Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
(OP)
Hey Everyone,
I have a few heavily loaded multiply LSL beams that are bearing on a double 2x pine top plate. My triple ply beam woorks for everything except sill plate bearing (or I guess crushing really). Instead of adding more plies is it possible to nail blocks on each side of the beam at bearing to increase the bearing area? You would end up to something similar to squash blocks beside and plywood web joist. Seems reasonable to me but I'm not sure if I'm missing something. There is porbably some nail slip/deformation that will allow some movement but is this something anyone else has done?
Thanks!
I have a few heavily loaded multiply LSL beams that are bearing on a double 2x pine top plate. My triple ply beam woorks for everything except sill plate bearing (or I guess crushing really). Instead of adding more plies is it possible to nail blocks on each side of the beam at bearing to increase the bearing area? You would end up to something similar to squash blocks beside and plywood web joist. Seems reasonable to me but I'm not sure if I'm missing something. There is porbably some nail slip/deformation that will allow some movement but is this something anyone else has done?
Thanks!






RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
BA
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
[img https://embed.widencdn.net/img/ssttoolbox/rzpf5rah...]
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
Dapping the beam and adding a steel plate seems unnecessarily complicated and even counter-productive since the steel will need to be thick/stiff enough to spread the load.
That Simpson connector also seems a bit counter-productive since it adds nails to the member zone that is failing.
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
You could put a PSL post under that spot that runs thru the plates and splice the plates back together with straps.
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
I'm pretty sure that most contractors would prefer your detail. I worry about the fastener slip too but mostly let it ride. Plate bearing stress is a deformation limit and, in my experience, it's pretty common for practitioners not to lose much sleep over it. You might attach the blocks with Simpson SDS screws and install them pointing downwards 30 degrees. I'd think that would tend to help the slip issue.
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: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
If I nail/screw from the blocking to the beam wouldn't it be better to install them upward pointing? Seem the upward angle would better "leak" load out to my blocks.
Although I think after typing that out I see the downward angle would tend to pull the screw down and that would be resisted better by the srew head on the block.
Or maybe not - haha. I think I'm just confusing myself now.
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
If this is a multi-story building,limiting vertical settlement or crushing of plates is important cosmetically.
The plate crushing will stop when the necessary bearing stress is attained.
Mike McCann, PE, SE (WA)
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
I guess I may need to look at moisture control if it's hot yoga...
Thanks for the help everyone.
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
No! The blocking is bearing down on the plate which means the plate is pushing the blocking up. To hold it down, you should install screws downward pointing.
BA
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
Msquared48 - how common are LVL plates? Is there a story threshold you would consider them for?
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
Its possible to reinforce wood with screws when loaded perpendicular to the grain.
Link to My-ti-con Paper
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
https://www.fischer.de/-/media/fixing-systems/fide...
But im not sure if something like that is allowed outside Europe,
note: a steel bearing plate is still necessary.
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
Lots of these European based fasteners are coming into our market. It's driven by cross lam. I recently used a 45-degree washer to screw the top flange of a steel beam to the underside of an existing top plate. It saved me adding a nailer to the top of the beam. The client appreciated the extra headroom.
RE: Ways to Increase Wood Beam Bearing Area
https://www.wuerth.de/web/de/awkg/kontakt/emailfor...
just fill it up and you will get a link.
it is possible to change a language.
if you will need some assistance (eurocode has become pretty complicated..) let me know.
Greetings from europe