Page 18 - Green Builder May-June 2018 Issue

THE EVOLVING ROLE OF ASSOCIATIONS
CREDIT: APA – THE ENGINEERED WOOD ASSOCIATION

APA -- The Engineered Wood Association

There’s more to this trade group than mere handling of wood.

OR MORE THAN 80 YEARS, APA – THE ENGINEERED WOOD ASSOCIATION – has focused
on helping the industry create structural wood products of exceptional strength, versatility and
reliability. Combining the research efforts of scientists at APA’s 42,000-square-foot research
center with the knowledge gained from decades of field work and cooperation with its member
manufacturers, APA promotes new solutions and improved processes that benefit the entire industry.
APA is a nonprofit trade association that has grown and evolved with the engineered wood
industry. APA was founded in 1933 as the Douglas Fir Plywood Association, and was later recognized
F as the American Plywood Association. In 1994, APA changed its name to APA – The Engineered
Wood Association to better reflect the range of products manufactured by APA members and the international
scope of the Association.
Its members are well-known manufacturers whose mills produce the majority of the structural wood
“APA takes a hands-on panel products made in North America, plus a host of engineered wood products, including glued laminated
approach to product and timber (glulam), wood structural panels, wood I-joists and structural composite lumber.
APA has a long and extensive history in building codes and
assembly testing. Evaluating standards development activities. It serves as the secretariat for the
conditions that replicate real- standing committees of U.S. Product Standard PS 1 for Structural FACTS
Plywood, the consensus softwood plywood standard, and Voluntary
world construction scenarios Product Standard PS 2, the U.S. harmonized performance standard
often involves recreating recognized under the U.S.-Canada Free Trade Agreement. APA has NUMBER OF MEMBERS: 172
similar conditions, and then developed many performance standards over the years, including MEMBER BREAKDOWN: Engineered
plywood siding, wood structural panel and sheathing, glulam, wood
using technology to induce I-joists, rim board, and cross-laminated timber (CLT). APA issues APA wood product mills in 23 states and
seven provinces
stress, define weakness and Product Reports designed to help manufacturers expedite market
identify critical design entry of their products. HEADQUARTERS: Tacoma, WA
APA provides builders, designers and specifiers with a wealth of
considerations. By repeatedly information, from basic construction instructions to highly technical WEBSITE: www.apawood.org

performing these tests, we are data, for a variety of residential and commercial building applications. NUMBER OF ACTIVE SITES: N/A
APA’s Help Desk, Resource Library, and field representatives provide
able to provide credible, a diverse range of support—from the basics of building structurally KEY SERVICES OFFERED: Development ROLE MODELS
definitive guidance and sound floors, walls, and roofs to recommendations for complying of performance standards for building
instruction to builders, with stringent energy and code requirements to special design products and tools; creation of product
considerations for areas prone to extreme conditions, such as high
reports to help engineered wood product
designers, and regulatory wind, seismic activity and moisture intrusion. manufacturers expedite market entry
officials on our wood product APA and APA EWS trademarks are the manufacturer’s assurance of their goods; provide highly technical
educational resources to residential and
assemblies and their that the engineered wood product conforms to manufacturing and commercial building professionals;
product performance standards shown on the trademark. The mark
application in construction appears only on products manufactured by APA members committed free on-site consultancy services
scenarios.” to APA’s rigorous program of quality inspection and testing. on the latest construction techniques
and code requirements pertaining to
engineered wood.
Ed Elias, President,
APA – The Engineered MISSION: APA has focused on helping the
industry create structural wood products
Wood Association
of exceptional strength, versatility and
reliability. Combining research efforts of
APA scientists with knowledge gained from
decades of field work and cooperation with
member manufacturers, APA promotes new
solutions and improved processes that
benefit the entire industry.

16 GREEN BUILDER May/June 2018 www.greenbuildermedia.com

16-43 GB 0518 Associations.indd 16 6/22/18 3:06 AM