WallBracing.org

ICC, APA Offer IRC Wood Wall Bracing Seminar

05/25/2010

The International Code Council (ICC) and APA - The Engineered Wood Association have reached an agreement to jointly present a 2009 IRC Wood Wall Bracing seminar as part of the ICC professional code education program. The seminar covers the fundamentals of lateral loads, the technical basis for the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) wood frame wall bracing provisions, as well as the bracing provisions themselves. Code official, design professional and home builder groups and associations can contract for the seminar directly with the ICC.

The 2009 IRC contains numerous prescriptive lateral bracing provisions that, when correctly applied, help residential structures resist lateral loads that can result from wind and seismic events. In the seminar, APA or ICC code specialists will review the various bracing methods available, address how to combine multiple bracing techniques in a single structure, and provide numerous examples of related problems and solutions in residential building layouts.

Attendees of the one-day seminar will earn 0.6 ICC CEU (continuing education unit) credits. Customized training options are also available. Course registration and information is available at the ICC website or by calling 1-888-ICC-SAFE (422-7233), ext. 33818.

The basis for the seminar is A Guide to the 2009 IRC Wood Wall Bracing Provisions, a book jointly published by the ICC and APA last year. The illustrated guide was developed to help designers, builders, building officials and others using the code in the application of lateral bracing requirements. The book, which features more than 200 full-color figures, tables and photos, is available for purchase at the ICC Online Store (product #7102S09).

The ICC, a membership association dedicated to building safety, fire prevention and energy efficiency, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states choose the International Codes, building safety codes developed by the ICC.

Based in Tacoma, Washington, APA is a nonprofit trade association representing North American manufacturers of plywood, oriented strand board, glued laminated timber, wood I-joists, laminated veneer lumber, and other structural engineered wood products. Its primary functions are quality auditing and testing, applied research, and market support and development.