# Strong, Weak, X and Y axes for a built-up wood post

**URL:** <https://blueprint.calcs.com/t/strong-weak-x-and-y-axes-for-a-built-up-wood-post/289>\
**Category:** Ask for Help\
**Created:** [March 28, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://blueprint.calcs.com/t/strong-weak-x-and-y-axes-for-a-built-up-wood-post/289 "2024-03-28T00:47:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![WilsonEngineers](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/blueprint.calcs.com/wilsonengineers/32/73_2.png) [@WilsonEngineers](https://blueprint.calcs.com/u/WilsonEngineers)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2024, 12:47am UTC](https://blueprint.calcs.com/t/strong-weak-x-and-y-axes-for-a-built-up-wood-post/289/1 "2024-03-28T00:47:51Z")

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The wood post module includes nomenclature for strong and weak axes and X and Y axes. But how do we know which is which? Are weak and X axes in the wind direction, or not? The answer is not so obvious when compared to horizontal beam type members.

With multi-member wood posts, the strong axis also doesn’t necessarily equate to the X axis and vice versa. Or does it? And built-up wood posts can have the overall strong axis be in the weak axis direction of the individual members individual members.

Suggestion: add a graphic to the post section showing both axes. Also consider using only X and Y axis nomenclature, or make it abundantly clear what the strong and weak axes are.

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**Author:** ![lgerin](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/blueprint.calcs.com/lgerin/32/35_2.png) [@lgerin](https://blueprint.calcs.com/u/lgerin)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2024, 8:31pm UTC](https://blueprint.calcs.com/t/strong-weak-x-and-y-axes-for-a-built-up-wood-post/289/2 "2024-04-30T20:31:05Z")

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Hi Jim - thanks for the suggestion. I was just talking to someone else who brought up the same thing.

To be clear: in ClearCalcs X-axis always refers to the strong axis of a single-ply of the material. So if you’ve got (5) 2x6 stacked for a column, the X-axis will still be going through the long face of individual boards, ie it will refer to the “weak” axis of the column.

Great suggestion - we’ll update the graphics to make it clearer. Thanks!