Load Duration and Probability Based Design of Wood Structural Members

Methods are presented for calculating limit state probabilities of engineered wood structural members, considering load duration effects due to stochastic dead and snow load. These methods are used to conduct reliability studies of existing wood design criteria. When realistic load processes are considered, it is found that the importance of load duration and gradual damage accumulation has been somewhat overstated. One possible probability-based design method that should be useful in future code development work also is presented