Looking for strategies to make a wood floor behave like a rigid diaphragm (as much as practical)
Looking for strategies to make a wood floor behave like a rigid diaphragm (as much as practical)
(OP)
This may be common:
I have a house under construction (so currently in framing stage) with a garage portion having narrow walls in front and solid walls on three sides with a full floor above.
The framers did not run the header full width (as per the drawings that were indicated to achieve the "Narrow Wall Bracing" details).
Naturally I can make them do it over but what I really want is some ideas for making the floor above as much like a rigid diaphragm as I practically can so that the three solid walls can work for me.
I have 18" I joists spanning side to side 16" o.c. and 3/4 plywood subfloor bearing on 2x6 studs.
Joist span is about 24 ft and 18" depth is used so that it matches joist depth from another location having a greater span (so, joists are well within their capacity for the gravity loads).
Thoughts, ideas, reference materials?
Steve
I have a house under construction (so currently in framing stage) with a garage portion having narrow walls in front and solid walls on three sides with a full floor above.
The framers did not run the header full width (as per the drawings that were indicated to achieve the "Narrow Wall Bracing" details).
Naturally I can make them do it over but what I really want is some ideas for making the floor above as much like a rigid diaphragm as I practically can so that the three solid walls can work for me.
I have 18" I joists spanning side to side 16" o.c. and 3/4 plywood subfloor bearing on 2x6 studs.
Joist span is about 24 ft and 18" depth is used so that it matches joist depth from another location having a greater span (so, joists are well within their capacity for the gravity loads).
Thoughts, ideas, reference materials?
Steve





RE: Looking for strategies to make a wood floor behave like a rigid diaphragm (as much as practical)
RE: Looking for strategies to make a wood floor behave like a rigid diaphragm (as much as practical)
All I have is some thoughts. In a three sided building scenario, I don't believe that you need to hit any particular rigidity target in order to ensure rigid diaphragm behavior. We're generally only interested in the rigid/flexible designation when diaphragms are statically indeterminate with regard to load distribution to their supports (shear walls, braces, etc). In a three sided building, the diaphragm is statically determinate and you'll know just how the support reactions are distributed to the three walls.
One caveat: three sided building diaphragms warrant extra attention to detail when it comes to:
a) assessing deflection at the free end of the diaphragm and;
b) establishing a competent load path for your chords.
I hadn't yet seen this. Thanks for sharing it.
I like to debate structural engineering theory -- a lot. If I challenge you on something, know that I'm doing so because I respect your opinion enough to either change it or adopt it.
RE: Looking for strategies to make a wood floor behave like a rigid diaphragm (as much as practical)
Structural timber engineering