2024 NDS, WFCM, FDS Commentaries Released
AWC released three new 2024 wood design standards: the National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction, Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings, and Fire Design Specification for Wood Construction (FDS). Commentaries for each of the standards were also completed in 2024.
AWC codes and standards staff led the way to get the NDS and the WFCM included as reference standards in the International Code Council’s (ICC) 2024 International Residential Code (IRC) and 2024 International Building Code (IBC). AWC successfully got the proposal to incorporate the 2024 FDS in the 2027 I-codes during ICC’s Group A Committee Action Hearing 2, which will enable the use of the FDS to comply with code requirements. These references continue to point to AWC as an expert in codes and standards for wood design.
The NDS, which serves as the primary design standard for wood structures, includes new updates to the shear design provisions for bending members, multi-ply connections, and fire design provisions to support wood use in accordance with code requirements for structural and fire safety. The WFCM updates align loads used in the standard with updated wind and snow loading provisions in ASCE 7-22, ensuring uniformity and agreement in technical requirements for wood frame construction. Finally, the FDS changes include edits to the calculation procedures that determine structural fire resistance, thermal separation and burn-through resistance of protected and unprotected members, as well as new provisions that address added fire resistance provided by additional wood cover, gypsum panels, and insulation. These updates to the FDS result from additional research by AWC and other industry partners and reflect an ongoing commitment to research-driven code development.
AWC’s Wood Design Standards Committee (WDSC) is also working towards the completion of the 2027 edition of the Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic. This standard establishes criteria for the design of wood shear walls and diaphragms for safe use and acceptance of wood products, including lumber, glued-laminated timber, cross-laminated timber, and wood structural panels in these structural assemblies. Completion is targeted to occur by December 2026 to enable the existing code reference to update to the 2027 edition.