News Releases and Briefs
CONTACT: Chuck Fuqua (202) 463-2466, CFuqua@awc.org
AWC Statement on EPA Request for Extension to Re-propose Boiler MACT Rule for Further Comment
December 7, 2010
WASHINGTON - American Wood Council President Robert Glowinski today issued the following statement on EPA's request for an extension to re-propose and reissue the Boiler MACT rule for further comment.
"The Environmental Protection Agency's decision to request an extension for re-proposal of the Boiler MACT rule is a hopeful sign about the impact of the information that EPA has gathered thus far and their recognition of the need to take the time necessary for an effective rule. We support their request to the Court for 15 additional months to re-propose the rule for further comments.
"Studies have been publicly released by organizations that detailed the negative impact the proposed rule would have had on those industries that run boilers. EPA gathered thousands of pages of comments on the proposed rule, and I am hopeful that those have resonated and prompted their request.
"With unemployment hovering around 10 percent, and continuing tough economic times, regulations such as Boiler MACT have real-world implications on jobs and the supporting communities. I am optimistic that EPA's decision to take the necessary time for such a complex rule is a positive step toward achieving a regulation that preserves jobs while protecting the environment."
American Wood Council Elects New Officers
November 29, 2010
WASHINGTON - The American Wood Council (AWC) elected new officers during its (first) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois on November 17-18, 2010. Serving for a one-year term are Chairman Joe Patton of The Westervelt Company; First Vice Chairman Brian Luoma of LP; Second Vice Chairman Fritz Mason of Georgia-Pacific LLC; and, Marc Brinkmeyer of the Idaho Forest Group as the Immediate Past Chairman.
"I look forward to this opportunity to chair the board of directors for the wood products industry as it takes on the challenges of the coming year," said Joe Patton, newly elected AWC Chairman. "I am energized by the level of interest, support and commitment from our membership as we approach a new year and new challenges."
The AWC Board of Directors added one new member and retained several others for continued service. George Emmerson of Sierra Pacific was newly elected to serve on the AWC Board of Directors. Returning Members of the Board include: Rob Taylor of Weyerhaeuser; Andrew Miller of Stimson; Pat Patranella of Temple-Inland; Maureen Frisch of Green Diamond; James Rabe of Masonite; and Diana Blenkhorn, representing the Canadian Wood Council.
"I am pleased to continue working with our outstanding Board members," said American Wood Council President Robert Glowinski. "We all owe Marc Brinkmeyer a debt of gratitude for his leadership and commitment as the first chairman of AWC, and I look forward to working closely with Joe during the next year."
AWC, Others Send Letter to EPA about Boiler MACT
WASHINGTON - The letter, below, was sent to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson expressing concerns with the proposed Boiler MACT rule held by the 50 industry associations who signed onto the letter. This letter shows the unified position of these groups in what needs to be addressed by EPA as the rulemaking process heads for conclusion.
November 11, 2010
The Honorable Lisa Jackson
Administrator
United States Environmental Protection Agency
Ariel Rios Building
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, N. W.
Washington, DC 20460
Dear Administrator Jackson:
We are writing to express our concerns about the proposed Boiler MACT rule – the Maximum Achievable Control Technology rule for industrial, commercial and institutional boilers and process heaters – and the other associated rules that were published on June 4th. As our nation struggles to recover from the current recession, we are deeply concerned that the potential impact of pending Clean Air Act regulations would be harmful to U.S. manufacturing and the high-paying jobs it provides, as well as all sectors of the US economy. Both small and large businesses are vulnerable to extremely costly regulatory burdens, as well as municipalities, universities, federal facilities, and commercial entities. The flow of capital for new investment and hiring is still seriously restricted, and the costs imposed by these regulations as proposed could make or break the viability of continued operations. As proposed, the Boiler MACT rule alone could impose over twenty billion dollars in capital costs at thousands of facilities across the country and billions more in operating costs.
We support efforts to address significant health threats from air emissions in a cost effective manner, and also believe that regulations can be crafted to accomplish this and still protect jobs and economic growth. Thus, we appreciate your willingness, as expressed in your responses to recent Congressional letters, to consider changes to the proposed rules and incorporating flexible approaches that appropriately address the diversity of boilers, operations, sectors, and fuels that could provide assurance of achievability and prevent severe job losses and billions of dollars in unnecessary regulatory costs.
Specifically, we encourage EPA to set standards based on what real-world sources actually can achieve. EPA has proposed a pollutant-by-pollutant approach based on the “best performers” for each of five separate Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP)/ surrogate emissions categories. This approach had many data and methodology problems, and resulted in a set of standards such as those for dioxin, mercury and carbon monoxide that cannot be met by even the best performing actual boilers and process heaters.
EPA should finalize work practices for all gas and distillate oil fired units at major sources and oil and biomass fired boilers located at area sources to avoid the increase in emissions (e.g., NOx and CO2) and energy use that would result from the numerous control technologies required to meet the proposed emission limits with no guarantee of actually achieving those limits.
In addition, EPA should provide an alternative health-based emissions approach for qualifying low-risk emissions. A practical, health-oriented standard for threshold pollutants would allow sources to demonstrate that their emissions of these pollutants do not pose a public health concern. Section 112(d)(4) of the Clean Air Act expressly contemplates the use of such a standard, which can be implemented at each facility to protect public health.
In the related rule defining “Non-Hazardous Secondary Materials,” EPA should reaffirm that many secondary materials including biomass and biomass processing residuals are not solid wastes. The statute and related case law allow EPA to classify these materials as fuels if they are not discarded, are treated as valuable commodities, and are burned for energy recovery. Failure to encourage these alternative and often renewable fuels will result in more materials being landfilled and increase use of fossil fuels.
Lastly, EPA should promulgate work practice standards for dioxins/furans in Boiler MACT due to the many problems with emissions measurement, lack of knowledge of conditions and unit features leading to those emissions, and the inability to further control emissions at the already extremely low emission rates shown for these units.
As EPA turns to developing the final Boiler MACT and related rules, we believe it is imperative that EPA utilize adequate time and resources to fully evaluate all comments and data provided through the public comment process so that a reasonable rule can be promulgated. We appreciate your willingness to consider our suggestions.
Sincerely,
American Chemistry Council
American Coke & Coal Chemicals Institute
American Forest & Paper Association
American Home Furnishings Alliance
American Municipal Power
American Petroleum Institute
American Public Power Association
American Sugar Alliance
American Wood Council
Associated Oregon Industries
Biomass Thermal Energy Council
Brick Industry Association
California Cotton Ginners Association
Composite Panel Association
Corn Refiners Association
Council of Industrial Boiler Owners
Empire States Forest Products Association
Hardwood Federation
Hardwood Manufactures Association
Hardwood Plywood and Veneer Association
Indiana Hardwood Lumbermen's Association
Indiana Manufacturers Association
Industrial Energy Consumers of America
Kentucky Forest Industries Association
Lake States Lumber Association
National Alliance of Forest Owners
National Association of Manufacturers
National Cotton Ginners’ Association
National Hardwood Lumber Association
National Oilseed Processors Association
National Rural Electric Cooperatives Association
National Wood Flooring Association
Northeastern Loggers’ Association
Ohio Manufacturers' Association
Ohio Municipal Electric Association
PA Anthracite Council
Pellet Fuels Institute
Pennsylvania Forest Products Association
Rubber Manufacturers Association
Society of Chemical Manufacturers and Affiliates
Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association
Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Texas Cotton Ginners’ Association
The Aluminum Association
The State Chamber of Oklahoma
Treated Wood Council
U.S. Chamber of Commerce
Utah Manufacturers Association
Virginia Manufacturers Association
Wisconsin Paper Council
41 Senators Express Their Concern Over
EPA Rule That Will Cost Jobs
September 28, 2010
WASHINGTON – The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and American Wood Council (AWC) today commended the 41 U.S. Senators who sent a letter to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Lisa Jackson expressing their concerns about the threat to manufacturing jobs posed by EPA’s proposed maximum achievable control technology rule for industrial boilers, commonly referred to as Boiler MACT.
"At a time when policymakers are rightly saying we need to preserve and grow manufacturing jobs, the proposed Boiler MACT rule as drafted would actually work against that objective," said AF&PA President and CEO Donna Harman. "I want to thank Senators Alexander, Bayh, Collins, Landrieu, Voinovich and Wyden for their leadership on this effort to create a win-win for jobs and the environment."
In their letter, the Senators stated, "While we support efforts to address serious health threats from air emissions, we also believe that regulations can be crafted in a balanced way that sustains both the environment and jobs."
"The proposed Boiler MACT rule could put thousands of jobs at risk in the wood products industry, which has already been particularly hard hit in recent economic times," said American Wood Council President Robert Glowinski. "EPA can still revise the proposed rule in a way that protects the environment and saves the jobs our workers depend upon to support their families."
Boiler MACT sets emission limits for industrial boilers and process heaters used by a wide range of manufacturers, such as forest products mills, as well as universities, hospitals, small municipal power plants, Federal facilities and many others. The proposed Boiler MACT rule would set emission limits at barely detectable and possibly unachievable levels; require installation of up to four different air pollution control devices that will conflict with other control requirements; and impose costs to the forest products industry resulting in lost jobs. Our organizations look forward to working with EPA to craft a final regulation taking our concerns into account.
Click here to view the Senate letter and the complete list of signatories.
American Wood Council Statement on CIBO Economic Impact Study
September 15, 2010
WASHINGTON – American Wood Council (AWC) President Robert Glowinski issued the following statement regarding the release of an economic impact study commissioned by the Council of Industrial Boiler Owners (CIBO) related to the proposed EPA Boiler MACT rule.
“Today’s release of the economic impact study commissioned by CIBO is the latest example in a disturbing trend of reports showing the job losses that would result from the proposed EPA Boiler MACT rule currently being considered. The wood products industry is all about American working families -- families that depend on these manufacturing jobs to provide for their livelihood.
“The wood products sector has been particularly hard hit in recent economic times, and the proposed Boiler MACT rule could put thousands of jobs at risk in our sector. We need more manufacturing jobs, not less. EPA has the means to revise the proposed rule in a way that protects the environment and saves the jobs our workers so desperately need. We look forward to the opportunity to work with EPA to make sure these mutual goals are achieved.”
American Wood Council Troubled by Possible Job Losses Shown in New Study Relating to Air Regulation - Wood Product Sector Already Dealing with Obstacles from Economic Situation - August 31, 2010
WASHINGTON – American Wood Council (AWC) President Robert Glowinski issued the following statement regarding the American Forest & Paper Association's (AF&PA) release of a new study conducted by Fisher International showing large potential job losses due to excessive air regulation.
"Although the AF&PA study focused on job losses in the pulp and paper sector, it is very reasonable to expect that mills and jobs in the wood products sector will also be hard hit. The wood product sector would face about $1.8 billion in capital expenditures under the proposed Boiler MACT rule. With the continuation of the downturn in the housing market, even less capital availability, and lack of profits in the last two years, tens of thousands of jobs could also be at risk in the wood products sector from Boiler MACT.
"The effect of the Boiler MACT regulation, as currently proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is staggering considering that the scope of job loss numbers will extend beyond wood product sector workers to include others in the wood products supply chain as well as other businesses, many in rural communities, who are supported by mill workers and their families. As mentioned in our comments filed with EPA last week, we believe there must be a balanced approach to protecting both jobs and the environment."
AWC Submits Comments on EPA Air Regulations - Encourages EPA to Focus on Health-Based Methods to Keep Americans Working - August 30, 2010
WASHINGTON – The American Wood Council (AWC) President Robert Glowinski released the following statement following the submission of comments to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on proposed rules for Boiler Maximum Achievement Control Technology (Boiler MACT), Boiler Generally Achievable Control Technology (Boiler GACT) and Commercial Industrial Solid Waste Incinerator (CISWI).
"The EPA has an opportunity in this process to enact a health-based provision of the Clean Air Act, which focuses controls where health risks occur for certain threshold pollutants, and allows EPA to set more realistic emission limits considering what real world boilers can achieve given the wide diversity of designs, fuels, and operations.
"On each of the Boiler MACT, Boiler GACT and CISWI proposed rules, we believe there is a better way forward that provides EPA the ability to improve air quality while preventing the severe job losses that such mandated cost increases would bring. Our comments seek to not only show the possible repercussions of the proposed rule, but also ways in which the goals can be achieved to keep American manufacturing jobs in place."
Support from Members of Congress for Expanding Sustainable Forest Certification Could Stimulate Market for Forest Products - July 19, 2010
WASHINGTON – Seventy-nine members of the U.S. House of Representatives showed their support for wood as a renewable building resource – and the workers it supports in the U.S. forest products industry -- in a letter to the President and CEO of the U.S. Green Building Council, Rick Fedrizzi, by urging the expansion of recognized sustainable forest certification programs.
"Broadening the number of eligible certification programs could stimulate the market for American produced wood products and the communities and jobs that depend on both," the letter (attached) signed by a bipartisan group of members of Congress stated.
"Such broad and bipartisan support from members of Congress could make a critical difference to the workers and companies who produce wood products using sustainable certification programs that have unfortunately so far been excluded by the U.S. Green Building Council," said Robert Glowinski, President of the American Wood Council. "Increased use of sustainably-harvested wood products would have a direct economic impact across the country while supporting enhanced green building efforts."
- Wood products manufacturing employed some 460,000 people in 2008, earning an estimated $22 billion annually in the U.S. Approximately 1,000 wood products manufacturing facilities, and $70 billion in product shipments demonstrate how essential the industry is to the success of many communities nationwide.
- Wood is a renewable resource that sequesters huge amounts of carbon – both in forests and in products – and provides high levels of energy efficiency. According the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM), it takes 16% less energy to produce wood framing than steel or concrete frames and wood-framing in buildings results in 26% and 31% fewer CO2 emissions than for comparable steel-frame and concrete-frame buildings respectively.
"LEED’s exclusive acceptance of Forest Stewardship Council certification, which represents only a third of the amount of forests certified using the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, PEFC, or American Tree Farm System, undercuts the success of both the American wood products industry and our green building efforts," said Glowinski. "These members of Congress have made an important contribution to the growth of our wood products industry and the workers it supports as well as our efforts to promote energy efficiency and environmental conservation."
American Wood Council - Working Together for a Successful, Stable Future for Wood Products - July 7, 2010
WASHINGTON – The American Wood Council (AWC) has completed final steps to establish itself as an independent trade association representing traditional and engineered wood product manufacturers. In AWC, companies of all sizes and from across numerous wood product segments have joined together to have an effective voice for wood products. In creating the independent association, AWC will provide the industry with a forum to work together on issues related to building codes and standards, green building, and environmental regulations affecting wood products manufacturers.
"U.S. wood products companies face tremendous pressure from the economy, environmental regulation, and competing materials," said Robert Glowinski, new AWC President. "In the face of these challenges, no single company can by itself achieve the changes necessary to ensure a level playing field and survival. Now, more than ever, strength is found in numbers."
Wood products companies from across the nation agree on the need to work together. Marc Brinkmeyer, Chairman of the Board of the Idaho Forest Group and AWC Board Chairman said, "By working together as a coalition, the industry can have the resources, clout, and credibility to achieve policies that can secure a strong future for the wood products industry. As an industry, from the smallest companies to the largest, we are excited about the launch of AWC."
Joe Patton, Vice President for Wood Products at The Westervelt Company in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and 1st Vice Chairman of AWC, said, "AWC is seeking to expand the force and effectiveness of its advocacy efforts by ensuring that they reflect the full range and diversity of America’s wood products industry. Such a broad base of support not only enhances advocacy efforts before Congress and key policymaking bodies, but also helps ensure that all those who benefit from these efforts are helping to support them."
AWC is both an old organization as well as a brand new one. For 15 years, it has been an integral part of the American Forest & Paper Association, the U.S. trade association representing the forest products industry. Prior to that, it was part of the National Forest Products Association. Through its predecessors, the functions of AWC were first established in the United States by the industry in 1902. AWC is and always has been the technical arm of the U.S. wood products industry.
For more information, contact Buddy Showalter.
AF&PA and AWC Appeal to EPA for Changes to Boiler MACT Proposed Rule - Changes Recommend Ways to Protect Public Health, Jobs, and Renewable Energy Use - June 15, 2010
WASHINGTON – The Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) Boiler Maximum Achievable Control Technology (Boiler MACT) rule is so stringent that it could create serious disincentives for the use of renewable energy and be unsustainable for the forest product industry and the nearly 900,000 men and women it supports.
The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) and the American Wood Council (AWC) offered a statement at an EPA hearing in Arlington, Virginia today recommending ways to protect both public health and jobs by targeting environmental investments where there is a real need.
"If EPA were to provide more flexible approaches in the Boiler MACT rule, it could protect the environment and public health while preventing severe job losses and billions of dollars in unnecessary regulatory costs," said Tim Hunt, representing AF&PA and AWC at the EPA hearing.
Boiler MACT could cost the forest products industry alone over $6 billion in capital expenditures and hundreds of millions more in annual costs unless significant changes are made. This comes at the heels of the worse economic decline the industry has faced in modern history, with over 350,000 job losses since 2006.
"To be a sustainable industry supporting high paying jobs and providing sustainable products, environmental regulations need to be balanced," Hunt continued. "Otherwise, costs of this scale will force further mill closures and tens or even hundreds of thousands of additional job losses."
For a full copy of the hearing statement, please click here.
AWC Recognizes High-Performance Building Week - Wood Products are an Essential Element for Green Building - June 14, 2010
WASHINGTON – The High-Performance Building Congressional Caucus Coalition (HPBCCC), of which the American Wood Council (AWC) is a member, has designated June 13-19 as High-Performance Building Week. The week is an opportunity to highlight the importance of high-performance buildings to federal, state, and local policymakers and the general public. The extensive use of wood products in our buildings achieves the sustainability goals established for high-performance building.
"Wood is among the most energy-efficient and environmentally benign of all building materials and is a vital part of any green building," said Robert Glowinski, President of AWC. "The American Wood Council and its members are committed to reducing the environmental impact of buildings by encouraging energy-efficient, environmentally responsible choices during the design and building process."
Wood products and wood building materials store significant amounts of carbon sequestered from the atmosphere. According to the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM), it takes less energy to manufacture wood products than competing materials, and in turn fewer emissions are produced that contribute to global warming. In addition, wood products insulate and contribute to the overall energy performance of the building during its operation.
During High-Performance Building Week, AWC will cosponsor a set of briefings for Members of Congress, their staff, and the high performance building advocacy community to address the economic, social, environmental and energy benefits of using wood products in green building. The briefings will also address opportunities that exist in government to promote the greater use of wood in green building.
For more information on the important role that wood plays in Green Building, visit www.awc.org.
Releases
- AWC Statement on EPA Request for Extension to Re-propose Boiler MACT Rule for Further Comment (Dec 7, 2010)
- American Wood Council Elects New Officers (Nov 29, 2010)
- AWC, Others Send Letter to EPA about Boiler MACT (Nov 11, 2010)
- 41 Senators Express Their Concern Over EPA Rule That Will Cost Jobs (Sep 28, 2010)
- American Wood Council Statement on CIBO Economic Impact Study (Sep 15, 2010)
- American Wood Council Troubled by Possible Job Losses Shown in New Study Relating to Air Regulation (Aug 31, 2010)
- AWC Submits Comments on EPA Air Regulations - Encourages EPA to Focus on Health-Based Methods to Keep Americans Working (Aug 30, 2010)
- Support from Members of Congress for Expanding Sustainable Forest Certification Could Stimulate Market for Forest Products (Jul 19, 2010)
- American Wood Council - Working Together for a Successful, Stable Future for Wood Products (Jul 7, 2010)
- AF&PA and AWC Appeal to EPA for Changes to Boiler MACT Proposed Rule - (Jun 15, 2010)
- AWC Recognizes High-Performance Building Week (Jun 14, 2010)
- Wood Building Products Companies Pledge to Help Haiti Rebuild (Feb 3, 2010)
Briefs
- World's Tallest Wood Tower Proposed for Austria
- CalGREEN
- New Director of Structural Engineering Hired
- Engineering Achievement Young Engineer Award
- 2010 Technology Transfer Stats
- ICC Code Revision Process
- USFA Grants AWC $75,000 for Updating Firefighter Safety Information
- iLevel Sponsors Students at UT-Arlington
- AWC Welcomes Loren Ross as Engineering Research Manager
- Wood Engineering Achievement Award
- Adopt-a-University Program
- New iPhone App Launched
- Update AWC Contacts
- New AWC Southeast Regional Manager Hired
Archives
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News Briefs
World's Tallest Wood Tower Proposed for Austria
If you thought Waugh Thistleton's Timber Tower was tall, prepare to see it doubled. Creative Renewable Energy & Efficiency (CREE) is developing "a hybrid construction system for high-rise buildings which is based predominantly on a renewable raw material - wood." Their first project will be a thirty story mixed use building in Dornbirn, Austria.
Most products which we obtain from the earth's resources involve much more material than their actual weight suggests, as a result of excavation, transportation, and processing. According to the renowned chemist and environmental researcher Prof. Friedrich Schmidt-Bleek, every material has an "ecological rucksack." On average, 8 kg of rock and fossil fuels have to be removed from the earth in order to produce one kilogram of steel, 348 kg for one kilogram of copper, while a kilogram of aluminium "actually" weighs 37 kg. In addition, today's industrial community generates tremendous CO2 emissions.
For these reasons, to use wood as the main component for high-rise buildings may at first sight appear to be unusual. However, the advantages are obvious, for no other building material is produced with a similar regard for energy saving. Wood is a naturally renewable raw material, has high strength and low weight, and guarantees optimum heat insulation, durability, noise and vibration damping characteristics. As one of the earth's oldest building materials, wood meets the latest safety requirements even today, and is also 100% recyclable. In urban architecture, wood is therefore an outstanding alternative for the future.
Reprinted with permission from Treehugger - A Discovery Company. For more information, see the full article here.
The first-in-the-nation mandatory statewide Green Building Standards Code (CALGREEN) took effect on January 1, 2011 for state-regulated buildings. CalGreen claims to encourage good building design and careful jobsite management of wood products by insuring optimal use of wood fiber and construction waste recycling, respectively.
The new code recognizes appropriate use of wood building materials, and does not mandate the use of certified wood products. The California Building Industry Association (CBIA), which represents homebuilders, indicated that the system of local inspection has worked for decades to assure compliance with a myriad of other codes, so the added criteria of CalGREEN was not a factor. Local jurisdictions will enact CALGREEN, and those with stricter codes can choose to retain current standards. This is being seen as allowing California jurisdictions that have adopted the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, such as San Francisco, to retain it, but they will also be required to enforce CALGREEN.
New Director of Structural Engineering Hired
AWC is pleased to announce that Philip Line, P.E., will rejoin the AWC Codes & Standards group as Director of Structural Engineering. The flurry of seismic design activities will be among the many important issues that Phil will be addressing upon his return. Contact information: 202-463-2767 or pline@awc.org. Welcome back Phil!
Engineering Achievement Young Engineer Award
This Forest Products Society award sponsored by AWC recognizes excellence in the discipline of wood engineering, including structures, structural elements, building codes, consensus standards, design procedures and education. It is intended to honor achievements and innovations. This year the award honors a young (aged 40 or under) engineer for their past contributions and future potential in the field of wood engineering. Deadline is April 1, 2011. Click here for more information or to submit your nomination.
2010 Technology Transfer Stats
The International Code Council (ICC) publishes new editions of its family of codes every three years. During the time between new editions, ICC solicits revisions for the current codes. Since the first I-Codes were published ten years ago, the number of revision cycles in each three-year period has changed. For the first editions there were three cycles, then two. Currently, in development of the 2012 codes, there is only one cycle, with only a single opportunity to propose revisions.
During each code change cycle there are two meetings held for review of each of the various codes. One meeting involves testimony before an appointed ICC committee, and the second involves final action by the ICC voting membership.
In the current cycle for the 2012 codes, proposed changes were solicited from interested parties and were debated before the appropriate ICC code development committee last fall. Because of the number of documents being revised and the number of submitted proposals, the first hearing was structured with two concurrent tracks, making it difficult to monitor the whole process. In future revision cycles, the first hearing will be handled differently.
For the Final Action Hearings, the codes were divided into Groups A and B. The second hearings for the Group A codes – which included the International Building Code and the building-related proposals for the International Residential Code - were conducted in May of this year. Revisions approved at that time will become part of the 2012 editions of the codes. The second hearing for Group B codes, which includes the International Energy Conservation Code and the energy portions of the International Residential Code, were held the last week in October. Approved revisions will become a part of the next editions of the Group B codes.
The International Green Construction Code, which is in its first development process, had a public hearing in August to discuss comments received on the first draft of the code, written by a drafting committee. Approved modifications will be incorporated into a second draft. Revisions to the new draft will then be solicited, and two hearings on the green code will be conducted in 2011. The resulting document will become the first edition of the code. The green code will also be assigned to either Group A or B for the 2015 revision process.
For more information contact Dennis Pitts (972/398-9095).
USFA Grants AWC $75,000 for Updating Firefighter Safety Information
Following on its 2006 grant from the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA), part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the American Wood Council has been awarded a second federal grant for further development of firefighter safety information. Under the 2006 grant, AWC developed a comprehensive, web-based educational program to educate the fire service on lightweight wood construction components and the performance of these building materials in fires.
As a result of the positive feedback USFA received from the fire service on the usefulness of the information, USFA has provided AWC with another $75,000 grant to update, revise, and extend the fire service literature. Under the new grant, AWC will visit several state fire training academies, fire literature publishers, and fire service leaders to get first-hand feedback on the information AWC has made available, and use this to update and expand the resources AWC provides to the fire service.
AWC is pleased that Chief Ronny Coleman, retired Fire Marshal of California, who led much of the program for AWC under the first grant, will again assist with program execution. The work plan under the new grant will run through the end of 2011. The project goal of both grants has been to create a safer operational environment for firefighters.
AWC-developed fire service literature is available at www.woodaware.info.
iLevel Sponsors Students at UT-Arlington
iLevel recently provided each student in the University of Texas Arlington timber engineering class with a 2005 Wood Design Package. Professor John Matthys wrote, “As most financially supporting parents and financially non-supported students know, the downturn in the economy is making initiation and continuation of higher education a more formidable financial task. At many universities I understand that renting textbooks for the semester is significantly increasing. Although personally I would certainly entertain this concept for many non-engineering type classes, I believe this would be a drawback for the student in design type classes that use design documents/codes/specifications.
"We are fortunate at UT Arlington to have an industry sponsor - Raj Honnavara with iLevel by Weyerhaeuser in Carrollton, Texas - that recognizes the benefit in a design class for the student to have his/her own personal copy of design documents/codes during the formal learning process and have said material as a fundamental reference in their future industrial career.
"Thanks so much to Mr. Honnavara for his support of our future Structural Engineers!!!"
AWC Welcomes Loren Ross as Engineering Research Manager
Loren Ross joined AWC’s Building Codes and Standards staff August 16 as Manager of Engineering Research. Loren received his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering at Brigham Young University and his Master’s Degree in the same field at Washington State University. He subsequently spent several years as a design engineer and most recently worked for the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. He can be reached at 202-463-2771 or lross@awc.org. Welcome aboard Loren!
Wood Engineering Achievement Award
AWC sponsored and presented the 2010 Wood Engineering Achievement Award at the 64th International Convention of the Forest Products Society (FPS) to Dr. David W. Green, who recently retired from the USDA Forest Products Lab. This year's award was in the category of Lifetime Achievement.
One of the nomination letters included the following,
…With over 30 years of contributions, Dr. Green's research and expertise on wood engineering properties have earned for him a high level of respect throughout the wood engineering community. During his career, Dr. Green's research has been characterized by scientifically and statistically sound principles, and by its readiness for practical application. This, coupled with his personal commitment toward implementing these research results, has meant that his contributions have made a real difference. In particular, his work related to lumber standards has had a significant impact on the lumber market. His guidance on the in-grade testing program and his development of new test methods and ASTM standards were important contributions in making the applicability of wood in engineering designs as flexible as it is today. For the last 17 years of his career, Dr. Green provided advice and counsel to the lumber grading industry through his dedication and commitment on the American Lumber Standards Committee.
The American Wood Council is supporting the University of Nevada Las Vegas by providing electronic copies of the 2005 Wood Design Package to 30 students in its wood design course. The course is being taught by Chris Parker, UNLV Instructor who wrote, "Thank you again for the sponsorship for the students and having access to the materials they needed for the class without any additional funds out of their pockets. Without AWC's help this would not be possible!"
For more information on how your company can sponsor AWC publications for students, contact Buddy Showalter.
AWC is pleased to announce the release of a new application for the iPhone. The Span Calculator for Wood Joists and Rafters (Span Calc) performs calculations for all species and grades of commercially available softwood and hardwood lumber as found in the 2005 National Design Specification® (NDS®) for Wood Construction. Joists and rafter spans for common loading conditions can be determined. A "span options" calculator allows selection of multiple species and grades for comparison purposes. For more information, visit the iTunes store.
You may have noticed that our email addresses have changed. Please update your contact information for AWC staff using the format: first initial last name @awc.org. For a list of AWC staff contacts, follow this link: http://www.awc.org/AWC/staff.html.
New AWC Southeast Regional Manager Hired
Paul Coats joined AWC’s Building Codes and Standards staff March 1 as Southeast Regional Manager of Codes and Standards. Paul is a registered professional engineer (P.E.) and certified building official. Covering the Southeast region, a key area for high wind regulation, Paul will have his office in South Carolina. Paul previously worked for AWC as the Midwest Regional Manager. He also spent time as an ICC staff member and worked as a building official in Indiana. Contact information: Paul Coats 803-980-7304.