Anchor strength provisions in Appendix D of American Concrete Institute (ACI) Building Code Requirements for Structural Concrete, ACI 318, establish “non-ductile” anchor design capacities that are approximately 1/3 of that historically used for 2×4 and 3×4 wood sill plates loaded parallel to the edge of the concrete. Test results show that ductile yielding in accordance with the National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction Mode IIIs or Mode IV is consistently achieved prior to concrete failure. While ductile connections are assigned increased design capacities in ACI 318, the bending yield behavior of dowels in wood connections is not specifically recognized.
With assistance from AWC, a report on anchor bolts connecting wood sill plates to concrete with edge distances typically found in wood frame construction is complete and available.