by Web Editor | Jul 8, 2016 | News
On Dec. 26, 2015, the first EF4 or stronger tornado ever recorded in December in Texas made landfall in Garland and Rowlett, suburban towns near Dallas. APA sent a damage assessment team to the area immediately following the storm. The damage assessment team found numerous examples of severe damage, not just in the area most intensely affected by the storm, but also in areas where the tornado winds were not as intense, with damage indicators pointing to wind speeds well below the EF4 rating.
Building failures were attributed to several common structural weaknesses, including poor performance of laminated-fiber sheathing, missing metal connectors, and poor attachment of wall systems to both the roof and the foundation.
While it is challenging to design homes to withstand the most intense tornadoes, there are cost-effective design details that builders and designers can implement to significantly mitigate storm damage in less powerful winds along the edge of the storm’s path. By continuously sheathing walls with plywood or OSB and playing close attention to all connection details, builders can significantly increase the strength and resilience of their homes.
Download Texas Tornado Damage Assessment Report, Form SP-1177, including general findings, 50 images of tornado-damaged homes, and wind-resistant construction recommendations. The report is also available to purchase in print for $2.00.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/wood/apa-wood-panel-group-issues-study-how-super-strong-tornados-damage-homes
by Web Editor | Jun 29, 2016 | News
Weyerhaeuser plans to permanently close its lumber mill and plywood mill in Columbia Falls, Montana, by the end of the summer. It will also close its Columbia Falls, Montana, main office.
Weyerhaeuser will continue to operate its three other mills in Montana: a lumber mill in Kalispell, a plywood mill in Kalispell, and a medium-density fiberboard mill in Columbia Falls.
“For some time now our operations in Montana have been running below capacity as a result of an ongoing shortage of logs in the region,” said Doyle R. Simons, president and chief executive officer. “These closures will allow us to align the available log supply with our manufacturing capacity, including adding shifts at our Kalispell facilities. These moves will improve the operating performance of our remaining mills and best position these mills for long-term success.”
Some 100 jobs will be eliminated as a result of the mill closures, now planned for late August or early September.
The mill closures follow a decision earlier this year to move corporate positions that do not support manufacturing in Montana to Weyerhaeuser’s Seattle headquarters. As a result, the company also plans to close its main office in Columbia Falls at the end of the year.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/log-shortage-blamed-weyerhaeuser-plywood-mill-shut-down?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news
by Web Editor | Jun 20, 2016 | News
The months-long mystery behind which home siding company would be receiving a $66 million subsidy package from the state has finally been made public. Louisiana-Pacific will construct a $440 million plant in Hoyt Lakes. This is the Nashville-based company’s second operation in the state (the other being in Two Harbors).
The Hoyt Lakes site will employ 250 people, amounting to roughly $264,000 in state funding per job created. The Duluth News Tribune notes that many of those employees will be loggers and felled tree transporters, a group of workers that has struggled to find employment following years of board plant closures and layoffs at paper mills in the area.
The new plant will also source its wood products from Minnesota. LP is currently estimating its take to be 800,000 cords per year (one cord equals 128 cubic feet of wood) or about 200 logging trucks each day.
Minnesota lawmakers began developing the public financing package for LP earlier in the year. Senator David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, previously said at least Michigan and Canada were vying for the LP plant as well.
Funding for the project comes from a number of sources. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development will be kicking in $20 million from its 21st Century Minerals fund, while the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board will be contributing $16 million from its economic development trust fund. The final $30 million will come from state taxpayers in a 10-part, $3 million per year deal.
From Twin Cities Business: https://tcbmag.com/News/Recent-News/2016/June/Louisiana-Pacific-Is-Mystery-Company-Receiving-$66
by Web Editor | Jun 13, 2016 | News
Two successful sales confirm that Siempelkamp’s expertise enjoys best reputation in Down Under as well: Borg Manufacturing Pty. Ltd., a leading Australian producer of melamine-laminated boards, has ordered a new particleboard plant for its Oberon location. Moreover, Borg has ordered a retrofitting concept from Siempelkamp to use their latest technologies effectively in their existing plant.
The new particleboard plant will be set up in Oberon in the Australian state of New South Wales, where Borg Manufacturing operates a facility for wood-panel surfacing. Impressive investments will enhance its market value significantly. Having so far purchased all their particleboard the company now strives for more autonomy by running their own production facility.
In this Borg relies on Siempelkamp’s support: The Krefeld-based machinery and plant manufacturer received the order for a particleboard plant including a Generation 8-ContiRoll (pressing format 8’ x 40.4 m, designed for an output of 1,500 m³/day). In this plant, two important technological core competences will be realized: for one the almost isobaric pressure distribution in the press and secondly the latest forming technology, presently representing the latest benchmark with respect to raw material consumption.
This is achieved, amongst others, by an optimized material feed into the dosing bins and by two field proven EcoFormers, which are wind formers for producing the surface layers. The mat former system is completed with two CageFormers for producing the core layers; the formers are equipped with modules designed to adjust the weight-per-unit area of the mat. The interplay of these components enables a high forming precision and – along with the almost isobaric pressure distribution in the ContiRoll – ensures an especially material- and cost-efficient particleboard production. These important features have contributed to convince our customer.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/borg-manufacturing-orders-new-particleboard-plants-siempelkamp
by Web Editor | Jun 10, 2016 | News
In a move that will mandate required federal safety assessments of chemicals found in everyday products from laundry detergent to toys, a June 7 U.S. Senate vote sends legislation to President Barack Obama for signature.
The president is expected within days to sign the measure, which marks Congress’s first major overhaul of a federal pollution control statute in a decade. The legislation will fundamentally change U.S. regulation of the products of the chemical industry, from commodity substances that have been in use for decades to novel commercial compounds discovered and developed by research chemists.
“Most Americans believe that when they buy a product at the hardware store or the grocery store, that product has been tested and determined to be safe. But that isn’t the case,” said Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.), who championed the legislation.
Udall says that residents of the U.S. are exposed to hundreds of commercially produced chemicals. “We carry them around with us in our bodies, even before we’re born. Some are known carcinogens; others are highly toxic. But we don’t know the full extent of how they affect us because they have never been tested.”
The measure mandates that the EPA assess the safety of chemicals in commerce. It also gives EPA new authority to require chemical manufacturers to test their products for possible risks to human health and the environment. Currently, EPA must document that a substance may pose a risk before it can demand that chemical makers conduct toxicity or exposure tests.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/landmark-chemical-safety-legislation-passes-congress?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news
by Web Editor | Jun 8, 2016 | News
Eastern Engineered Wood Products, Bethlehem, Pa., has formed a new business unit, eWood-LINK, focused on turning the Northeastern wholesaler into a national distributor.
eWood-LINK will sell EEWP’s StructurePRO and other national brands of engineered wood and related products to pro dealers, component manufacturers, and wholesalers throughout the U.S.
Brian Pershyn, 44-year industry veteran and longtime outside sales rep with EEWP, leads the new sales initiative.
“We think this is an important time to expand our footprint,” states Todd Lindsey, president of EEWP. “We are excited about the opportunity to introduce our brands and our unique value proposition to customers in new markets.”
Eastern Engineered Wood Products incorporated in Pennsylvania in 1998. The company designs and distributes structural floor and roof systems to the professional contractor trade through a network of retail lumber yards and truss manufacturers. The company’s services include technical design and CAD services, cutting product to size for application on individual projects, and just-in-time delivery.
From Building-Products.com: https://www.building-products.com/June-2016/Eastern-Engineered-Wood-Products-Expands-Nationwide/
