What Does the TSCA Evaluation Mean for Oriented Strand Board? As Seen in The Merchant Magazine and Building Products Digest Written by Goo Lee, APA Certifications Operations Manager Oriented strand board (OSB) plays a significant role in the housing sector, with applications including sheathing, cladding, furniture and paneling. OSB is a type of wood structural panel... read more
Updated Energy Code Compliance Guide Available From APA APA – The Engineered Wood Association (APA) recently updated The Performance Path to Energy Code Compliance publication. This free guide assists builders in evaluating the energy efficiency of a whole home as a system, enabling them to specify... read more
APA Releases Updated Wall Bracing Calculator APA – The Engineered Wood Association has updated its Wall Bracing Calculator. The tool, designed to simplify the design of residential structures, has been amended to include the 2018 International Residential Code (IRC) wall bracing requirements... read more
Structural Plywood, OSB Exempt from New Formaldehyde Ruling Composite wood products must meet new federal formaldehyde emissions regulations as of June 1, 2018. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulation defines composite wood products as particleboard, medium density fiberboard (MDF), and... read more
Engineers and Code Officials Get the 411 on Force Transfer Around Openings Watch an easy overview of APA – The Engineered Wood Association’s free design tool, the FTAO Calculator, in this free, 60-minute recorded webinar, Shear Wall Analysis Made Easy: Force Transfer Around Openings Calculator. APA field engineer Alese... read more
New Tool Makes Force Transfer Around Openings Method More Approachable A new automated tool developed by APA – The Engineered Wood Association assists structural engineers in the design of force transfer around openings (FTAO) shear walls. The APA FTAO Calculator and APA Technical Note: Design for Force Transfer Around ... read more
EPA Formaldehyde Ruling: What does it mean for wood I-joists? On July 5, 2017, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) withdrew its ruling that would have delayed compliance dates for formaldehyde emissions standards on specific composite wood products. The EPA will instead proceed with a final rule... read more
APA’s Wall Bracing Calculator Updated to Support 2015 IRC Wall Bracing Requirements Crunching numbers to design for wall bracing just got easier, with an online Wall Bracing Calculator from APA – The Engineered Wood Association. APA recently updated the online calculator to include a new option that verifies wall bracing... read more
APA Launches “Easy Siding & Trim Attachment” Video Video describes how plywood and OSB sheathing can be used as a code-compliant base for siding and trim. A new video that explains how OSB and plywood sheathing can be used as a sturdy, code-compliant nail base for siding and trim is available from APA – The Engineered Wood Assocation. In Easy Siding & Trim Attachment, APA’s Engineered Wood... read more