Topic outline

  • A Guide to Wood Fastenings

    Credits: 3 PDH

    PDH Course Description:

    The strength and stability of any structure depend heavily on the fastenings that hold its parts together. One prime advantage of wood as a structural material is the ease with which wood structural parts can be joined together with a wide variety of fastenings—nails, spikes, screws, bolts, lag screws, drift pins, staples, and metal connectors of various types. For utmost rigidity, strength, and service, each type of fastening requires joint designs adapted to the strength properties of wood along and across the grain and to dimensional changes that may occur with changes in moisture content.

    The course provides a comprehensive overview of wood fastenings along with empirical data on bearing stress, design loading, withdrawl resistance, and more.

    Topics:

    • Withdrawal Resistance and Lateral Resistance of Fastenings
    • Overview of: Spikes, Staples, Drift Bolts, Wood Screws, Lag Screws, Bolts
    • Bearing Stress of Wood under Bolts
    • Loads at an Angle to the Grain
    • Steel Side Plates
    • Bolt Quality, Effect of Member Thickness
    • Two Member, Multiple Member Joints
    • Spacing, Edge, and End Distance
    • Effect of Bolt Holes
    • Pre-1991 Allowable Loads
    • Post-1991 Yield Model
    • Connector Joints
    • Parallel-to-Grain Loading
    • Perpendicular-to-Grain Loading
    • Design Loads, Modifications, Net Section
    • End Distance and Spacing
    • Placement of Multiple Connectors
    • Multiple-Fastener Joints
    • Metal Plate Connectors
    • Joist Hangers, Cross Bolts
    • Fastener Head Embedment

    To take this course:

    1.) nroll in Course: Click below to enroll:
    (must be logged into your user account)


    2.) Study: Once enrolled, click below to begin the course:

    Download the Study Guide

    3.) Test: Once you've thoroughly read the course materials, please click below to take the final examination.

    Take the final exam

    4.) Certificate: A passing grade of 70% or higher on the exam, is required to receive the certificate of completion for this PDH course.
         NOTE: After the exam is completed, you will need to return to this page, in order to print (download) the certificate of completion.

    Print the Certificate of Completion

    Intended Audience: This course is intended for Structural, Civil, Materials, Construction, Transportation, and other engineers whose job description may require a comprehensive knowledge of wood as an engineering material.
    Publication Source: US Forestry Service, Wood Handbook, Chapter 8, April 2010 Edition

    D. Allen Hughes, PE

    • Topic 1