APA Blog for Professional Associates

APA Launches Wood Design Web Portal for Building and Design Professionals

Tue, 24 Apr 2012 13:13:00 -0700

APA Designers Circle, a new educational resource for architects, engineers, builders and building code officials, is now online. The free, subscription-based program offers timely technical information and recommendations for wood-frame design and construction systems, along with news, industry events, and links to a range of product and design recommendations.

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APA Publishes Advanced Framing Construction Guide

Thu, 23 Feb 2012 09:39:00 -0700

APA’s new publication, the Advanced Framing Construction Guide, Form M400, highlights advanced framing techniques that residential contractors can employ to produce energy-efficient, structurally sound homes with lower material and labor costs than conventionally framed houses.

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Revised ANSI/APA PRR 410 Standard Published

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 08:40:00 -0700

The revised American National Standard for Performance-Rated Engineered Wood Rim Boards was recently approved for publication by ANSI. The standard provides requirements and test methods for qualification and quality assurance for performance-rated engineered wood rim boards.

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Updated Engineered Wood Construction Guide Published

Wed, 05 Oct 2011 14:04:00 -0700

The Engineered Wood Construction Guide, APA’s comprehensive and widely recognized guide to engineered wood construction systems, has been updated and is now available in print or for free download from the APA website. First published in 1962, this is the 32nd printing of the popular guide.

The 84-page guide features information on engineered wood products and recommendations for their use in a wide range of applications in residential and commercial construction. It includes information on plywood and oriented strand board (wood structural panels), glulam, I-joists, structural composite lumber, typical specifications, and design recommendations for floor, wall, and roof systems, diaphragms, shear walls, fire-rated systems, and methods of finishing.

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APA Issues Construction Recommendations for High Wind Resistance

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:04:00 -0700

Damage observations conducted by APA after the April 16, 2011 tornados in Eastern North Carolina and the powerful EF-4 and EF-5 storms that struck Tuscaloosa, Alabama on April 27 found that a lack of attention to detail along the uplift load-path often leads to weakness on the route through which high-wind forces must travel within the framing and into the foundation. Following a review of the findings, the Association has published a set of construction recommendations for improving tornado or hurricane resistance in light-frame wood construction. The damage assessment report, Tornados of the South: Structural Performance of Newly Constructed Homes in North Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia, Form SP-1154 and the design recommendations, Building for High Wind Resistance in Light-Frame Wood Construction, Form M310, are both available for free download from APA. [More]

Voluntary Product Standard PS 2-10 Updated

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 15:37:00 -0700

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has approved the U.S. Voluntary Product Standard, PS 2-10 - Performance Standard for Wood-Based Structural-Use Panels. The updated standard provides requirements for producing and specifying wood-based structural-use panels, replacing the previous edition, Voluntary Product Standard PS 2-04.

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Free Carbon Challenge Seminars Begin April 12

Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:01:00 -0700

APA and its partners are presenting a series of free half-day seminars along the gulf coast to share the real-world strategies employed by the winners of the Carbon Challenge Design Competition. Seminar cities and dates include:

Gainesville, Florida - Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Jacksonville, Florida - Thursday, April 14, 2011
Palm Beach, Florida - Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Fort Lauderdale, Florida - Thursday, April 28, 2011
Tallahassee, Florida - Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Pensacola, Florida - Thursday, May 12, 2011
Orlando, Florida - Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Tampa, Florida - Thursday, May 26, 2011
New Orleans, Louisiana - Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Houston, Texas - Thursday, June 9, 2011

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Free APA Product Reports App Now Available

Mon, 14 Mar 2011 10:40:00 -0700

The first app from APA features APA Products Reports® and is now available for iPhone®, iPad®, and iPod touch®. The APA Product Reports App is free and can be downloaded from the App Store™.

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Free Carbon Challenge Seminars Offered by APA

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 14:43:00 -0700

APA will offer 10 free Carbon Challenge half-day seminars for building professionals along the gulf coast to demonstrate how to cost-effectively design and build homes with a lower carbon footprint.

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APA to Present at Upcoming Wood Solutions Fairs

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 09:03:00 -0700

APA technical experts will present information on the use of wood in non-residential structures at several upcoming WoodWorks Wood Solutions Fairs, free day-long educational events that combine a variety of seminars with trade booth exhibits.

Upcoming Wood Solutions Fairs include: Raleigh, North Carolina on February 15, 2011; Atlanta, Georgia on February 17; Long Beach, California on March 2; San Francisco, California on March 16; and Minneapolis, Minnesota on April 7.

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APA to Announce Carbon Challenge Winner at the 2011 IBS

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:42:00 -0700

Who can design a home with the lowest carbon footprint? That was the challenge presented by APA to Florida designers in the Carbon Challenge Design Competition. The winners will be revealed on Thursday, January 13, 2011 at the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) International Builders' Show (IBS) in Orlando, Florida.

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Registration for the Houston Design Challenge due January 21, 2011

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 09:06:00 -0700

Registration has begun for the design portion of the Raise the Floor Houston Design Challenge. Houston-area architects and designers wanting to enter the competition must download and complete the designer application by Friday, January 21, 2011.

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Build a Better Home Publications Provide Simple Construction Details for Moisture-Resistant Homes

Wed, 15 Dec 2010 14:16:00 -0700

APA's Build a Better Home (BBH) program is designed to provide home builders the construction guidelines they need to protect homes against damaging moisture infiltration by encouraging better building practices for the key elements of a residential structure: roofs, walls and the foundation.

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Residential EcoCalculator for Carbon Challenge Florida Design Competition Now Available

Thu, 18 Nov 2010 09:35:00 -0700

The ATHENA® EcoCalculator for Assemblies provides instant LCA (life cycle assessment) results for commonly used building structure and envelope assemblies. The Residential version of the EcoCalculator, developed for the Carbon Challenge Florida Design Competition, allows assessment of single family residential buildings, whether detached, semi–detached, or row houses. Carbon Challenge participants are provided with free access to the EcoCalculator software to determine the LCA global warming potential impact measure for their design.

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APA Announces Carbon Challenge Florida Design Competition

Wed, 06 Oct 2010 09:13:00 -0700

Who can design a home with the lowest carbon footprint? That's the challenge being presented to Florida home designers by APA in the Carbon Challenge, a new design competition that will award over $15,000 in cash prizes to the design winners.

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