Standards Development

An ANSI-approved standard is developed through a formal consensus process approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and follows the Due Process Requirement for American National Standards. That process is designed to ensure standards are created openly and fairly, with balanced participation from manufacturers, engineers, testing agencies, regulators, code officials, and other stakeholders.

ANSI approval does not mean ANSI writes the standard itself. Instead, it confirms that the standards developer—in this case APA—follows established procedures for transparency, consensus, appeals, and technical review.

For manufacturers and specifiers, ANSI-approved standard provides confidence that the standard represents broadly accepted industry requirements rather than the interests of a single organization or company.

Standards establish a common technical framework for evaluating engineered wood products. They define how products are tested, manufactured, qualified, marked, and quality-controlled so architects, engineers, builders, and code officials can rely on consistent performance expectations.

Without recognized standards, every product would need to be evaluated independently, making code approval, specification, certification, and market acceptance significantly more difficult.

Standards also support innovation by creating a pathway for new products and technologies to demonstrate performance and gain industry acceptance.

Yes. APA is an ANSI-accredited standards developer and publishes national consensus standards related to engineered wood products and systems.

APA also convenes the technical committees responsible for developing, maintaining, and reaffirming those standards over time. These committees include participants from across the industry and related technical fields to ensure balanced input and consensus-based decision making.

In addition to APA-developed standards, APA serves as the secretariat for the standing committees responsible for U.S. Voluntary Product Standards PS 1 and PS 2.

PS 1 and PS 2 are U.S. Voluntary Product Standards that establish nationally recognized requirements for structural plywood and wood structural panels.

• PS 1 covers structural plywood and defines construction, bond classification, and manufacturing requirements.

• PS 2 establishes performance-based requirements for wood structural panels and harmonizes standards used across the United States and Canada.

APA serves as the secretariat for the standing committees responsible for both standards.

Many APA-developed standards are referenced by model building codes, evaluation reports, certification programs, and design documents used throughout North America.

Code-recognized standards help streamline product approval and specification because they provide established criteria for structural performance, testing, and quality assurance. Designers, manufacturers, and code officials frequently rely on these standards when evaluating engineered wood products for construction use.

A product standard typically defines requirements related to materials, manufacturing, dimensions, tolerances, quality control, and test methods for a specific product category.

A performance standard focuses on how a product performs under defined testing and service conditions. This approach allows different manufacturing methods or product configurations to qualify as long as they meet the required performance benchmarks.

Both approaches are used throughout the engineered wood industry depending on the application and regulatory context. It also can be a combined standard, such as ANSI/APA PRG 320.

Manufacturers use APA standards to qualify products for certification, establish internal quality assurance procedures, support code compliance, and demonstrate consistent product performance.

Standards also provide the technical basis for product testing, plant audits, certification markings, and ongoing quality control programs. In many cases, compliance with an applicable standard is necessary for market acceptance, specification, or participation in certification programs.

APA standards committees are made up of technical experts and stakeholders from across the industry, including manufacturers, suppliers, users and general interest members.

Standards are developed through a consensus-based process intended to balance perspectives and encourage broad technical participation. Committee input helps ensure standards remain practical, technically credible, and aligned with current industry needs.

Interested in participating in standards development activities or committee work?

Contact APA to learn about current opportunities for involvement.

APA supports international standards coordination through leadership roles with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

APA currently serves as the U.S. TAG (Technical Advisory Group) Administrator for:

• ISO TC 165 — Timber Structures

• ISO TC 89 — Wood-Based Panels

These committees help develop international standards related to timber engineering, structural systems, testing, and wood-based panel products. APA’s involvement helps represent U.S. technical expertise and industry perspectives in global standards discussions.

The standards listed on this page include links to summaries describing the scope, application, and committee information associated with each standard.

Depending on the standard, full documents may be available through APA, ANSI, or other standards publishing organizations.