Winter 2025
Highlights from this Month's e-Newsletter
Feature
Disaster Preparedness in Building Design
Tornadoes. Floods. Hurricanes.
Natural disasters are occurring more frequently, and the damage they cause is growing. According to Gallagher Re, a United Kingdom-based global reinsurance broker, weather events caused more than $360 billion in damage worldwide in 2022. While nothing can prevent all damage, engineered wood products (EWPs) offer a way to make buildings more resilient to these incidents.
Matt Brown, the director of energy policy and code at APA – The Engineered Wood Association, says engineered wood products can promote sustainable construction practices. Plus, they can help professionals design buildings that meet or exceed code requirements for events such as seismic activity, floods or high winds. APA offers guidance on how to best use these products.
“We have resources,” Brown says. “They guide you on how to increase the resilience of wood-frame structures. A sound resiliency strategy includes structure, sustainability and energy efficiency.”
APA defines resiliency as designing and constructing buildings that can withstand and recover from severe wind, seismic activity, fire and floods, while promoting sustainability and energy efficiency.
“Engineered wood helps meet these challenges by offering structural resilience, hazard mitigation, stewardship/sustainability, and energy efficiency,” Brown says. He points out that organizations such as the U.S. Energy Department and the International Code Council are including sustainability and energy efficiency initiatives in their regulations.
“A core piece of a solid resiliency plan is to make sure a building is energy efficient and survivable after a major disaster,” he adds.
Think about high winds. Tornadoes, hurricanes and tropical cyclones have caused billions of dollars in damage worldwide in recent decades. “Designers may not realize how easily they can increase structural resistance for wind,” Brown says. “Fully sheathing walls with wood structural panels creates a strong barrier that resists the persistent forces of high winds .”
Brown points out that APA has numerous resources with recommendations for creating structures resilient to high-wind events, including case studies on rare occurrences like straight-line wind events.
In addition to high wind events the potential impact of flooding has also increased. Hurricanes have struck some of the country's most populated areas, causing unprecedented water damage. Brown points out that raised wood floors (with a crawl space or a deep open pile and beam foundation) may help prevent structural damage by giving the water somewhere else to go. “You can have flood dampers that allow the structure to stay (intact), even if the crawl space were to flood,” he says. “You can still maintain a space in livable condition.”
Getting Technical
Info on Resilient Construction with Engineered Wood Available on Demand
Today’s building codes and standards address many of society’s top concerns regarding the built environment — from public health and safety to the environmental impacts of construction materials. As natural disasters become more frequent, severe and costly, the need for more resilient buildings is paramount. This complimentary on-demand webinar explores the essential role of resilient construction and explains the APA resources that support resilient design. Learn how to meet or exceed code requirements by using engineered wood products to build strong, sustainable and energy-efficient structures. AIA and ICC credits available.
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Inside the Circle
Meet Jacquelyn Miller
Jacquelyn Miller, EIT, is the engineered wood specialist for the Midwest territory and based in Chicago. She brings a technical foundation and a passion for sustainability. Jacquelyn earned a B.S. in civil engineering and a minor in Spanish from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and is currently pursuing her MBA at Utah State University. She began her career as a structural design engineer in Cincinnati, working on residential and commercial projects and contributing to sustainability initiatives. Her favorite aspect of the job has always been mentoring colleagues and promoting teamwork. Outside of work, Jacquelyn enjoys hiking, kayaking, biking and baking — especially cupcakes.
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