Pre-Conference Workshops
Thursday, November 9
Prior to the Main Event that begins on Friday, we will host five Pre-Conference workshops. These workshops are an opportunity to hone your skills in an all-day intensive session with a small group of participants and expert instructors.
Separate registration fee is required. Note that the Main Conference fee is not included with Pre-Conference tuitions. All workshop fees are $135 for TFG members, $160 non-members (includes lunch and breaks). Fees are in US Dollars.
WORKSHOP #1: Thinking Tangentially, with Curtis Milton
For most carpenters the geometry of building is based on straight lines, triangles and various polygons, generally planes that are readily seen. The history of solving complicated roof problems using knowledge of these basic elements and simple but accurate drafting is well documented. The modern carpenter in the U.S. has become separated from this past, as modern building practice places less and less importance on a traditional training regimen.
In this one-day seminar, we will demonstrate basic drafting techniques to develop known shapes into solutions for the unknown intersections contained in a complex roof structure. Couple this skill with very basic math and you will have all the proportions, lengths and angles needed to layout most roof systems.
In the process we need to develop and use a plane needed to solve roof problems that does not clearly present itself in the building envelope. This plane is defined by the Tangent and the Hip or Valley length, which are at 90 degrees to each other and the resultant hypotenuse, which I have named the Header Hypotenuse (because it is found on the plumb face of header or ridge). This is an obscure concept in modern building that I first spotted in an old framing square text. I had been looking for it. This plane is, for example, the surface of a perfect hip or valley timber before the backing (shaping of the hip/valley to match adjacent roof planes) is cut and a parallel plane is found on the bottom surface of the hip or valley.
The power of the tangent is not really obvious in a regular pitch, regular plan (adjacent roof pitches are equal and eave intersection is 90 degrees so the plan view of hip or valley is 45 degrees to the eaves) roof so we will jump to the next level.
Problem One will demonstrate the practical use of the tangent in a regular pitch, irregular plan roof (roof pitch is the same for adjacent roof surfaces but the intersection of eaves is not 90 degrees). An example of this is the regular polygonal roof such as the regular octagon. For our exercise we will explore a roof with 13 facets.
Problem Two will consider another common scenario: The regular plan and irregular pitch roof. The roof pitches differ, the hip run is not 45 degrees but the eave intersection is 90 degrees. An example of this would be a hip roof with a ridge.
We will use pre-printed materials to speed the drafting process for each problem. Graphic solutions will be demonstrated and explained, simple math will solve for all the numbers needed, layout and cutting of scale model pieces will take place as time allows.
Attendees should have plenty of roof cutting experience, some experience with compound roof problems, and an open mind. The pace will be brisk. For the good of the many a few may fall behind in this exercise but all will take away something of value.
Curtis Milton is the owner of Monolithic Building Services in Jackson, New Hampshire. He is Treasurer and a member of the Guild's Board of Directors. Curtis has taught numerous compound joinery workshops and led many Guild projects.
WORKSHOP #2: Waste Materials = Building Materials:
How to Incorporate Recycling and Reuse into Design Principles for Buildings, with Patti Southard and Kinley Deller
Integrating Recycling and Reuse Practices for Sustainable Building and Procurement (Developed by King County, Washington Solid Waste)
This presentation is a three-part full day workshop that covers a broad range of recycling strategies for the building industry. Outlined in the workshop is the exploration of “Cradle to Cradle Philosophy,” Design for Disassembly, and the Green Material Maze.
A 30+ page Design for Disassembly guide will be provided.
Part 1 Waste = Buildings: Part one of this full day workshop will explore the case that an industrial system that “takes, makes and wastes” can become a creator of goods and services that generate ecological, social and economic value. Tools from LEED for manufacturers and an eco charette will be integrated into this workshop to brainstorm and create potential solutions for jobsite waste and long term recycling strategies. Information based on the famous Cradle-to-Cradle theory by McDonough and Braungart will also be presented. Individual projects can be examined as part of the brainstorming session.
 Part 2 Design for Disassembly:
Design guidance for assembly and disassembly will provide an overview adaptability of building types and basic construction types, systems, materials and connections. An understanding of dismantling techniques, modularity and design thinking will be investigated through examples of natural building such as Japanese temple architecture. A range of case studies will be presented from Bensonwood Homes - Open Built Systems to a King County case study, which encouraged deconstruction through various means ranging from specifying deconstruction from the project outset to last minute persuasive pleas to the contractor. Find out what worked and what didn't and what valuable lessons have been learned.
Part 3 The Green Material Maze:
This portion of the workshop will provide examples of what is changing with building materials from manufacturing culture and environmental stewardship to “up cycling” and “closed loop” products. We will look at how to choose the right recycled or recycled content material for your projects and review several different certification systems including Cradle-to-Cradle, SCS (Scientific Certification Systems), Green Seal and Greenguard.
Patti Southard is in her ninth year in the sustainable building industry, and has recently joined the green building team at the King County Solid Waste Division. At King County Southard will manage programs for creating new wood markets from sustainable resources as well as providing technical assistance for the County’s LEED initiative. Prior to joining King County Southard managed the Seattle office of Duluth Timber Company, and more recently spent four years in business development for Environmental Home Center. Before joining Duluth Timber Company, Southard owned her own business which primarily focused on designing and fabricating mixed-media art pieces and furniture with environmentally friendly finishes and recycled materials.
Kinley Deller is a Waste Reduction Specialist for the King County Green Building Program housed within the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks in Washington State. Kinley manages the Construction Works program, which provides construction related waste reduction and recycling assistance to construction project managers, contractors, architects, and developers within King County. Building on 8 years experience in the waste reduction field Kinley has been working tirelessly over the past year and a half to promote deconstruction as a key waste reduction option and has provided assistance on several projects, both governmental and private, to further this effort.
WORKSHOP #3: The Icing on the Cake — Natural Finishes:
Making and Applying Your Own Clay-Based Paints, with Janell Kapoor
Conventional paints, sealants, finishes, waxes, polishes, solvents and adhesives all contain volatile organic compounds that threaten human health, create indoor air pollution and add toxins to rivers, streams and soils. We are building boxes of poison and it's our choice to do so, or not.
Mediterranean chalky blue, soft suede buttery yellow, deep Georgia Red you just can't keep your hands off, creamy polished mica-marble, glittery green that draws you in . . . there are many ways to describe the look and feel of natural finishes on your walls.
Through lecture, demonstration, samples and plenty of hands-on practice, learn how to make your own beautiful, totally eco-friendly, customized clay-based paints, otherwise known as aliz. The ingredients are basic: clay, sand, mica, flour, water and milk. Making and applying aliz is simple and easy, yet the final effect is high-end gourmet and has a noticeably different feel . . . closer to the earth.
Whether you are finishing a conventional wall system, or natural earth and straw walls, you will gain the tools in this workshop to create your own healthy organic paints with Janell Kapoor of Kleiwerks International. Janell has worked with both indigenous on-site materials, as well as with ingredients bought at the store. You will get to make various mixes, pick her brain and learn the nuances of aliz (and casein washes) so you can get your walls to look just how you want them- the perfect match to a gorgeous timber-frame structure.
Come be impressed by how easy, affordable, non-toxic and incredibly durable aliz is; the elegant icing on your home. You'll even finish with samples to get you rolling!
Avid mud mama, international organizer and Founding Director of Kleiwerks International, Janell has shared the art and joy of Natural Building with people from 28 countries since 1997. Her projects range from Thailand's first earthen village and orphanage to permaculture demonstration centers and a kindergarten in Argentina.
WORKSHOP #4: Timber Frame Engineering (multiple instructors)
The workshop is directed to structural engineers who design and engineer timber frame structures. The workshop will include talks on diverse topics:
 Engineering of Timber Joinery, with Jim DeStefano
The design of timber joinery is as much art as science. The geometry of a joint must be carefully configured so as to interlock the connected timbers and transfer structural forces through mated bearing surfaces. In creating a joint, material must be strategically removed from each timber in a manner that does not unduly weaken the timber. The joint must also be configured so that it remains tight when the timbers dry and shrink. As if these structural challenges were not enough, the joint must also be aesthetically pleasing.
Draft Specification for Timber Framing, with Dick Schmidt
The National Design Specification (NDS), with Buddy Showalter, AF&PA/American Wood Council, Washington, D.C.
The National Design Specification (NDS) for Wood Construction is the nationally recognized standard of practice for structural lumber, glued-laminated timber, timber poles and piles, prefabricated wood I-joists, structural composite lumber, wood structural panels, and structural connections. The 2005 Edition of the NDS was approved as an American National Standard on January 6, 2005, with a designation ANSI/AF&PA NDS-2005. The 2005 NDS was developed as a dual format specification incorporating design provisions for both allowable stress design (ASD) and load and resistance factor design (LRFD).
American Wood Council's Wood Design Standards Committee (WDSC) guided it through the ANSI consensus process over the course of 2 years. The WDSC includes a balance of engineers and technical representatives from industry, academia, and other interested parties such as structural engineers, builders, and researchers.
The NDS is adopted in all model building codes in the U.S. and is used to design wood structures worldwide. The standard is updated every 4 to 5 years to coincide with the model building code change cycle. The 2005 NDS is currently adopted in the ICC 2006 International Building CodeŽ and the National Fire Protection Association NFPA 5000: Building Construction and Safety CodeŽ.
All products covered in the NDS must comply with the applicable standards or grading rules specified as follows:
-
Lumber - U.S. Department of Commerce PS20-99 for Softwood Lumber
- Glued Laminated Timbers - ANSI/AITC (American Institute of Timber Construction)
- A190.1 Structural Glued Laminated Timbers
- Prefabricated Wood I-Joists - ASTM D5055 Standard Specification for Establishing and Monitoring Structural Capacities of Prefabricated Wood I-Joists
- Structural Composite Lumber - ASTM D5456 Standard Specification for Evaluation of
- Structural Composite Lumber Products
- Structural Panels - U.S. Department of Commerce PS1 Construction and Industrial
- Plywood, PS2 Performance Standard for Wood-Based Structural-Use Panels
- Bolts - ANSI/ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) B18.2.1 Square and Hex
- Bolts and Screws
- Lag Screws - ANSI/ASME B18.2.1 Square and Hex Bolts and Screws
- Nails - ASTM F1667 Standard Specification for Driven Fasteners: Nails, Spikes, and Staples
- Wood Screws - ANSI/ASME B18.6.1 Wood Screws
Chapters 1-16 of the NDS cover design methods and materials. A series of non-mandatory appendices (A through N) cover additional information including alternate methods and background to the standard. A comprehensive commentary is included with the NDS, which provides additional background information on specific provisions. Finally, the NDS Supplement: Design Values for Wood Construction tabulates design values for lumber and structural glued laminated timber.
The 2005 NDS is packaged with several other documents as part of the 2005 Wood Design Package including:
-
ANSI/AF&PA SDPWS-05 - Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (Wind & Seismic) with Commentary
- ASD/LRFD Manual for Engineered Wood Construction, 2005 Edition
- ASD/LRFD Structural Wood Design Solved Example Problems, 2005 Edition
For more information, see www.awc.org/Standards/nds.html.
Truss Joinery and Cambering, with Ben Brungraber
Ben will present and discuss his accumulated collection of Industrial Age heavy timber truss details. These serve as a basis for discussion of the issues and strategies to be confronted and deployed when detailing heavy timber trusses. Many details are illustrated with slides.
Hammerbeam Trusses, with Ed Levin
The Role of the Specialty Structural Engineer, with Jim DeStefano
The structural engineering services for a timber frame project are often performed on a design-build basis by an engineer engaged by the timber framer. In this capacity, the engineer is a specialty structural engineer (SSE). There may or may not be a structural engineer of record (SER) who is responsible for the entire structure including the foundations and other structural elements.
In theory, the SSE is only responsible for the structural adequacy of the timber frame. In reality, the SSE may become liable for deficiencies in other structural building elements that were engineered by others, or often by nobody.
The instructors:
Jim DeStefano is the Senior Partner in the structural engineering firm DeStefano Associates located in Fairfield, CT.
Dick Schmidt is the Associate Dean in the College of Engineering at the University of Wyoming
Buddy Showalter is with the American Forest and Paper Association, publishers of the NDS.
Ben Brungraber is senior timber engineer at Bensonwood Homes in Walpole, NH.
Ed Levin designs timber frames through his company, Paradigm Builders in Hanover, NH, and has provided truss engineering analyses for the Guild's latest publication, Historic American Roof Trusses.
Registrants should note that while anyone is welcome to attend, this is advanced workshop designed for those actively involved in or knowledgeable about the design and engineering of timber framed structures.
WORKSHOP #5: Safe Work Practices, with Will Beemer
The Timber Framers Guild Training Curriculum has been in development for a few years now, and has thus far produced an outline of almost 100 skills related to our craft, including a list the Learning Tasks, Content and Goals for each that should be taught to achieve competency in that skill. TFG members can download the outline at www.tfguild.org/members/curriculum.html.
In 2005 it was decided by the Guild's Curriculum Committee and the joint Boards of the Guild and the Timber Frame Business Council (TFBC) to develop course material in the first of the sixteen sections of the Curriculum: Safe Work Practices. These courses, each 1-2 hours long, will be offered for the first time at a Pre-Conference Workshop in Roanoke, and will include a Goals Assessment Test and a Certificate upon successful completion.
The Safe Work Practices section consists of five modules, each of which is taught during a separate course:
- Shop Safety
- Site Safety
- Personal Safety
- First Aid (Since this module is specified to be completed through a certificate-granting program such as Red Cross or St. John's Ambulance, it will not be part of the Roanoke program.)
- Hazardous Materials
Those attending this workshop will attend all four of the following courses:
The Shop Safety Course will identify the legislation, rules and regulations that govern timber framing shops, including OSHA requirements. It will also identify shop hazards, such as electrical, fire, dust, machinery and storage and moving of materials. We will describe the purpose, composition and duties of a Safety Committee, and also general shop safety rules, good practice and how to build a culture of shop safety. Recommended first aid facilities and equipment will be described, as well as the procedures for reporting an accident or injury and requirements for recordkeeping.
The Site Safety Course will identify the legislation, rules and regulations that govern timber framing sites, including OSHA requirements and those that apply to shoring, scaffolds, ladders and other access equipment. Site hazards will be identified, some of which are the same as in a shop but also include falling from heights, inclement weather, unprotected edges of platforms and those related to working in a remote location. We will also describe the First Aid and Welfare facilities required on the jobsite, general safety rules, and planning for a safe raising.
The Personal Safety Course will identify and describe Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), including eye, hearing, head, skin, foot, back, fall and respiratory protection, cold and wet weather gear, and the rules and regulations that apply to such equipment. We will also describe and demonstrate the basic body mechanics for safe lifting and moving of heavy objects.
The Hazardous Materials Course will identify common controlled products used in timber framing shops, including glues, fuel, preservatives, finishes and special considerations regarding salvaged materials. We will demonstrate the use of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and how they can be used to identify appropriate PPE, storage and handling of these materials. Good practice and pertinent rules, regulations and legislation will also be covered.
Each course will be offered in the sequence listed above, with the Shop Safety and Site Safety courses probably lasting 1-2 hours and the Personal Safety and Hazardous Materials course lasting 30 minutes to an hour. Each course will be given in a PowerPoint presentation format consisting of 50-100 "slides", accompanied by a Student Manual to be given to each participant that includes the course content in written form. At the end of each course, there will a written multiple-choice test and practical exam to assess the learner's retention of the material.
This course format was selected because of its efficiency and ease of distribution and administration at shops that wish to convey this information to their employees in-house. After peer review and further refinement of the material and presentation, we anticipate that future pre-Conference workshops will primarily focus on training the trainers to deliver the courses. This training will include suggested activities and materials to bolster the PowerPoint portion of the course.
This workshop is appropriate for employers wanting to provide their employees with basic timber frame safety training, and for those seeking employment in the timber framing industry who want to demonstrate their knowledge of safety issues and practices.
During the main conference presentation "Safety Curriculum Update" we will summarize the content of the Safe Work Practices section, and describe the resources and strategies used to develop it. These methods will be placed in context with the next big step in the growth of the TFG Training Curriculum: finding and hiring the people who will write the other 90-plus modules.
TFBC Speakers Bureau Training
Please contact the Timber Frame Business Council at 888-560-9251, info@timberframe.org for registration details.
|
