Hoover Treated Wood Products (HTWP) led a seminar on fire-retardant treated wood (FRTW) for code professionals at the annual EduCODE conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hoover industry experts, Chris Athari and Jim Gogolski provided more than 16 hours of hands-on instruction to nearly 100 building, fire and code enforcement professionals.
Building and life safety professionals learned about fire-rated construction basics, FRTW applications, and FRTW testing standard development.
- Identifying proper installations of wood framing in floors, walls, and roofs as well as common code violations.
- Defining FRTW and how to identify code-compliant applications in building construction, including when building in the wildland urban interface.
- Required testing standards for FRTW, providing an overview of how they are developed and accepted, and how to read and understand code evaluation reports and acceptance criteria.
EduCODE has been a part of the Las Vegas community for nearly 30 years, but 2024 saw its highest attendance in a decade with 1,400 participants.
“We are honored that Hoover got to be a part of this highly respected event with some of the brightest minds in the industry,” said Chris Athari, Director of Architectural Solutions, Hoover Treated Wood Products. “Hoover is committed to protecting people where they live and work, and we can’t do that alone. Through continued education in our industry, we can all better protect and serve our communities for generations to come.”
Unfortunately, as the conference began, fires sparked in the Texas panhandle, creating devastating impacts for thousands of Texans. In the wake of this disaster, learnings around the wildland-urban interface were more important than ever. Participants were especially interested in how these codes can protect communities.
“The fires we are seeing in Texas are devastating and it is a reminder of the importance of our work,” said Jim Gogolski, Architectural/ Code Specialist, Hoover Treated Wood Products. “As communities grow outside of the urban core and expand into more rural areas, they are increasingly surrounded by trees and other natural resources that act as fuel for fires. Learning building practices to mitigate catastrophic damage and loss of life is a critical lesson for all in our industry.”
EduCode has been held in Las Vegas, Nevada for 27 years. Put on each year by the Southern Nevada Chapter of the International Code Council, this multi-day event is the perfect destination to expand building code knowledge and network with some of the best in the industry. EduCODE offered 130 classes to choose from and hosted thousands of industry leaders. Hoover is proud to be a subject matter expert at this prestigious event.
To learn more about FRTW and other events Hoover will be present at, visit frtw.com or contact Hoover’s free FRTW product support service at 1-800-TECWOOD or techwood@frtw.com.
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ABOUT CHRISTOPHER ATHARI
Christopher is a chemist with more than 20 years of experience in the building products industry. He has significant experience formulating coatings for wood products and in research and development of gypsum innovations. Currently, he provides FRTW design consultation to architects, engineers and regulators, is an active participant in the standards and alternative code criteria development processes, and is a member of ASTM and ICC. He is proud alum of West Virginia University where he earned his degree in chemistry.
ABOUT JIM GOGOLSKI
Jim is a wood technologist with more than 35 years of experience. He has held positions with APA – The Engineered Wood Association, a wood preservative supplier, and the Southern Forest Products Association. Currently he provides FRTW design consultation to architects, engineers and regulators, is a member of ICC and NFPA, and is an active member of a number of fire committees. He earned a BS in Wood Products Technology from The Ohio State University and an MBA from Xavier University.
