Assutance salesmen Using panel quality marks as a sales tool

By Alex Kuchar Quality Services Division Director APA-The Engineered Wood Association

|l.-THANCES are you see one almost

\-,every

day...that familiar APA stamp on plywood or oriented strand board. Or perhaps you've noticed the APA-EWS stamp on glulam beams. More and more engineered wood products-including plywood, OSB, glulams, I-joists and rimboards-are being stamped with the APA and APA-EWS mark of quality.

Just what does that stamp represent? Why is it on some panels and not others? Who marks it on the panels? And, most of all, what does it mean to you?

The evolution of new building materials, enhancements of existing materials and changing construction techniques are affecting the way builders, distributors and design professionals do business. Few areas of the building products industry have seen more change or faster growth in recent years than the engineered wood products sector. Building material retailers who just a decade ago were wary of these emerging technologies are now increasingly interested in the potential cost savings and superior performance which these products offer.

As the production and use of engineered wood products increases, the need for third-party quality assurance and performance testing grows.

What's Behind the Stamp

Developing and maintaining industry standards has been a primary function of APA since its inception in 1933. The 7O-fold increase in srructural panel industry production during the past 60 years is compelling testi-

Story at a Glance

What APA stamps represent and what that means to dealers, wholesalers and distributors selling assurance.

mony to the merits of what remains the association's cornerstone philosophy-maintaining consistently high quality standards.

In approximately 130 engineered wood products plants across North America, the auditing and testing functions of APA's Quality Services Division provide the foundation for the high quality reputation earned by APA member mills.

The APA trademark identifies manufacturers committed to satisfying requirements of the standard shown on the stamp. That standard may be a manufacturing standard, such as Voluntary Product Standard PS l, or a performance standard, such as APA PRP-IO8, Performance Standards and Policies for StructuralUse Panels.

Performance standards are designed to ensure that products meet the requirements of their intended end use. For instance, the standard for APA Rated Sheathing was developed to ensure that products bearing the

How to read APA panel trademarks

Although many dealers and distributors see the APA trademark on a daily basis, few recall what the stamp says and what it represents.

For starters, the marks appear only on products manufactured by APA rnember mills. They represent the manufacturer's assurance that the product conforms to the standard shown on the trademark. That standard may be an APA performance standard, Voluntary Product Standard PS 1-95 for Construction and Industrial Plywood or Voluntary Product Standard PS 2-92, Performance Standard for Wood-Based StructuralUse Panels.

PS 1-95 is a manufacturing standard developed cooperatively by the U.S. Departmenr of Commerce and the construction and industrial plywood industry. The Voluntary Product Standard establishes requirements for producing, marketing and specifying construction and industrial plywood.

APA performance standards and PS 2-92 are the result of manufacturing technology that makes possible the manufacture of sfructural panel products from wood components and species not provided in PS l-95.

In addition to the appropriate standard, the typical APA trademar* displays other information:

APA Rated Sheathing name meet or exceed code requirements and in-service demands for floor, wall and roof sheathing.

Qualifying for the Trademark

The first step a mill takes to qualify a Performance Rated product for an APA trademark is to submit panel samples for testing. Qualification tests may vary depending on whether the panels are wall or roof sheathing, subfloor or combined subfloor-underlayment, or siding. To ensure adequate structural performance, panels undergo tests for concentrated loads, uniform loads, impact loads, wall racking, moisture exposure and more.

In concentrated static load tests panel specimens are placed in a steel frame and a metal disk is placed on top of the panel. A load is applied to the disk at a prescribed rate. During loading, the deflection of the panel is also measured. If the deflection and load required to break the panel falls within the range accepted by the standard, the panel passes the test. This test simulates concentrated loads like supporting a water heater or grand piano on a floor, where the load is distributed over a small area.

Concentrated imPact load tests simulate sudden impact loads, such as dropping a bundle of shingles on a roof or jumping on a floor. A leather bag loaded with a specified weight of steel shot is dropped on a specimen from various heights. Following the impacts, the panel must be able to support the specified minimum load in order to meet requirements.

Linear expansion tests determine if the panel will expand excessively when exposed to rain or other moi sture. Other tests measure panel bending properties and racking resistance.

If a panel passes all of the tests, APA develops a Mill Specification. The Mill Specification essentially describes the physical and mechanical properties of the panels that passed the tests, forming the basis for future quality assurance. Only then, when the panel has been tested and the Mill Specification has been written, is the APA trademark stamp issued.

Assuring Continued Quality

In order to maintain trademarking privileges, APA member mills must continue to fulfill the Mill Specification requirements. APA's Quality Services Division administers ongoing testing and auditing of mill products to assure that appropriate standards are being met.

APA maintains five quality testing labs: Tacoma, Wa.; Eugene, Or.; Shreveport, La.; Kennesaw, Ga., and

Duluth, Mn. The function of the labs is to perform routine tests on samples taken from mills in their region. A series of quality assurance tests make sure the products consistently meet or exceed APA requirements.

APA is recognized by all three major model building code agencies in the U.S. (ICBO, BOCA and SBCCD as a quality assurance agency for structural panels and other engineered wood products. In Canada, APA is recognized by the Standards Council of Canada as a certification organization for structural panels and other wood products.

APA's services go far beYond quality testing and inspection. Research and promotion programs play important roles in develoPing and improving engineered wood construction systems and in helping users and specifiers to better understand and apply panel products. APA provides technical and field support and is the only quality assurance agency that offers a full range of market support services, including dealer training.

Over the past several decades, technological advancements and a decreasing raw material supply base have transformed the way we manufacture, produce and distribute building materials. With these changes in production, now more than ever, a strong quality assurance program is essential to ensure product performance and customer satisfaction.

The APA trademark is how dealers and distributors know that these engineered wood products are designed to meet the needs of their customers and the demands of actual applications.