How Tall Could You Go?

Mike Finley

So I've never ran across this before, but how tall of a building can you make out of just wood framing? 4 storys, 5? The biggest I have ever saw was some apartment buildings that were 4 stories tall, I didn't see any steel work in them at all.

I'm sure there are some structural limitations and maybe some economic limitations. Say for instance 4 stories might be the limit before you have to really begin over engineering the structure to get to 5 so it becomes less expensive to just get into steel?

Tscarborough

I have seen some timbered 6-8 story factory buildings, but they were built long ago with big timbers, 18x18 red cyprus and such. With modern building lumber, I would say 4 stories is about it, and that is highly engineered.

Teetorbilt

7 floors is the most that I know of but if you look at some of the old mining structures, they went much more than that and supported a lot of weight.

__________________
You can't solve you're problems with the same level of thinking that created the problems.

Albert Einstein

K2

I think fire ratings would be more of an issue. Under the old UBC it was type I, II, III construction. You would probably have a hard time doing a 2 story Wood framed Church, (A-3 occupancy) and keep the required fire seperation. Even in R-3 Divisions 1,2,&3, (houses, dorms ,hotels etc.), keeping the required fire seperation would be difficult after about 3 stories.
I think they did 7 story wood tenaments in the early 1900's and a lot of people died in them.
Insurance costs could also determine the type of construction you used.

reveivl

Stick framing, probably four or five, timber framed buildings much taller, all those mediaeval church spires have been around for centuries.

__________________
From where does knowledge come? If you need to know what is in a box, you could ask someone (not reliable), you could pray, (not useful), you can consult with the scripture (not helpful) or you could open the box (science)

N.E.Bldg&Rest.LLC

Of course it does, you can't fart without asking them first, they run the world.

__________________
"Man is a tool-using animal. Without tools he is nothing, with tools he is all."

Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881)

Bradracer18

We did stick framing up to 4 stories........the floor trusses and roof trusses were very well built and engineered.....lots of headers and microlamb in there too.......

catalfanoc

they built a 6 story apartment complex out of wood around me i was very surpised to see it

Mike Finley

It's kind of freaky to see something that tall made of wood isn't it? That's how I felt when I kept driving by these apartments they put up all in wood framing. Something just seemed strange about the whole thing.

Bradracer18

I think they(our 4-5 story ones).....are quite sturdy......but my god, its pretty hard to keep them square/plumb..........

Grumpy

Having very limited experience with lumber I would be scared to build anything over 3 stories, I personally have never seen anything built with lumber over 3 stories. Infact most 3 story buildings, I have seen, are constructed with block.

I base my answer only upon my personal observations.

mdshunk

I've wired some buildings in years past, for an employer that were 4-5 stories all in wood. When you start going up like that, you have shear walls all over the place. Sorta turns the whole wall into an I-Joist (and obviously helps with the increased shear loading).

Mike Finley

Yeah, speaking of shear, I can't imagine in California you can build with wood too high due to all the earth quake codes and requirements.

theworx

Up here, I was under the impression that 3 stories was the limit for a commercial building. But just the other day, drove by a job site where they are building a 4 story hotel with wood framing (but didn't get a chance to notice if they had beefed up the framing)... Interesting thread Mike...

mighty anvil

Using the IRC, 1 & 2 family dwellings & townhouses that exceed the wind loadings in table 301.2 must be engineered or conform to the IBC. That table only goes up to a height of 30 ft. so 3 stories is the limit for light wood framed homes and townhouses are limited to 3 stories in the admin. section.

If the building use is other than 1 & 2 family or townhouses it must be designed by an architect or engineer and meet the height and area limits of the IBC for the use group and construction type. For protected light wood framing (Type V), Assembly would be 2 stories, Business 3, Education 1, Mercantile 3, and Residential 3, etc. Another story is allowed for a full sprinkler system. Heavy Timber framing (Type IV) and fire-retardant light wood framing (Type III) is allowed to be 1 to 2 stories taller depending on the use.

For HT and fire-treated light framing: A=4, B=6, E=4, M=5, R=5.
For untreated light wood framing: A=3, B=4, E=2, M=4, R=4.

So the tallest wood building would be 6 stories according to the IBC.

These limits may differ with other codes but since they are determined primarily for fire safety reasons and earthquake areas have stricter structural requirements, I doubt they are often allowed to be taller.

K2

That's a bunch of trees. Good to hear from you MA.

wallmaxx

This "thing" was the tallest I have built. 5 stories.

myshtern

Keep in mind that elevator shafts arent supported with wood and they are usually designed to bear a lot of other loads imposed by the building.

KentWhitten

Anyone seen Old Faithful Lodge? That sucker goes up a ways. 6 or 7 stories at least.

I think I also heard 3 stories was supposed to be max, but I'm sure there are alternatives to get around it.

JustaFramer

I have been on 4 and 5 story apartment/condo an 6 story hotel wood framed buildings. They use alot of hold down brackets that go from foundation to the roof. A 6 story was just build in Seattle. I think it is actually like 7 but the first story is all concrete with a post tension deck.

alot of it has to do with height restrictions on max storys.

As for fire rating party walls have a 2 hour (double 5/8's gyp on each side of p wall) burn through these days out here.