In wood-frame buildings of three or more stories, cumulative shrinkage can be significant and have an impact on the function and performance of finishes, openings, mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems, and structural connections. However, many have learned that accommodating wood shrinkage is actually very straightforward. This course describes procedures for estimating wood shrinkage and provides detailing options that minimize its effects on building performance.

Worldwide, there are more than 2,000 termite species, and forty-five can be found in the US. The key to effective termite prevention is making the building inhospitable to termites. This course focuses on how to design and construct wood-frame buildings for termite prevention and how to keep buildings insect-free over the long term. Intended for developers and design/construction teams, it covers building code requirements, best practices, control methods, costs, and ongoing maintenance. It emphasizes subterranean termites (including Formosans) and briefly covers drywood termites and other insects with the potential to cause damage.

With growing interest in taller wood-frame buildings—many with five stories of wood on podiums and with wood-frame mezzanines—there has also been interest in the use of brick veneer at greater heights. There are code-compliant methods for using brick veneer over the entire height of a mid-rise wood-frame structure. This course reviews two approaches to providing code-compliant brick veneer up to 30 feet and above. Both approaches require the use of The Masonry Society document Building Code Requirements for Masonry Structures Section 12.2.1, “Alternative design of anchored masonry veneer.”