New Wall Bracing Method Published by APA
Following a multi-year research and testing program carried out by the Association, APA has published a new System Report detailing a simplified wall bracing method using continuous wood structural panel sheathing. APA System Report SR-102 provides building officials, builders and designers with an approach and the supporting technical information to more easily meet the requirements of the 2012 International Residential Code (IRC) Simplified Wall Bracing (Section R601.12).
In the development of this report, the 2012 IRC Simplified Wall Bracing has been modified to increase its applicability to a greater percentage of home designs. To achieve broad applicability and acceptance, the system uses the most common type of wall sheathing, wood structural panels, based on their superior structural performance.
APA System Report: APA Simplified Wall Bracing Method, is a 12-page brochure available as a free downloable PDF or for purchase. Form SR-102, $1.
Click here for more information and to access the PDF.
Shop Amazon - Best Selling Products - Updated Every Hour New Publication Showcases All-wood Podiums
in Mid-rise Construction
APA's newest case study features two mid-rise construction projects in California and shows how the benefits of building an all-wood podium structure outweigh the challenges.
Mid-rise podium construction, consisting of two to five residential stories of wood framing above a concrete nonresidential first story (the "podium") is common throughout North America, and current economics have led to a greater demand for podium structures. By using wood instead of concrete for the podium, designers can further reduce their overall construction cost and construction time, while creating a more sustainable and less massive building.
APA Case Study: All-wood Podiums in Mid-rise Construction provides project summaries, design challenges and solutions, and highlights the economical, structural and sustainable benefits to building an all-wood podium design. The 6-page brochure is available as a free downloadable PDF or for purchase. Form N110. $1.
Click here for more information and to access the PDF.
January 10, 2011Court KOs Banks in Mortgage Case
The highest court in Massachusetts ruled against U.S. Bancorp and Wells Fargo & Co. Friday in a pivotal mortgage foreclosure case that could spark more turmoil and uncertainty in a housing market already mired in depression.The Supreme Judicial Court affirmed a lower court judge's ruling invalidating two mortgage foreclosure sales because the banks, in their capacity as trustees for mortgage securities, did not prove that they actually owned the mortgages at the time of foreclosure."There are now thousands of these homes that have been purchased through foreclosures handled in a very similar fashion where the titles are defective," said Ward P. Graham, a Massachusetts title attorney who co-authored a friend-of-the-court brief in the case on behalf of the Real Estate Bar Association for Massachusetts, Inc.