Post Capacities

Post Allowable Loads

Post Allowable Compression Loads for Douglas-Fir-Larch

See footnotes below.

Post Allowable Compression Loads for Southern Pine

See footnotes below.

Post Allowable Compression Loads for Spruce-Pine-Fir

See footnotes below.

Post Allowable Compression Loads for Hem-Fir

1. The allowable (ASD) loads are based on the 2015 National Design Specification for Wood Construction (NDS).
2. Post heights are based on standard precut stud heights and associated top plate heights. Wall height is nominal height plus 1 1/8". Effective post lengths, l_e, are the actual wall height minus the thickness of (3) 2x plates (4 1/2").
3. Shaded values are limited by the perpendicular-to-grain bearing load, P_c⊥, when posts bear on wood sill plates. Where posts and sill plates are different species, Designer shall limit allowable load to the lower of the post or the perpendicular-to-grain load for each species used.
4. Perpendicular-to-grain allowable loads do not include the NDS Bearing Area Factor, C_b. For posts whose bearing area is not closer than 3" from the end of a sill plate, the P_c⊥ values may be multiplied by C_b.

   
   T = Bearing Length (post thickness)
   C_b = Bearing Area Factor per NDS 3.10.4

5. Parallel-to-grain values listed. Assume strong axis buckling.
6. Tension loads are based on net section assuming hole size equal to bolt diameter plus 1⁄16". Tension loads have been increased for wind or seismic loading with no further increase allowed; reduce where other loads govern.
7. Values do not consider combined axial and out-of-plane bending.
8. Bolt diameter “None” indicates full cross-section.