New Tools Released to Make Using Wood Easier

The Heights and Areas Calculator, available as a downloadable app and an online platform, was updated to include the mass timber construction types and a California-specific tab. These updates are critical to ensuring users have access to updated code requirements for building with wood.

The Calculator, a joint project of AWC, the International Code Council (ICC), and WoodWorks, allows users to input proposed building height and area for any occupancy, and the app calculates allowable types of construction. The basic version of the Calculator limits building input to a single occupancy and equal floor areas for a building, and an advanced option allows multiple occupancies and different floor areas. The 2019 California tab is a new addition to the Calculator, designed specifically to meet the unique needs of the California market. Ultimately, the Calculator makes designing and building wood buildings easier and more streamlined by helping users determine the code-permitted allowable heights and areas for a specific structure.

AWC also released the 2021 Code Conforming Wood Design (CCWD), a joint publication with ICC, that is available for free viewing on AWC’s website. The publication summarizes the most important provisions related to the use of wood and wood products in the 2021 International Building Code (IBC). The 2021 CCWD details new code provisions and offers a concise resource on the occupancy, height, and area requirements in the IBC.

These updates are examples of AWC’s continued efforts to support access to high-quality resources and understanding of wood-based building codes and standards. Both are valuable tools that support architects, builders, and engineers and seek to encourage the use of wood in construction by promoting access to and understanding of code requirements.