How to design wood roof members and ceiling joists to International Residential Code (IRC) Section R802 with ClearCalcs

About this event

In typical house construction where standard roof framing is involved, the ceiling is constructed using a combination of wood joists and beams that run across the length and width of the ceiling. The 2015 International Residential Code (IRC) currently regulates the design and construction of roof and ceiling systems to ensure they are designed correctly to provide adequate support required by the imposed loads.

While the conventional frame-style ceilings typically follow a standard framing process with few surprises, what happens when your design isn’t standard or prescriptive?

Join our structural engineers in this webinar to learn more about how you can feel more confident when designing custom roof and ceiling designs and how to use ClearCalcs to provide supporting design calculations for your permit review and approval process. Ultimately, we will share tips and tricks on keeping your design decisions in-house, making design calculations the easiest part of your job.

All registered attendees will receive a recording of the webinar after the event.

In this webinar, we will cover…

• The theory of roof and ceiling design and construction according to Section R801 in the 2015 IRC
• Worked examples of different wood roof framing members in ClearCalcs wood beam calculator, including ceiling joists & roof rafter design
• How you can troubleshoot assumptions and default inputs when your ClearCalcs wood beam design doesn't match the 2015 IRC ceiling joists span tables

Webinar summary

Introduction to Roof Design

The webinar, hosted by Connor Conzelman and presented by Eva, a structural engineer at ClearCalcs, kicked off with an overview of residential roof design. The session was part of the monthly learn hour series, aiming to build a community within ClearCalcs users.

Understanding Different Roof Types

Eva began by discussing various roof types found in residential construction, such as gable roofs and hip roofs. She highlighted that ClearCalcs has presets for these common roof styles, making it easier for users to apply them in their projects.

Determining Roof Loads

The webinar then shifted focus to load determination. Eva explained how different materials and finishes affect dead loads on roofs and introduced the idea of a load template feature for more accurate calculations. She also covered live loads, snow loads, wind loads, and rain loads, emphasizing their importance based on local building codes.

Comparing IRC Tables and ClearCalcs

A comparison between IRC tables and ClearCalcs was made, noting that ClearCalcs includes self-weight by default and considers roof pitch in its calculations, unlike the IRC tables. Eva provided tips on adjusting loads in ClearCalcs to match IRC table values.

Setting Project Defaults

Eva demonstrated how to set project defaults in ClearCalcs, including design codes, unit systems, roof slopes, rafter spacing, and default loads. These defaults streamline the design process but can be overridden in individual calculators if needed.

Practical Examples

Two practical examples were showcased: designing a gable roof with ties and a ridge beam. Eva walked through the process using ClearCalcs, showing how to select appropriate wood members and apply loads, including the use of flitch plates for longer spans.

Q&A Session

The webinar concluded with a Q&A session where attendees asked questions about specific features like load linking and applying point loads. Connor addressed these queries and mentioned that recordings of past webinars are available for those interested in learning more.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Attendees were invited to participate in a poll to express interest in one-on-one demo or training sessions. The next webinar topic was teased, potentially covering concrete cantilevered retaining walls or another subject from the planned agenda.