Here’s our latest press release for those who are interested.
Buddy Showalter - AWC
LEESBURG, VA – The American Wood Council’s (AWC) 2012 National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction and 2012 Wood Frame Construction Manual (WFCM) for One- and Two-Family Dwellings are now available for purchase in electronic format (PDF) from the AWC website.
The NDS was approved Aug. 15, 2011 as an American National Standard and is designated ANSI/AWC NDS-2012. The WFCM was approved Nov. 29, 2011. Both documents are referenced in the International Code Council’s 2012 International Building Code.
Designers may begin using provisions of the new standards pending approval by the authority having jurisdiction.
“Most code officials will allow for the use of newer standards even if they are not referenced in older editions of the building code, especially those developed through a consensus process,” said AWC Vice President of Codes and Regulations Kenneth Bland.
Available as a package, AWC’s 2012 NDS, 2012 NDS Supplement: Design Values for Wood Construction, and 2008 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS) are currently available for purchase as a set in electronic format. Purchasers of the 2012 NDS and Supplement will also receive the 2012 NDS Commentary and other documents that make up the 2012 Wood Design Package (WDP) in electronic format at no additional charge once completed. Similarly, once the WFCM Commentary is completed, those who purchased the WFCM will receive an electronic copy of the Commentary for free. Printed copies of all new standards will be available sometime in 2012.
If there were to be a change to lumber design values in 2012, affected AWC design standards and design aids would be amended accordingly. Once amended, purchasers of electronic versions of AWC’s 2012 design standards would receive those documents in electronic format at no additional charge.
To purchase any of the new standards, visit http://www.awc.org. For more information, contact Lacey Merriman at 202-463-2766 or lmerriman@awc.org.