Please join us Friday, February 17th, 2023 for the Online Presentation.

12:30 - 13:30 presentation and Q/A

Going Up:  Fire Protection in Wood Buildings (WoodWorks and APA Joint Presentation)

Presentation Outline

California’s early adoption of the tall wood provisions in July 2021 increased the allowable wood building height to 18 stories. Combined with a growing interest in tracking embodied carbon and the state-wide push for more housing, wood construction is more popular than ever. The tall wood provisions are based on three new construction types introduced in the 2021 International Building Code—Types IV-A, IV-B and IV-C—with CBC amendments. These new construction types highlight the role fire protection plays in setting height limits. This session will offer key insights into what to look for on mass timber project submittals as well as methods used in low- to mid-rise wood buildings to achieve the necessary fire ratings.

Chelsea Drenick, S.E. is a licensed structural engineer in the state of California. She received her BS in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College and MS in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. As a Regional Director for WoodWorks, a non-profit organization, she helps project teams achieve successful wood buildings in Northern California, Nevada and Utah. Prior to joining WoodWorks Chelsea spent nine years in structural design consulting. Her experience is in a variety of sectors including residential, higher education and retrofit of existing and historic structures. She is passionate about sustainability and the use of wood as a building material to reduce the embodied carbon emissions of structures

Aleeta Dene, P.E. is an Engineered Wood Specialist for the Field Services Division of APA. Aleeta's territory is the Southwest where she provides technical support and training for construction professionals. Prior to joining APA, Aleeta worked as a structural engineer for 9 years in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles on a diverse range of projects. A licensed Professional Engineer in the state of California, Aleeta graduated from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a B.S. in Architectural Engineering and is an active member of SEAOC and ICC in Los Angeles.