Your job
This internal wall frame has to be strong enough to carry the weight of the floor above it. Notice that it still has temporary diagonal bracing in place, which was used to help keep the frame square while it was being installed.
When you're building wall frames, you need to know the function of each piece you put into the panel, and the strength properties that the piece should have in order to perform its role properly. The strength of a component is what allows it to withstand the stresses that act on it. These stresses come from the dead weight of the roof or upper storey that sits on top, as well as 'live' loads that act on the walls, such as wind gusts that blow from different directions and people who move around inside the building.
In this section, we'll cover the types of stresses that wall frames need to be able to withstand, the general building principles that relate to wall frames, and the common technical terms used in wall frame construction.
Australian Standards
As you work through this section, you will cover some of the building principles that go into the design of a wall frame. If you would like to do further research on this topic, you should get a copy of the Australian Standard that deals specifically with timber framing in houses, called AS1684 – Residential timber framed construction. This is often referred to as the 'Timber Framing Code', and is the benchmark document for frame and truss manufacturers, architects, builders and everyone else involved in the design, manufacture or installation of timber framing in buildings.
If your company has a spare copy that you can borrow, you should have a look through it to see the different factors that go into the design of a wall frame. You will also be able to see the span tables that are used to establish the sizes and grades of structural members, and how the variables of span, load, size and grade are all inter-related.
If you would like to purchase a copy of AS1684 for yourself, you can do so by going to the Standards Australia International website portal, called SAI Global.
There are also many companion publications relating to AS1684, including a range of 'User guides' published by the Timber Development Association (TDA). You can download these guides for free from the TDA's website at: timber.net.au.
Here's your job
- Have a look at the Task for this section to preview the questions you'll need to answer at the end.
- Work through the lesson for more detailed information on the concepts covered, and complete the learning activity at the end.
- Complete the Task. You can hear Tom's answers to these questions by going to the case study.
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