbe found in document DCA#2 which isavailable from the American Forest &Paper Associations American Wood

Council at www.awc.org.

Cantiveler DeflectionsAlso included is the option to ignorecantilever deflections in design so that thedeflection of a cantilever never governs adesign.

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Sizer10

Format Tab

Choose the Format tab from theSettings Dialog. This tab allows you toenter the unit system to be used andformat, the font size for printing andviewing.

Unit SystemThis option allows you to select whetherSizer will operate in Imperial (English) ormetric units

Imperial Length FormatChoose Imperial (English) units to bedisplayed in either decimal feet, in feetwith decimal inches, or in feet with inchfractions. This can affect either distancesor member sizes.

Force is an option that permits the userto select the Imperial (or English) unitsfor Point Loads as either lbs(pounds)

or kips.

This only applies to the inputfields for loads the output unit foranalysis and design results are alwayskips.

Font Size

This option allows you to set the fontsize to be used for results and diagramtext for either viewing or printing.

Print to Fit on 1 Page

is a new option that automaticallyreduces the printing font until the outputfits on a single page. Note that thisfeature is bypassed if the font sizerequired is less than 4 pt.


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Design Notes Tab

Choose the Design Notes tab from theSettings Dialog. This tab allows you tospecify standard design notes that areto be added to the Design Notes sectionof the Design Check report in Beam andColumn modes. User specified designnotes can be activated or inactivatedusing the check box to the right of the

design note

View Tab (Concept Mode only)

Choose the View tab from the SettingsDialog. This tab allows you to specifydifferent viewing options such as thesize of the viewing area, the snapincrement, the percentage zoom, andmember names.

Viewing Area

These fields specify the maximumviewing area in plan for the North-South and East-West directions.

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Sizer12

Snap IncrementThis specifies the smallest increment anewly created gridpoint will move orsnap to. For example, a snap incrementof 2.0 ft allows you to place gridpoints at10.0, 12.0 and 14.0 ft, but not at 9.0 or11.0 ft.

DisplayThese options allow you to

include additional information onthe diagrams for viewing or print-ing. This includes the snappedcoordinate, the member names,and the group names.

Save New Settings

Choose Save new settings under the Settingsmenu. This will save any new changes thathave been done in the Settings menu.

These new settings will be the default forany new files that you create. This customdefinition will again be in effect during thenext Sizer session. A previously savedSizer file with different definitions will over-ride these settings. ClickingFile and then

New will restore your definitions at anytime.

Restore Factory Settings

This option restores the original settingsthat were in effect when Sizer was firstinstalled. They will only be in effect forthe current session unless you click onSave New Settings.


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1.3 Working with Files


Creating New Files

When you start Sizer, it displays anuntitled screen, allowing you to createa new structural design project.

Whenever you chooseNew from theFilemenu, Sizer clears the screen, discardingthe current project. If you have modifiedthe current project since you last saved it,

Sizer asks you whether to save or discardyour modifications.

Saving Files

If you choose Save from theFile menu,Sizer saves the current project using thelast name you gave it. If the project is anew one and you have not given it aname, the Save command has the sameeffect as Save As... (see below).

If you choose Save As... from theFilemenu, the current project is saved withthe name you enter. In the Save Asdialog box, the File Namefield contains(by default) the last name given to theproject. You can specify a differentname if you wish.

To change the file type, click the downarrow, select a file type and click OK.(Double-clicking on the file type has thesame effect.)

To change directories, select a directoryfrom the Directories list and click OK, orsimply double-click the directory.

Click on OK to save the file under the newname. If a file already exists with the nameyou specified, Sizer asks you to confirmthat the existing file should be overwritten.Click on Cancel to exit the Save As dialogwithout saving your project.

Opening Files

To open an existing project, chooseOpen from theFile menu. The Opendialog appears. Type a file name (or

select one from the list) and then clickOKto open that project.If you select a new directory in the

Directorieslist and then click OK, theselected directory becomes the currentdirectory. Double-clicking on a file nameor directory name has the same effectas selecting the file name or directoryand clicking OK.

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Designing a Beam

2.1 Beam Mode 17

2.2 Beam (or Joist) Parameters 18

2.3 Loads 23

2.4 Points of Interest 29

2.5 The Design Process 30

2.6 Tutorial 35

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2.1 Beam Mode


What It Does

Beam mode allows you to quickly enterand design individual wood bendingmembers. Beam mode provides exten-sive information about a single beam or

joist in your project. Typically you woulduse Beam mode to verify the design ofcritical members.

To select Beam mode, chooseNew fromtheFile menu and selectBeam Mode.

When Beam mode is active, a check-mark is displayed next to Beamon theModemenu.

Transfer of a Beam or Joistfrom Concept Mode

If you are operating in Concept modeand you wish to further analyze a partic-ular beam or joist, click on the beam or

joist to select it and then chooseBeamfrom theMode menu or click themodebutton on the Tool Bar.

Sizer first determines the design loads

for the member in question, based onthe structure entered in Concept mode.Sizer automatically transfers the loadinformation to the input fields of Beammode.

Note: The transfer from Concept toBeam mode is one-way. Anychanges made to the trans-ferred member cannot beexported back to the original

member in Concept mode.

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Sizer18

2.2 Beam (or Joist) Parameters

Click thebeam button on the Tool Barto describe the beam (or joist) to bedesigned.

Enter the available parameters in theappropriate fields and clickAdd.

You can select a span from the list box,

and change the parameters. Enter dif-ferent values in various fields and thenclickModify.

To delete spans, click the span you wishto delete and then clickDelete.

Sizer displays a diagram of the spans inthe lower portion of the screen. It showsthe start and end points of the beam and

the length of each span within the beam.Sizer can also display cantilevered andsloped beams.

SpansThis list box defines (in left-to-rightsequence) the length of each spanand cantilevers.

Cantilever

This drop-down list is only active whentwo or more spans have been addedand it specifies cantilevers at either endof the beam. The outer end of a

cantilevered span is unsupported. Thedefault is None(no cantilever at eitherend).

Slope/PitchThis field specifies the slope of thebeam in degrees or as a pitch. Ahorizontal beam (the default) has aslope of zero. A beam that slopes up tothe right has a positive value. A beamthat slopes down to the right has a

negative value.

Level bearing is assumed and thusthere is no horizontal thrust at supports.Sloped members are only designed forflexure. It is assumed that axial force isinsignificant in these members.

Joists supported by sloped members arespaced with respect to the longitudinal

axis of the sloped member.


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TypeThis drop-down list specifies the type ofbending member to be designedbeam,floor joist or roof joist. The default selec-tion is Beam.

Material

This drop-down list specifies the materialdatabase to use. Standard choicesinclude lumber, lumber n-ply, timber,

glulam and many others. The default forbeams is timber.

SpeciesThis drop-down list specifies the speciesof wood to use to design the member.Available species depend on the selecteddatabase.

The default selection is (unknown),which forces Sizer to select suitable

sections from each species.

GradeThis drop-down list specifies the gradesof wood to use to design the member.Available grades depend on the selecteddatabase.

The default selection is (unknown),which forces Sizer to select suitable

sections from each grade.

This list box is unavailable if the speciesis specified as (unknown).

Width and DepthThe two width drop-down lists specifythe width range of the sections Sizershould use when designing the member.Similarly, the two depth drop-down listsspecify the depth range. Availablewidths and depths depend on theselected database, species and grade.

The default selection for each of

these drop-down lists is (unknown),which forces Sizer to select from afull range of section sizes.

You can limit the section sizes to beconsidered by selecting appropriatewidth and depth ranges in the drop-down lists.

These drop-down lists are unavailable ifthe grade is (unknown).

To select a custom section, entersome non-standard size (in actualdimensions) in each drop-down list.Note that a custom size may not becommercially available.

Note: Sizer performs a design checkrather than a design selectionif both the width range and

depth range specify singlevalues. Sizer cannot design asection if only the width or depthis a custom size. For example,you cannot have one field as(unknown) when the othercontains a custom size.

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Sizer20

PlyIf the selected material can be usedin built-up or multi-ply sections, thesetwo drop-down lists specify the rangeof plies to use. The default selection is(unknown), which forces Sizer to selectsuitable sections for a range of plies.

If the material cannot be used in multi-ply sections, these lists are disabled.

Deflection LimitsThese fields allow you to specify thedeflection limits to be used for design,and whether to check total (or long-term) deflection. The equation used forchecking total deflection can also beadjusted to apply varying factors to thedead load. This defaults to 1.5.

NotchesSizer only designs notches at the endsof a beam. Notches can be specified asbeing on the topor bottomof a beam.Both notch depthand lengtharerequired as input.

Lateral Support Spacing

These drop-down lists permit top andbottom lateral support to be specified

as Full(full lateral support), @Supports(lateral support provided at bearingsupports only), or at a specified numericinterval. The defaults are Fullfor thetop and @Supportsfor the bottom.

Note: For some materials, this selectionis disabled. Notes in the output specifythe necessary lateral support.

Oblique Angle

This field specifies the angle for obliquepurlins. The default is blank (no angle).By specifying an angle of 90, you caninvestigate the use of the selectedmaterial database as planks.


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Shear Factor, CH (U.S. Only)This field applies NDSclause 4.4.2.1to increase shear capacity when thelength of split, size of check, or shake isknown, and no increase in length or sizeis anticipated. The maximumpermissible value is 2.0 for no splits,checks or shakes. This only applies tosawn lumber 2 in. to 4 in. thick(nominal).

Temperature (U.S. Only)

The default is T


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Sizer22

Selecting Sections for Design Check

Sizer provides you with an extensive listof suggested sections for the beam it isdesigning. To get more details about asingle section size, you can perform adesign check on that section.

After running an initial design, selectthe section you want to check from the

drop-down list entitled Suggested BeamSections at the right side of the Tool Bar.

Sizer automatically fills in the Species,Grade, Widthand Depthfields with theappropriate values. Sizer automaticallyperforms a design check of the selectedsection.

The list of suggested sections on theTool Bar remains available until youperform another design (rather than adesign check).


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Click the load button on the Tool Bar tospecify the loading of a beam (or joist)that is to be designed. The Load viewopens.

Load NameUse the Load Namefield to enter thename of the load you want to apply tothe beam. (Sizer generates an appropri-ate name if you leave this field blank.)The list box beneath this field containsthe names of all the loads you havespecified for this beam. Click one toselect it.

TypeThis drop-down list specifies the typeof load being applied. Sizer allows youto select from a variety of load types,including dead, live, snow, wind,construction (U.S. only), impact (U.S.only) or permanent live (Canadian only).

Depending on the load type specified,Sizer will apply the correct load durationfactor to each load combination. For the

Canadian version, Sizer also applies thecorrect load factor. The default load typeis Dead.

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2.3 Loads


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Distribution

This drop-down list specifies the type ofload distribution: Full Uniform Line, FullUniform Area, Partial Uniform Line,Triangular, Trapezoidal and Point.

Magnitude

This field specifies the magnitude(s) ofthe loads being applied. These magni-tudes should be entered as specifiedloads (such as those stated in buildingcodes). When using English units, Sizerallows you to change whether point loadsare entered in pounds (lbs) or kilopounds(kips) through the Settings Format tab.

Note that area loads are converted to anddisplayed as line loads (plf or kN/m) on

the load diagram.

Magnitude: WidthThis field is only active for Full UniformArea load distributions and is equal tothe tributary width for the bending mem-ber. For joists, this value automaticallycorresponds to the joist spacing selectedin Beam input view.

Pattern LoadingCheck this box to activate automaticpattern loading. It is available only forcontinuous beams when the load typeis live or snow. (construction or impactloads can also be patterned for the U.S.version).

Live, construction, and impact loads arepatterned as full- or no-load intensity.

Snow loads are patterned as full- orhalf-load intensity.

Repeating Point LoadsClick this button to specify multiplepoint loads with equal spacing andmagnitude.

Location From LeftThis field specifies the location of theselected load. It is active if the load

distribution is Partial Uniform Line,Triangular or Trapezoidal.

For Partial Uniform Line loads, specifya start and an end measurement.For Triangular loads, specify a locationwhere the load is zero and a locationfor the maximum load. For Trapezoidalloads, specify the locations of theminimum and maximum loads.

Display Load Envelope

This option only applies to the loadingdiagram. When enabled, individualloads are accumulated into a singleloading profile for each load type (dead,live, etc). When not enabled, loads over-lap with other loads of the same type.The selected load appears in bold.

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Sizer can facilitate the handling ofobscure load combinations by manuallyadjusting the load duration factors (U.S.only) or performing individual load com-binations and load patterns have beenchecked.

Pattern LoadsPattern loading is available in the Beammode and is applicable to multi-span

beams or joists where a live type load(live, snow, construction or impact) isbeing applied countinuously across themember. Sizer will take the live loadand pattern it on the various spans tofind the worst case for design. Patternloading is an option that can be turnedon or off at the Load input stage. Sizerautomatically generates all the possiblepatterns for such loads by selecting theactive spans (where the applicable

loads are applied) and inactive spans(where only dead, wind and half-snowloads are applied).

The table on the following pages showsall the load patterns that Sizer generatesfor a six-span continuous beam.

The table can also be used for beamswith fewer than six spans. For example,

for a three-span beam, simply ignore thethree rightmost columns, and ignore anyrows on which spans beyond 3 becomeactive(as shown by the shaded lines)

Load Duration Factors (U.S. Only)Sizer applies load duration factorsaccording to the load type. These factorsare set to the standard NDS values asthe default but can be changed.

Self-WeightIf automatic calculation of self-weight isspecified by the user, the self-weight ofa member is considered in the design.The actual effects of self-weight arecalculated by multiplying the specificgravity of the material times the area ofthe section. This load is then added tothe dead load when checked.

Concentrated Load Check (FloorJoists Only)

Only applicable to floor joists, this optionallows you to design a floor joist for amoving concentrated floor live load (orsafe load) that is required by most build-ing codes for certain building categoriesor floor uses. When selected, Sizerautomatically creates a concentratedlive load with a default magnitude thatacts over a default width. The magni-

tude and width can be modified. Duringthe design process, Sizer will determinethe worst affects of the concentratedload located anywhere along the lengthof the member in conjunction with allother applied loads, except live loads,and all required load combinationswhere the concentrated live load acts inplace of any loads of type live specifiedby the user.

Largest Point Load

This option allows you to specify themagnitude of a point load at which Sizerwill display a warning to indicate that alarge point load has been entered. Thiswarning can be ignored if you do wantto design for a large point load.

.

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WoodWorks Design Office 27

Table 1PatternLoadingScheme

Span

Pattern 1 2 3 4 5 6

01 Active

02 Active 03 Active Active

04 Active 05 Active Active 06 Active Active 07 Active Active Active

08 Active 09 Active Active 10 Active Active 11 Active Active Active 12 Active Active 13 Active Active Active 14 Active Active Active 15 Active Active Active Active

16 Active17 Active Active18 Active Active19 Active Active Active20 Active Active

21 Active Active Active22 Active Active Active23 Active Active Active Active24 Active Active25 Active Active Active26 Active Active Active27 Active Active Active Active28 Active Active Active29 Active Active Active Active30 Active Active Active Active31 Active Active Active Active Active


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Sizer28

Table 1(Continued)PatternLoadingScheme

Span

Pattern 1 2 3 4 5 6

32 Active33 Active Active34 Active Active35 Active Active Active36 Active Active37 Active Active Active38 Active Active Active39 Active Active Active Active40 Active Active41 Active Active Active

42 Active Active Active43 Active Active Active Active44 Active Active Active45 Active Active Active Active46 Active Active Active Active47 Active Active Active Active Active48 Active Active49 Active Active Active50 Active Active Active51 Active Active Active Active52 Active Active Active53 Active Active Active Active54 Active Active Active Active55 Active Active Active Active Active

56 Active Active Active57 Active Active Active Active58 Active Active Active Active59 Active Active Active Active Active60 Active Active Active Active61 Active Active Active Active Active62 Active Active Active Active Active63 Active Active Active Active Active Active


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2.4 Points of Interest


Click the points of interest button on theTool bar to investigate the shear andmoment at any point along the length ofa beam or column. A point of interest isgenerated by specifying a location toperform the analysis. Now click Add toadd this to the list. Several points ofinterest can be specified.

After performing a design, the point of

interest results will be shown in theDiagrams window and in the Analysisresults output.


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Sizer30

2.5 The Design Process

Starting the Design Process

To start the design process, click thedesign button on the Tool Bar. Sizerperforms an analysis, designs yourbeam with the information you enteredand automatically displays the results.

If you selected (unknown) for someentries, Sizer selects a series of suitable

sections that provide acceptable results.If there are no (unknowns) and youhave not specified ranges in the width ordepth fields, Sizer does a design checkon the specified section and verifies thatthe results are within the selecteddesign codes limits.

The number of sections that Sizerselects depends on how many fieldsyou specified as (unknown) in the beam

screen.

Sizer normally prompts you to savethe current project prior to doing thedesign. To change this, choose oneof the Save Before Design options fromthe Settings dialog.

Save Before Design (Prompt first)Tells Sizer to prompt you to save thecurrent worksheet prior to starting thedesign process. This is the default.

Save Before Design (Always save)Tells Sizer always to save the currentproject automatically (without prompting

you) prior to starting the design process.

Save Before Design (Never save)Tells Sizer not to save the current pro-

ject prior to starting the design process.Sizer will not even prompt you to save.


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Viewing and Printing the Results

Once Sizer has designed the beam, it

creates results files. Sizer then givesyou several options for viewing theresults.

Analysis ResultsClick theanalysis button on theTool Bar to see the analysisresults for each load combination(maximum shears, bending momentsand so on) for your beam or joist intabular form.

Design ResultsIf you specified any field as

(unknown) for your beam or joist,Sizer computes all the possiblebeam or joist sections during the designprocess. It also computes the ratios ofanalysis/design values for bending,shear, and displacement for eachsection.

To see these results, click on theresultsbutton on the Tool Bar menu or choose

Design Results (Suggested Sections) from

the View menu.

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Sizer32

Design CheckIf you requested a specificbeam or joist size, Sizerperforms a design check andcomputes analysis and design values(for example shear and bending) forthe section.

To see these results, none of the para-meters can be left as (unknown). Then

clickcheck on the Tool Bar.

Adjustment Factors Output:The Design Check output for beamsand columns now outputs the adjust-ment factors used for design in atabular format. This will allow you toverify that the correct design valuesand adjustment factors are beingused for your design.

Additional Data Output:The Design Check output forbeams and columns also outputs anAdditional Data section that describesthe load combination that governedthe design in each of the cases forbending, shear and deflection.


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Load Combination Descriptions:Sizer has enhanced the descriptionof the load combination generatedin both the Design Check and theAnalysis output reports. This featureis automatically included in all beamand column designs. The exampleshown is for a 3-span countinuousbeam

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Analysis DiagramsClick thediagram button on theTool Bar to view the analysisdiagrams.

Sizer creates four analysis diagramsincluding Support, Shear, Bending,and Deflection diagrams.

To print the current diagram, click the

print button on the Tool Bar. View This button controls which

analysis diagrams are shown,including the Load Envelope,Reaction, Shear, Moment andDeflection diagrams. The LoadEnvelope diagram is not availablewhen Critical Results is selected asthe load combination.

Load Combinations The diagram

view results shown are based on theload combination selected in thispull-down menu. When CriticalResultsis selected, the analysis dia-grams shown are for the worst caseresults of all load combinations. Loadcombination numbers shown corre-spond to those used throughout Sizer(Analysis Results, Design Check, dia-grams, etc.).

Printing ResultsTo print results, click onprintbutton from the Tool Bar whenthe result file or graphics screenthat you want to print is on screen.


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2.6 Tutorial


Defining the Parameters

1. Start the program in Beam mode.

2. Select the Span field andenter a span of 15 (ft).

3. ClickAdd.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for two addi-tional spans of 15 ft and 5 ft 6 in.

5. ChooseRight from the Cantilever

drop-down list.

6. Although you can try differentmaterials, selectLumber n-plyfor this example.

7. Select species type S-P-F.

8. UnderEnd Notches select the at Topfield and enter a depth of 2 (in) anda length, e, of 3 (in) .

9. Click OK.

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Loading the Beam

1. Click the loads button on the Tool Bar.

2. ChooseDead from the Type drop-down list.

3. Ensuring that theDistribution field isFull Uniform Line, select theMagnitude field and enter a value of100 (plf).

4. ClickAdd.

5. ChooseLive from the Type drop-downlist.

6. Select theMagnitude field and enter amagnitude of 200 (plf).

7. Ensure that thePattern Loading boxis checked.

8. ClickAdd.

9. Changing theDistribution field toPoint Load, select theMagnitude fieldand enter a magnitude of 350 (lbs).

10.Select theLocation From Left fieldand enter a distance of 35 ft 6 in.

11.ChooseLive from the Type drop-

down list and click the PatternLoading checkbox.

12.ClickAdd.


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Designing the Beam

1. Click thedesign button on the ToolBar. Sizer automatically designs themember.

2. You will be asked to enter a filename for your project.

View Results

1. Click the up and down arrows toscroll through the Design Resultsoutput.

2. To print these results, choose theprint button from the Tool Bar.

NOTE: The output shown is based onthe most recent U.S. NationalDesign Specification.

View Analysis Diagrams

1. Click thediagram button on the ToolBar to view reactions, shear, bendingmoments and deflectiondiagrams.

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Perform a Detailed Designon a Specific Section

1. Choose S-P-F No.1/No.2 4-2X12from the Suggested Beam Sectionsdrop-down list on the Tool Bar.

2 Sizer will automatically perform adetailed design on the specificsection chosen.

3. The results for the specified sectionare now displayed as shown.

4. You can repeat the above steps toperform a detailed design on anyother glulam section listed in theSuggested Beam Sections

drop-down list.


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Designing a Column

3.1 Column Mode 41

3.2 Column (or Wall) Parameters 42

3.3 Loads 46

3.4 Points of Interest 48


3.6 Tutorial 52

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What It Does

Column mode allows you to quickly enterand design individual wood columns,walls and beam-columns under multipleload conditions. Column mode providesextensive information about a singlecolumn or wall in your project. Typically,you would use Column mode to verifythe design of critical members.

To select Column mode, clicknew onthe Tool Bar and choosecolumn.

When Column mode is active, a check-mark is displayed next to Columnonthe Modemenu.

Transfer of a Column (or Wall)from Concept Mode

If you are operating in Concept modeand you wish to further analyze a partic-ular column or wall, click the column orwall to select it and then choose Columnfrom theMode menu, or click themodebutton on the Tool Bar.

Sizer first determines the axial design

loads for the column or wall in question,based on the structure entered inConcept mode. Sizer automaticallytransfers the load information to theinput fields of Column mode. For walls,it transfers the load information for asingle wall stud.

Note: The transfer from Conceptto Column mode is one-way.Any changes you make to the

transferred member cannot beexported back to the originalmember in Concept mode.

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3.1 Column Mode


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3.2 Column (or Wall) Parameters

Clickcolumn on the Tool Bar to describethe column (or wall) to be designed.

HeightThis field specifies the height of thecolumn or wall in the current units.

A height must be specified in order tocontinue with the design.

TypeThis drop-down list specifies the type ofcompression member (Column or Wall)to be designed. The default selection isColumn.

MaterialThis drop-down list specifies thematerial database to use. Standardchoices include timber post, glulamand a number of others. The default forcolumns is Timber-soft. The default forwalls is Lumber Stud.

SpeciesThis drop-down list specifies the species

of wood to use to design the member.Available species depend on the selecteddatabase. For example, common choicesfor softwood timber are D.Fir-L,Hem-Fir, S-P-F, and S.Pine.

The default selection is (unknown)which forces Sizer to select suitablesections from each species.

Grade

This drop-down list specifies the gradesof wood to use to design the member.Available grades depend on the selecteddatabase. For example, common choicesfor timber are No.2, No.1, and SS.

The default selection is (unknown)which forces Sizer to select suitablesections from each grade.

This list box is unavailable if the speciesis (unknown).


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Width and DepthThe two width drop-down lists specifythe width range of the sections Sizershould use when designing the member.Similarly, the two depth drop-downlists specify the depth range. Availablewidths and depths depend on the selecteddatabase, species and grade.

The default selection for each of

these drop-down lists is (unknown),which forces Sizer to select from afull range of section sizes.

You can limit the section sizes to beconsidered by selecting appropriatewidth and depth ranges in the drop-down lists.

These drop-down lists are unavailable ifthe grade is (unknown).

To select a custom section, entersome non-standard size (in actualdimensions) in each drop-down list.Note that a custom size may not becommercially available.

Note: Sizer performs a design checkrather than a design selectionif both the width range and

depth range specify single val-ues. Sizer cannot design asection if only the width ordepth is a custom size. Forexample, you cannot have onefield as (unknown) when theother contains a custom size.

Built-up MembersIf the selected material can be used inbuilt-up sections, these two drop-downlists specify the range of plies to use.The default selection is (unknown),which forces Sizer to select suitablesections of a range of plies.

For built-up members, the connectiontype used to assemble the member can

also be specified. This affects the resis-tance of a member.

If the material cannot be used in built-upsections, these lists are disabled.

Deflection Limits

These fields allow you to specify thedeflection limits to be used for design,and whether to check total (or long-term) deflection. The equation used for

checking total deflection can also beadjusted to apply varying factors to thedead load. This defaults to 1.5.

Column BaseSelectPinned if the column base doesnot resist bending, orFixed for a columnbase that does resist.

Load Face

Select Width if lateral loads such aswind are applied to the narrow face ofthe member, orDepth if applied to thewide face. All lateral loads and eccentriclateral loads cause bending about thesame axis.

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Lateral Support SpacingKeL for WidthThe Lb field specifies the unsupportedlength associated with width b. The Kefield specifies the effective length factor.Its default value is 0.8 for columns witha fixed base, and 1.0 for columns with apinned base.

KeL for Depth

The Ld field specifies the unsupportedlength associated with depth d. The Kefield specifies the effective length factor.Its default value is 0.8 for columns witha fixed base, and 1.0 for columns with apinned base.

Shear Factor, CH (U.S. Only)This feature permits you to apply NDSclause 4.4.2.1 to increase shear capacitywhen the length of split, size of check,or shake is known, and no size increaseis anticipated. The maximum permissiblevalue is 2.0 for no splits, checks orshakes. This only applies to sawn lumber2 in. to 4 in. (nominal) thick.

Temperature (U.S. Only)The default is T


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Service ConditionThis drop-down list specifies either Wetor Dry service conditions for the columnor wall. The default is Dry.

Repetitive Member Factor (U.S.)/System Factor (Canada)

This feature applies increase bendingcapacity to dimension lumber 2 in. to 4in. thick as well as to multi-plied beams.

Stud Spacing

Active for walls only, this drop-down listspecifies the stud spacing. You canselect one of the three standard spac-

ings of 12 in. (300mm), 16 in. (400mm),or 24 in. (600mm), or enter your ownvalue.

Selecting Sections for Design Check

Sizer provides you with an extensive listof suggested sections for the column itis designing. To get more details abouta single section size, you can perform adesign check on that section.

After running an initial design, selectthe section you want to check from thedrop-down list entitled Suggested ColumnSections at the right side of the Tool Bar.Sizer automatically fills in the Species,Grade, Widthand Depthfields with theappropriate values. Sizer also automati-cally performs a design check on the theselected section.

The list of suggested sections on theTool Bar remains available until youperform another design (rather than adesign check).

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Click load on the Tool Bar to specify theloading of a column that is to bedesigned.

Load NameUse the Load Namefield to enter thename of the load you want to apply to

the column. (Sizer generates an appro-priate name if you leave this field blank.)The list box beneath this field containsthe names of all the loads you havespecified for this column. Click one toselect it.

TypeThis drop-down list specifies the type ofload being applied. Sizer allows you toselect from a variety of load types, includingdead, live, snow, wind, construction (U.S.only), impact (U.S. only) or permanentlive (Canadian only). Depending on theload type specified, Sizer will apply thecorrect load duration factor to each loadcombination. For the Canadian version,Sizer also applies the correct load factor.The default load type is Dead.

Distribution

This drop-down list specifies the type ofload distribution: Full Uniform Line, FullUniform Area, Partial Uniform Line,Triangular, Trapezoidal and Point.

Axial loads are applied to the top of thecolumn, where a positive value loadsthe column in compression. The remain-ing loads are applied laterally and loadthe column as a beam.

For walls, an axial load is entered as auniformly distributed line load along thetop of the wall.

Sizer applies lateral loads to the faceidentified in the Load Facebox of theColumnscreen.

MagnitudeThis field specifies the magnitude(s) ofthe column load at the beginning andend of the loaded portion of the mem-ber. (For a Point load, only one loadmagnitude is specified.) True Uniformloads should have w@a equal to [email protected] loads usually have differentvalues for the two magnitudes.

Note that area loads are converted toand displayed as line loads (plf or kN/m)on the load diagram.

3.3 Loads


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EccentricityThis field applies only to axial loads, withthe same eccentricity for all. The bendingeffect is the same for an eccentricity anda lateral load, when both have positivevalues.

Location From BottomThis field specifies the location of theselected load. The information required

depends on the type of load distribution.

For lateral loads, distance is measuredfrom the bottom of the column. For axialloads, eccentricity is measured from thecenter of the column.

Display Load Envelope

This option only applies to the loadingdiagram. When enabled, individual

loads are accumulated into a singleloading profile for each load type (dead,live, etc). When not enabled, loads over-lap with other loads of the same type.The selected load appears in bold.

Loads and Load Combinations

Load CombinationsSizer automatically generates loadcombinations according to the load typespresent and according to the design codespecified in Load Combinations. Forexample, the output shown here is pro-duced when a dead, live, snow and awind load are applied to a column and the

design code selected is the ASCE 7.Load Duration Factors (U.S. Only)Sizer applies load duration factorsaccording to the load type. These fac-tors are set to the standard NDS valuesas the default but can be changed fromthe Settings menu.

Self-WeightIf automatic calculation of self-weight isspecified by the user, the self-weight of

a member is considered in the design.The actual effects of self-weight are cal-culated by multiplying the specific gravi-ty of the material times the area of thesuggested section. This load is thenadded to the dead load when checked.

Largest Point LoadThis option allows you to specify themagnitude of a point load at which Sizer

will display a warning to indicate that alarge point load has been entered. Thiswarning can be ignored if you do wantto design for a large point load.

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3.4 Points of Interest

Click the points of interest button on theTool Bar to investigate the shear andmoment at any point along the length ofcolumn or beam. A point of interest isgenerated by specifying a location toperform the analysis. Now click Add to addthis to the list. Several points of interestcan be specified.

After performing a design, the point of

interest result will be shown in theDiagrams window and in the Analysisresults output.


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3.5 The Design Process

Starting the Design Process

To start the design process, clickdesignon the Tool Bar. Sizer performs ananalysis and design of your columnwith the information you entered andautomatically displays the results.

If you specified (unknown) for someentries, Sizer selects a series of suitable

sections that provide acceptable results.If there are no (unknowns) and youhave not specified ranges in the width ordepth fields, Sizer does a design checkon the specified section and verifies thatthe results are within the selecteddesign codes limits.

The number of sections that Sizerselects depends on how many fieldsyou specified as (unknown) in the

column screen.

Sizer prompts you to save the currentproject prior to doing the design. Tochange this, choose one of the Save

Before Design options from theSettings menu.

Save Before Design (Prompt first)

Tells Sizer to prompt you to save thecurrent worksheet prior to starting thedesign process. This is the default.

Save Before Design (Always save)

Tells Sizer always to save the current

project automatically (without promptingyou) prior to starting the design process.

Save Before Design (Never save)

Tells Sizer not to save the current projectprior to starting the design process. Sizerwill not even promptyou to save.


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Viewing and Printing the Results

Once Sizer has designed the column, itcreates results files. Sizer then givesyou several options for viewing theresults.

Analysis ResultsClick theanalysis button on theTool Bar to see the analysis

results (maximum shears,bending moments and so on) for yourcolumn, beam-column or stud wall intabular form.

Design Results

If you specified any field as(unknown) for your column orstud wall, Sizer computes all thepossible column, beam-column or

stud wall sections during the designprocess. It also computes the ratiosof analysis/design values for axial,bending, combined axial and bending,shear, and displacement for eachsection.

To see these results, click on theresultsbutton on the Tool Bar menu or choose

Design Results (Suggested Sections)

from the View menu.

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Design CheckIf you requested a specificcolumn, beam-column, or studsize, Sizer performs a design checkand computes analysis and designvalues (for example axial, shear, andbending moment) for the section.

To see these results, none of theparameters can be left as (unknown).

Then clickcheck on the Tool Bar.

Printing ResultsTo print results, click on the

print button when the result fileor diagram screen that you wishto print is on screen.

Analysis DiagramsClick thediagram button on theTool Bar to view the analysisdiagrams.

Sizer creates four analysis diagramsincluding Support, Shear, Bending, andDeflection diagrams.

To print the current diagram, click theprint button on the Tool Bar.

View This button controls whichanalysis diagrams are shown,including the Load Envelope,Reaction, Shear, Moment andDeflection diagrams. The LoadEnvelope diagram is not availablewhen Critical Results is selected asthe load combination.


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3.6 Tutorial

Load Combinations The diagramview results shown are based on theload combination selected in thispull-down menu. When CriticalResultsis selected, the analysis dia-grams shown are for the worst caseresults of all load combinations. Loadcombination numbers shown corre-spond to those used throughout Sizer(Analysis Results, Design Check, dia-

grams, etc.).

Defining the Parameters

1. Start the program in Column mode.

2. Select theHeight field andenter a height of 9 (ft).

3. Under Lateral Support Spacing forKeL, select Width (Lb) field and enter36 (in) for the unbraced length in the

narrow direction.

4. Click OK.

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Loading the Column

1. Click load on the Tool Bar.

2. ChooseDead from theType drop-down list.

3. SpecifyAxial as the loadDistribution.

4. Select theMagnitude field and entera magnitude of 5600 (lbs).

5. ClickAdd.

6. Repeat steps 2 to 5 for the following:Snow, 8400 (lbs)Live, 6750 (lbs)

7. ChooseFull Uniform Line from theDistribution pull-down.

8. Select theMagnitude field and entera magnitude of 150 (plf).

9. Choose Wind from the Typedrop-down list.

10.ClickAdd.


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Designing the Beam

1. Click thedesign button on the ToolBar. Sizer automatically designs themember.

2. You will be asked to enter a filename for your project.

View Results

1. Click the up and down arrows toscroll through the results.

2. To print these results, click theprintbutton on the Tool Bar.

NOTE: The output shown is based onthe most recent U.S. NationalDesign Specification forWood Construction.

View Analysis Diagrams

1. Clickdiagram in the Tool Bar to viewreactions, shear, bending momentsand deflection diagrams.

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Perform a Detailed Design on aSpecific Section

1. ChooseD.Fir L > No.2> 6 x 8 fromthe Suggested Sections drop-down liston the status bar. Sizer automaticallyperforms a detailed design for thissection.

2. Click the up and down arrows toscroll through the results.

3. Repeat step 1 to perform a detaileddesign on any other section listed inthe Suggested Sections drop-down list.


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Designing a Structure

4.1 Concept Mode 56

4.2 Levels 60

4.3 Design Groups 61

4.4 Gridlines and Gridpoints 67

4.5 Columns 71

4.6 Walls 73

4.7 Beams 76

4.8 Joists 80

4.9 Loads 88

4.10 Elevation View 91


4.12 Advanced Features 94

4.13 Tutorial 97

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By default, Sizer starts in Conceptmode. If you wish, you can reconfigureSizer to start in Beam mode or Columnmode by changing the default Startup

Mode option in the Settings menu underPreferences. To switch to Concept modeat any time, choose Concept from the

Mode menu.

The Concept mode graphical work area

allows you to quickly design a completestructure using columns, walls, beamsand joists. The Concept mode will onlydesign for gravity type loads. Theseloads must be applied as uniformlydistributed line or area loads.

The Concept mode is meant to be usedas a preliminary design step. For a moredetailed design, individual members canbe imported from the Concept mode tothe Beam or Column modes.

Click items in the work area to selectthem. If you hold down the CTRL keywhen you click, you can add or removeitems from the currently selected set.

You can choose Select All from theEditmenu to select all of the items in thecurrent view.

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4.2 Levels

Click on the level button on the Tool Barmenu. The Levels dialog opens andallows you to specify the elevation foreach level of your structure.To add level elevations, enter a new

value and clickAdd. The maximumnumber of new levels is six.

To modify any existing level elevation,select it, enter a new value and click

Modify.

To delete a level elevation, select it andclickDelete.

Click OK to save your changes or clickCancel to discard your changes.

The Levelsdialog is also used to changeto different levels. Select a level by click-ing on it so that it is highlighted. Click OKand Sizer will change to the selectedlevel.


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4.3 Design Groups


Why they are used

The Sizer design process is based ondesign groups. Design groups allowyou to group similar members togetherfor the design process. Sizer determinesthe lightest section size that can be usedfor each of the design groups, based onthe most critical member in each group.

You can make your group divisions ascoarse or as fine as you wish. Anythingfrom a single group for all beams to aseparate beam group for each beam isacceptable. However, a single group forall beams will likely result in excessivelylarge section sizes for many beams.Similarly, a separate beam group foreach beam (while determining the opti-mal size for each beam) results in anexcessively large number of different

sections for construction.

How to create them

Design groups are created using adialog, as described in the followingsections. To help you get started, Sizerprovides default design groups for eachmajor structural element:

Columnfor columns

Wallfor walls

Beamfor beams

FloorJoistfor floor joists

RoofJoistfor roof joists

Group DialogTo create a new group, enter appropriatevalues in the dialog fields and then click

Add.

To change a design group, select thegroup from the list, change any of thevalues in the dialog fields and then click

Modify.

To delete a design group, select thegroup from the list and then clickDelete.

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Column Groups

Clickcolumn on the Tool Bar to changethe view to Columns. Now click Groupson the Tool Bar. The dialog box namedStructure Design Groups for Columnsopens.

Column Dialog Items

Name

This field contains the name of thecurrently selected group. The listbeneath contains all the column groupscreated. Click on a group to select it.Once highlighted, you can modify ordelete it.

To Be DesignedSelect this check box if the design groupis to-be-designed. Leave it unchecked ifthe design group is not-to-be-designed.Unchecking it disables all field selec-tions. Either design group supports andtransfers loads.

Dry Service

This check box is checked if the servicecondition of the design group is dry. If

the service condition is wet, this boxshould be unchecked.

MaterialThis drop-down list specifies the materialdatabase. The standard choices includetimber, multi-ply lumber, glulam and anumber of others. The default forcolumns is Softwood Timber.


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SpeciesThis drop-down list specifies the speciesof wood to use for the design process.Available species depend on the selecteddatabase, but common choices for timberare D.Fir-L, Hem-Fir, SPF and S.Pine.The default is the first species in the list.

GradeThis drop-down list specifies the grades

of wood to use for the design process.Available grades depend on the selecteddatabase, but common choices for timberare No. 2, Dense No. 2, No. 1 andDense No.1. The default is No. 2.

Width

These two drop-down lists determinethe width range of the sections to beconsidered in the design process.Available widths depend on the selected

database, species and grade. Thedefault selection is (unknown) for eachof the lists, which forces the designprocess to select from the full range ofsection widths. To specify a limitedrange of widths to be considered, selecta different width in either or both of thelists.

Depth

These two drop-down lists determine thedepth range of the sections to be consid-ered in the design process. Availabledepths depend on the selected database,species, grade and width. The defaultselection is (unknown) for each of thelists, which forces the design process toselect from the full range of section

depths. To specify a limited range ofdepths to be considered, select a differentdepth in either or both of the lists.

No. Of Sides ExposedSelect the number of sides of the memberthat are exposed for calculating fireendurance rating. The selections are 0,3 or 4 sides. Select 0 to indicate that themember is fully sheathed and no fire

resistance calculation is to be performed.

Fire Endurance RatingEnter the required fire endurancetime. Do not enter a value greater than60 minutes as this falls outside theresearch upon which the methodologyis based. Sizer will attempt to finda section whose fire endurance meetsor exceeds the value you enter.

Further information on this subject canbe found in document DCA#2 which isavailable from the American Forest &Paper Associations American WoodCouncil at 1-800-890-7732.

Column Assumptions

Note that Sizer defaults to the followingassumptions:

Columns are pinned at bothends.

Columns are laterally restrainedonly at the ends.

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Wall Groups

Click wall on the Tool Bar to change toWallsview. Now click Groups on theTool Bar. The dialog box namedStructure Design Groups for Wallsopens.

Wall Dialog Items

When creating design groups for walls,you use a dialog similar to the one usedto create design groups for columns.The additional information in the beamdialog is described below.

SpacingThis drop-down list specifies the studspacing. You can select one of threestandard spacings or enter your ownvalue.

Repetitive Member Factor (U.S.)System Factor (Canada)

Sizer assumes that all walls act as asystem and as a default applies the

repetitive member factor Cr for the U.S.or the system factor KH for Canada.

Wall Assumptions

Note that Sizer defaults to the followingassumptions:

Walls are pinned at both ends.

Walls are prevented from buckling

about the weak axis by wallsheathing.


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Beam Groups

Clickbeam on the Tool Bar to change toBeams view. Now click Groups on theTool Bar. The dialog entitled StructureDesign Groups for Beamsopens.

Beam Dialog Items

When creating design groups forbeams, you use a dialog similar to theone used to create design groups forcolumns and walls. The additional infor-mation in the beam dialog is described

below.

MaterialIn addition to the standard choices suchas timber and glulam, new materialdatabases have been added to includeSCL (Structural Composite Lumber)

materials for beams only. This materialis more commonly known as ParallelStrand Lumber (PSL), Laminated StrandLumber (LSL) or Laminated VeneerLumber (LVL).

Deflection Limits

The Livefield specifies the maximumallowed deflection of the design groupmember for live loads.

The Totalfield specifies the maximumallowed deflection of the design groupmember for total loads. The default fortotal loads is:

Live + Dead (Canada)Live + 1.5* x Dead (U.S.)

* This factor can be changed in theSetting Design tab (U.S. only).

Laterally Supported

Select this check box if the top of thebeam is laterally braced continuouslywhile the bottom is laterally restrainedonly at supports.

Note: This selection is only availablefor glulam (Canadian only). Forall other materials, notes are

provided in the output specifyingthe necessary lateralsupport.

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Load Transfer Number(beam-to-beam)This field determines how loads aretransferred from beams of one group tobeams of another group. Loads alwaystransfer from a group with a higher loadtransfer number (ltn) to a group with alower ltn.

Joist Groups

Clickjoist on the Tool Bar to change theview to Joists. Now click Groups on theTool Bar. The dialog entitled StructureDesign Groups for Joistsopens.

Joist Dialog Items

When creating design groups for joists,you use a dialog similar to the one usedto create design groups for columns,walls and beams. The additional infor-mation in the joist dialog is describedbelow.

Material

Standard choices for joists includeIjoists and dimension lumber. Visuallygraded dimension lumber is referred toas Lumber and machine stress rateddimension lumber as MSR Lumber. Thedefault is Softwood Lumber.

GradeAvailable grades depend on the selecteddatabase, but common choices for lumberare Select Structural, No. 1 and No. 2.

The default is No. 2.

Spacing

This drop-down list specifies the joistspacing. Select one of three standardspacings or enter your own value.

Design Groups Summary

Once you have specified your design

groups, you can create your structure inthe Concept mode.


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4.4 Gridlines and Gridpoints


Gridlinesare horizontal (East-West) orvertical (North-South) lines positionedon the work area. Gridlines appearas dark blue dashed lines in the Gridview. The intersection of a North-Southgridline with an East-West gridline is agridpoint.

When you change from Grid view to anyother view, the gridlines appear as light

gray dashed lines.

Under View in the Settings menu, asnap increment option is available forgridlines. A snap increment allows youto determine the smallest increment anewly created gridpoint will move orsnap to.

Automatic Generation

This feature makes a simple task ofproducing a screenfull of gridlines atregular intervals. First start a newConcept mode project. Next, from themenu bar select Settings|Change...|View

and enter the desired gridline interval asthe N-S and E-W snap increments.Press the Okay button and from themenu bar select Edit|Generate Grid.

Manual Generation

Clickgrid on the Tool Bar. Thegrid buttonon the Tool Bar appears as light gray toindicate the view. The Sizer window titlealso indicates the current view.

Point close to where you want to placea gridpoint and click to create it.

The first time you click in the work area,Sizer creates a North-South gridlinedesignated A and an East-West gridlinedesignated 1. The intersection of thesegridlines is at gridpoint A.1. (Gridlineintersections are referred to ascharacter.number.)

If you specified a snap increment, thegridpoint snaps to the nearest increment.

To create more gridpoints along anexisting gridline, click at the requiredposition along the existing gridline. Youcan place as many gridpoints as youwish in the work area.

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Moving GridlinesTo move a gridline, click on it and holdthe mouse button and drag it (whichchanges to red) to the position you want.Use CTRL-click to select multiple grid-lines. Dragging any one of the selectedgridlines moves all of them.

To deselect a gridline, CTRL-click it. Todeselect all selected gridlines, click anyblank spot in the work area.

Removing Unwanted GuidelinesTo delete individual gridlines, selectthem by clicking on them so that theyappear in red and then press the DELETEkey on the keyboard.

You cannot delete a gridline that hasa wall or column located on it.

Should you accidentally generate ascreenfull of gridlines you can easilydelete them. First make sure that theGrid button on the tool bar is the activebutton. From the menu bar selectEdit|Select All. Then press the Del key.Sizer will delete all unused gridlines andwill issue a warning for each gridlinethat is in use and cannot be removed.

Selecting the Generate Gridlines item on

theEdit menu automatically generatesgridlines over the whole viewing area.The spacing between gridlines equalsthe current snap increment, which isset under the View TAB of the Settingsoptions. If you make a mistake andgenerate gridlines at the wrong incre-ment you need only use the Select All

item of theEdit menu and then press thedelete key. This will remove all gridlinesthat are currently not in use by members.

Concept Mode Data Bar

The Concept Mode Data Tool Bar isactive in the grid view when a gridline orgridpoint is selected. The Concept ModeData Tool Bar will display informationon the selected item, including gridlinename, gidline position and gridpointelevation.

Gridline NameIf a gridline is selected, the ConceptMode Data Tool Bar will indicate thename of the gridline.

The gridline name can be changed bytyping over the existing name included

in the Tool Bar.

Gridline PositionIf a gridline is selected, the Concept ModeData Tool Bar will indicate the position

of the gridline as the distance from theparallel axis (either X or Y). For example,if a gridline runs East-West, the positionindicated will be the Y-coordinate.

The gridline position can be changed bytyping over the existing name includedin the Tool Bar.


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Gridpoint ElevationIf a gridpoint is selected, the ConceptMode Data Tool Bar will indicate thegridpoint elevation.

The gridpoint elevation can be changedby typing over the existing elevation inthe Tool Bar. If a gridpoint elevation ischanged, a plus or minus elevation willappear beside the gridpoint on the Gridview to indicate its elevation in referenceto the elevation of the current level.

To create a structure with sloped mem-bers (such as a gable roof), you need tospecify non-standard elevations for somemembers. In Sizer you specify gridpointelevations from ground level.

Changing the elevation at a gridpointchanges a columns or walls height atthat point. Naturally, this affects theresults of the design process.

The elevation of a gridpoint specifiesthe elevation of all beams and joistssupported by the column or wall locatedat the gridpoint. You cannot have twobeams at different elevations supportedat the same gridpoint.

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View Options

Choose the View tab from the SettingsDialog. This tab allows you to specifydifferent viewing options such as thesize of the viewing area, the snapincrement, the percentage zoom, andmember names.

Viewing AreaThese fields specify the maximumviewing area in plan for the North-Southand East-West directions.

Snap Increment

This specifies the smallest increment anewly created gridpoint will move orsnap to. For example, a snap incrementof 2.0 ft allows you to place gridpoints at

10.0, 12.0 and 14.0 ft, but not at 9.0 or11.0 ft.

Display

These options allow you to includeadditional information on the diagramsfor viewing or printing. This includesthe snapped coordinates, the membernames, and the group names.


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Creating Columns

Clickcolumn on the Tool Bar. Thecol-umn button on the Tool Bar appears aslight gray to indicate the view. The Sizerwindow title also indicates the currentview.

All to-be-designed columns appear ashollow blue squares, while not-to-be-designed columns appear as solid bluesquares.

In Walls, Beams, Joists, and Loadsview, columns appear as light greysquares.

ColumnsNew columns must be added to existingcolumn groups. If you have created col-umn design groups, simply choose theappropriate group from the drop-downlist included in the Concept Mode DataTool Bar. If you have not created thecolumn design groups, click thegroupsbutton on the Tool Bar to access thedialog for creating column and wall

groups. See section 4.3 for more details.

Columns must be created on a grid-point. Double-click a gridpoint to createa column there. A double-click on anyposition other than a gridpoint isignored.

Deleting Columns

Click a column to select it. Selected

columns appear red.

To delete a column, select it and pressthe DELETE key on the keyboard.

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The Concept Mode Data Tool Bar isactive in the Column view when acolumn is selected. The Concept ModeData Tool Bar will display information onthe selected item, including the columnname and the column group name.

Column NameIf a column is selected, the ConceptMode Data Tool Bar will display thecolumn name.

As a default, the column name is c1 forthe first column, c2 for the second, andso on. This can be changed however bytyping over the existing name includedin the Tool Bar.

Column GroupIf a column is selected, the ConceptMode Data Tool Bar indicates whichcolumn design group it belongs to.

The group of a column can be changedby selecting a different group from thedrop-down list included in the Tool Bar.


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4.6 Walls


Creating Walls

Click wall on the Tool Bar. The wall buttonon the Tool Bar appears as light gray toindicate the view. The Sizer window titlealso indicates the current view.

All to-be-designed walls appear as hollowblue lines, while not-to-be designed wallsappear as solid blue lines.

In Columns, Beams, Joists, and Loadsview, walls appear solid gray lines. InGrid view, the walls are shown as lightgrey lines.

WallsNew walls must be added to existingwall groups. If you have created the walldesign groups, simply choose theappropriate group from the drop-downlist at the right of the status bar. If youhave not created the wall design groups,clickgroups on the Tool Bar to accessthe dialog for creating column and wallgroups. See section 4.2 for more details.

To create a wall, drag from the start grid-point to the end gridpoint. As you drag,Sizer displays a dashed rubber band lineshowing where the wall will go. Releasethe mouse button at the gridpoint whereyou wish to end the wall. Sizer draws thewall between the two gridpoints.

You can create walls between any twogridpoints. One wall can cross (or inter-sect, if you prefer) another wall, but twowalls cannot overlap. For example, youcannot create two walls between thesame pair of gridpoints. Sizer indicatesan error if you try to overlap walls.

Even if a wall spans several gridpoints,it is treated as continuous. However,

if you create several walls in a row,spanning a series of gridpoints alongone gridline, the walls are treated asdiscontinuous. This does not affect thedesign results unless the discontinuouswall segments belong to different walldesign groups.

Previous versions of Sizer required that awall or beam on a lower-story support anupper story wall. This limitation has been

removed and joist areas can now supportupper story walls in two ways:

End of a Cantilevered Joist Area

Walls can sit on the end of cantileveredjoist areas. Please refer to Sizers onlinehelp and the examples in this documentfor further details.

Across the Interior of a Joist Area

A joist area where the joist direction isnot parallel to a wall can now supportthat wall. The wall produces a uniformlydistributed load which results in a pointload on each joist in the joist area.Please refer to Sizers online help andthe examples in this document forfurther details.

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Deleting Walls

Click a wall to select it. Selected wallsappear red.

To delete a wall, select it and press theDELETE key on the keyboard.


The Concept Mode Data Tool Bar isactive in the Wall view when a wall isselected. The Concept Mode Data ToolBar will display information on theselected item, including the wall nameand the wall group name.

Wall NameIf a wall is selected, the Concept ModeData Tool Bar will display the wallname.

As a default, the wall name is w1 for thefirst wall, w2 for the second, and so on.

This can be changed however by typingover the existing name included in theTool Bar.

Wall GroupIf a wall is selected, the Concept ModeData Tool Bar indicates which walldesign group it belongs to.

The group of a wall can be changed byselecting a different group from thedrop-down list included in the Tool Bar.

Examples of Walls Supported

by Joist AreasBasic Rules are:1. A Wall cannot be supported by a

3-sided joist area.

2. A wall can be supported by a 4-sidedjoist area on the floor below if the wallextends exactly from one edge joist tothe other. This ensures that it is fullysupported and that it loads all of the

joists.

3. If the wall spans the interior of thejoist area, it must be parallel to all butpossibly one of the underlying sup-ports of the joist area. Thus if thereare four supports under a multi-span

joist area, the wall must be parallel toat least three of them. This ensuresthat the outermost (or edge) joists inthe joist area are the critical ones.

4. Walls can always be supported atthe end of cantilevered joists.

Refer to the online help for more infor-mation about Wall Supports.


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In this example there are two walls (w1and w2) supporting a joist area on thefirst level. It is not possible to place awall along gridline C because it wouldnot be parallel to either w1 or w2 below.A wall on the second level must be par-allel to at least 1 (i.e. 2 1 = 1) of the

joist supports on the first level. This isthe case for wall w3.

In the same example, a wall can beplaced at the end of the cantilevered

joist area, and such is the case forwall w4.

It is worth noting that, as in previousversions of Sizer, a second level wallcould be placed directly over any of thefirst level walls. The load would then be

transferred directly to the lower wall.

Partial Wall on joist areaSizer allows partial walls to be placed on

joist areas if there is a supporting wallbelow it or if it is at the end of a canti-levered joist area. However, these partialwalls will not be carried by the joists, butextend to a wall or the ground below.

In this example, we are on the secondfloor. Wall w1 and wall w2 are allowed,

but the joist area does not support them.They extend down to the ground. Wall w3is supported by the wall below. Anattempt to create a wall from B6 to C6fails because it does not span the wholeextent of the joist area. An attempt tocreate a wall from B6 to F6 fails, becausepart of the wall is not supported by the

joist area.

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4.7 Beams

Creating Beams

Clickbeam on the Tool Bar. Thebeambutton on the Tool Bar appears as lightgrey to indicate the Beam view. TheSizer window title bar also indicates thecurrent view.

All to-be-designed beams appear ashollow blue lines, while not-to-bedesigned beams appear as solid bluelines.

In Columns, Walls, Joists, and Loadsview, beams appear as solid grey lines.In Grid view, beams appear as light greysolid lines.

BeamsNew beams must be added to existingbeam groups. If you have created thebeam design groups, simply choose theappropriate group from the drop-downlist included in the Concept Mode DataTool Bar.

To create a beam, drag from the startgridpoint to the end gridpoint. As you

drag, Sizer displays a solid green rub-ber band line showing where the beamwill go. Release the mouse button at thegridpoint where you wish to end thebeam. Sizer draws the beam betweenthe two gridpoints.

You can create beams between anytwo gridpoints. One beam can crossanother beam, but two beams cannotoverlap. For example, you cannot

create two beams between the samepair of gridpoints. Sizer indicates anerror if you try to overlap beams.

Even if a beam spans several gridpoints,it is treated as continuous. However,if you create several beams in a row,spanning a series of gridpoints alongone gridline, the beams are treated asdiscontinuous.

Deleting Beams

To delete a beam, select it and pressthe DELETE key on the keyboard.


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The Concept Mode Data Tool Bar isactive in the Beam view when a beam isselected. The Concept Mode Data ToolBar will display information on theselected item, including the beam nameand the beam group name.

Beam NameIf a beam is selected, the Concept ModeData Tool Bar will display the beamname.

As a default, the beam name is b1 forthe first beam, b2 for the second, andso on. This can be changed however bytyping over the existing name includedin the Tool Bar.

Beam Group

If a beam is selected, the Concept ModeData Tool Bar indicates which beamdesign group it belongs to.

The group of a beam can be changedby selecting a different group from thedrop-down list included in the Tool Bar.

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Examples of Beam Supports inConcept ModeBeam supported by 2 other beamsIn this example, beam group Beam1 hasa load transfer number of 0. In order tocreate b3, its beam group, Beam2, musthave a higher load transfer number thanthe supporting beams. In this case, aload transfer number of 1 or higher forBeam2 would work. The load transfer

number is entered in the beam groupsdialog (press the Groups button afterpressing the Beam button on the toolbarwhile in Concept mode).

Sloped beam supported by2 other beams

Gridpoint elevations of support pointsmust be entered explicitly when theydiffer from the elevation of the floorlevel. From the previous example,the elevation of beam b2 has beenincreased by 2 feet. In order to createbeam b3 it is also necessary to raisethe elevation of the support point C4to the same elevation as the rest ofthe supporting beam b2.


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Sloped beam supported by more than2 other beams

The slope of a beam with more than2 possible supports is now defined bythe elevation of the two extreme sup-ports. In this example, the slope ofbeam b4 is defined by the elevation ofbeam b1 at elevation 10 feet and thecolumn at gridpoint C7 with an elevationof 15 feet. The column at gridpoint C3

and the cantilevered end of beam b2also support b4 because their elevationslie along the slope of b4, and, as notedin the previous example, the elevationsof the support points have been enteredexplicitly.

Beam b3 does not support b4 eventhough the support gridpoint has beenraised to the correct elevation. This isbecause the beam b3 is at a lower

elevation. Its elevation is defined bythe columns at B6 and D6.

The column at C5 also does not supportbeam b4 because its gridpoint elevationhas not been raised to meet the beam.The plan and elevation views shownhere illustrates these points.

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Creating Joists

Clickjoist on the Tool Bar. Thejoistbutton on the Tool Bar appears as lightgrey to indicate the Joists view. TheSizer window title also indicates thecurrent view.

All to-be-designed joist areas appear assolid blue outlines with a blue directionindicator. All not-to-be-designed joistareas appear as solid blue outlines witha black direction indicator.

Joists

New joists must be added to existingjoist groups. If you have created the

joist design groups, simply choose theappropriate group from the drop-downlist in the Concept Mode Data Tool Bar.To create a rectangular joist area, clickon the four gridpoints at the corners ofthe area in question. As you click, arubber-band line stretches from onegridpoint to the next. Sizer encloses the

joist area defined by these four grid-

points with a solid blue outline. Withinthis outline is a double-headed arrowshowing the direction of the joists. Thearrow is blue for joists to-be-designedand black for joists not-to-be-designed.

To create a triangular joist area, clickon the same gridpoint for the first andfourth points.

Joist areas can be either simply sup-ported, multi-span or cantilevered.Joist areas must have at least twosupporting beams or walls. If thereare four supporting beams or walls,Sizer assumes the joists span theshorter direction. Where the numberof supporting beams or walls exceedsfour, you should define several joistareas, each with no more than foursupporting beams or walls.

Deleting Joists

To delete a joist area, select it andpress the DELETE key on the keyboard.If the joist area supports a load, Sizerdoes not allow you to delete it.

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The Concept Mode Data Tool Bar isactive in the Joist view when a joist areais selected. The Concept Mode DataTool Bar will display information on theselected item, including the joist areaname, the joist areas group name, andthe joist areas direction.

Joist Area NameIf a joist area is selected, the ConceptMode Data Tool Bar will display the joistarea name.

As a default, the joist area name is j1for the first joist area, j2 for the second,and so on. This can be changed howeverby typing over the existing name includedin the Tool Bar.

Joist Area GroupIf a joist area is selected, the ConceptMode Data Tool Bar indicates which

beam design group it belongs to.

The group of a joist area can bechanged by selecting a different groupfrom the drop-down list included in theTool Bar.

Joist Area DirectionIf a beam is selected, the Concept ModeData Tool Bar indicates the directionwhich the joist area spans.

The direction of a joist area can bechanged by selecting an alternate direc-tion from the drop-down list included inthe Tool Bar. Note that an alternatedirection is only available if there are

beams or walls in the alternate directionto support the joists.

Examples for Joist AreasSloped Joists and

Gridpoint ElevationsThe slope of a joist area is determinedby the grid

woodwork userguide

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