February 2023

2023 International Builders’ Show Engagement Surpasses Pre-Pandemic Levels

Partnerships paid dividends as wood groups including the Southern Forest Products Association, the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association, the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, the Western Wood Preservers Institute, and the Western Wood Products Association united under the Think Wood banner to have a successful presence at the International Builders’ Show—where even single-family builders showed an increased interest in mass timber.

The National Association of Homebuilders is touting that this was the largest Builders’ Show attendance in 10 years, with 70,000 attendees and 1,300 exhibitors. Think Wood can confirm that attendance at the booth was highest since at least 2019. Visitors were witness to the makeover that the Think Wood Mobile Tour received during the offseason. In addition to a refreshed exterior design, the exhibit now includes a display of Rothoblass fasteners, connections, and other hardware used to assemble mass timber systems.

The mobile tour will be central to Think Wood’s show presence at the upcoming International Mass Timber Conference (March 27–29 in Portland, Oregon) and the American Institute of Architects’ Conference on Architecture (June 8–9 in San Francisco). In support of the SLB Education program, the display stopped at Texas A&M in coordination with the school of architecture’s career fair (February 16–17) and is planning three additional university events. Think Wood will host several of the above-mentioned association partners at the residential contractor–focused JLC Live event next month (March 24–25 in Providence, Rhode Island).

AWC Rolls Out 2023 EPD Data Collection

The American Wood Council is ramping up its efforts to collect 2023 environmental product declaration (EPD) data and invites SLB investors to submit their information. The AWC has been working toward compiling data on the production processes and environmental impacts of products produced by its member companies into a single database, with the goal of capturing data from the rest of the softwood lumber products produced in the U.S., as well. The AWC’s LCA Data Specialist Anna Ostrander is leading the charge and has helped refine the submission process; she is working closely with member companies to provide the technical assistance to support their data entry.

The data being collected represents the life cycle of forest products, including fiber sourcing, the primary and secondary products produced, the energy that goes into production, and the end use. Data is anonymized and will be used to produce life cycle analyses and environmental impact studies that can be used for regional EPDs. A data search query tool will launch in Q3 and continue to be developed over time.

Sharing this data “helps the wood industry because EPDs show the lower embodied carbon of wood products compared to concrete or steel and provide documentation that wood is the most sustainable structural material for the built environment,” Ostrander says. “The market is demanding transparency in carbon and climate impacts of structural building materials, and wood has an incredible story to tell. By contributing data to our efforts, you join the AWC’s efforts for radical transparency around wood products and are part of that story.”

As SLB President and CEO Cees de Jager points out, sharing that story is critical: “While we, as an industry, were one of the first to develop an EPD, we have not kept up with other sectors in recent years, and now we’re playing catch up,” he says. “Regardless of whether or not they are AWC members, it is essential that lumber producers engage in the process. The EPD data is foundational to our environmental value proposition which differentiates our products from the competition and a primary driver in capturing market share in non-traditional market segments and growing the use of softwood lumber products in the built environment.”

To add EPD data to the AWC’s efforts, contact Ostrander directly at aostrander@awc.org.

USFS Wood Innovations and Community Wood Grants Are Open for Applications

The USDA Forest Service is accepting applications for two wood-related grant programs—the Wood Innovations Grants (WIG) and the Community Wood Grant (CWG) programs.

Launched in 2015, the WIG program supports U.S. wood products markets and wood energy markets to support long-term forest management by providing funding in focus areas such as mass timber, renewable wood energy, and technological development that fosters hazardous fuel reduction and sustainable forest management.

Launched in 2020, the CWG funds grants for the installation of renewable and thermally led community wood energy systems and innovative wood product manufacturing facilities. But a key difference for this year’s CWG program is that grant funding may now be used for capital projects, including equipment procurement.

Applications for both programs are due at 5:00 p.m. local time on March 23.

Reminder – SLB Board Nominations Close April 14

The SLB seeks nominations of softwood lumber manufacturers and importers interested in candidacy for Board seats coming open in January 2024. Each director will serve a three-year term and may serve for a maximum of two consecutive terms. The deadline for nominations is April 14.

The SLB is seeking nominees to fill four seats for Directors whose terms expire on December 31:

• Three domestic manufacturers:
  
  • Two large companies representing the U.S. South. (Based on a review of 2019-2021 data, “large companies” are those that ship or import 510 million board feet or more of assessable softwood lumber annually.)
  • One company of any size representing the U.S. West (flex seat).
• One importer:
  • One small company representing any importing region.

To be eligible, nominees operating within the regions named above must manufacture and ship within the United States, or import into the United States, at least 15 million board feet of softwood lumber annually. Under the program, large companies are defined as those that account for the top two-thirds of the volume of assessable softwood lumber annually, and small companies account for the remaining assessable softwood lumber.

The timeline for the nomination, appointment process, and further details can be found here.

WoodWorks Releases Open-Source Mass Timber Installer Training Curriculum

With the release of 10 mass timber installer training modules, WoodWorks has further expanded the ability of design and construction teams to pursue mass timber projects across the U.S. Intended for use by contractors, subcontractor erectors, training centers, community colleges, and workforce-development programs, the modules complement other WoodWorks efforts to ensure that qualified workers are available to install mass timber projects.

The release of installer training curriculum for anyone who wants to use it is a significant milestone. When WoodWorks launched its Mass Timber Construction Management Program in 2019, there was a critical gap in knowledge and skills among contractors and installers. Developers and building designers were eager to use mass timber, but most contractors were unfamiliar with the materials and skewed budgets high to cover unknowns, scuttling many projects. Since then, WoodWorks has developed education and technical content tailored to the needs of project managers and estimators as well as field team leaders and installers to help ensure competitive pricing and contribute to a growing pool of trained workers.

Available on the WoodWorks website, the 10 training modules include: Introduction to Mass Timber; Connection Considerations; Beam and Column Connections; Panel Connections; Fasteners, Hardware and Equipment; Safety Considerations; Planning and Coordination; Material Protection; Installation; Repairs, Finishes, and As-Builts.

Since their launch in January, the modules have been downloaded by nearly 400 construction and framing professionals, developers, architects, engineers, educators, and others seeking content on the proper and safe construction of mass timber buildings.

The AWC Uses Education and Articles to Encourage States to Adopt TMT Provisions; 19 States Signed On So Far

Nearly 20 states have adopted either the 2021 IBC or the 2018 IBC with amendments to incorporate provisions for tall mass timber. South Carolina and North Carolina are the most recent states to adopt requirements of the 2021 International Building Code, each with an effective date of January 1, 2023.

In addition to picking up new tall mass timber provisions of the 2021 IBC, adoption of the 2021 IBC brings forth formal recognition of the latest wood design information in its referenced documents, including the AWC’s 2021 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic, 2021 Permanent Wood Foundation Design Specification, and 2021 Span Tables for Joists and Rafters.

The AWC has been focused on providing education on the tall mass timber provisions and AWC standards to ensure these states are prepared for plan reviews. Recent training sessions have included code officials from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Tennessee is important because stakeholders in the state held several meetings last year and are seeking adoption of the 2021 IBC in early 2023. To further support Tennessee adoption of the 2021 IBC, the AWC is preparing for several half-day education sessions that will be held across the state this year.

Anton Pacific — Santa Cruz, CA

Corey DeManty, a Principal at Architecture Design Collaborative, reached out to WoodWorks with questions on how to detail the floor-to-wall intersection in a Type III building after attending a presentation on fire, acoustics, and structural detailing by WoodWorks Regional Director Mike Romanowski.

The IBC does not yet address this condition, creating confusion that the AWC sought to resolve with its publication DCA 3 – Fire-Resistance-Rated Wood-Frame Wall and Floor/Ceiling Assemblies. However, this approach is not recognized by all jurisdictions, and DeManty was hearing conflicting opinions from authorities and his own structural engineers.

Romanowski outlined an approach and rationale, supported by AWC and WoodWorks resources, which DeManty shared, along with DCA 3 and its companion document, TR 10 – Calculating the Fire Resistance of Wood Members and Assemblies, with the building official. When the official responded with questions about both documents, the AWC provided information, while Romanowski worked with DeManty and the structural engineer to anticipate calculations that would be requested by the city of Santa Cruz.

With WoodWorks and AWC support, the project—which uses 4.34 MBF (13.9 BF/SF) in its 5-over-2 structure—went forward using the “DCA 3” approach. “We appreciate the variety of resources WoodWorks provides, especially on larger projects that aren’t always straightforward,” DeManty said. “Not only did Mike help us work through the issue, he contacted the AWC on our behalf to explain their rationale to the building official.”

The Visualization Problem of Embodied Carbon

In a recent column for Treehugger called “How to Understand the Scale of Embodied Carbon,” Lloyd Alter takes on one of sustainable design’s enduring public relations challenges: how to get the general public to better understand the sheer scale and impact of embodied carbon savings on the built environment. “Whenever we talk about fixing old buildings instead of tearing them down and replacing them, you can see eyes glazing over. They say the new building will be sustainable and energy efficient! Or, where I live in Toronto, they will tear down a 20-story rental apartment building to build a 50-story condo building and say, ‘We need more housing’,” Alter writes. But “when we bring up the embodied or upfront carbon produced to replace the building, those eyes start rolling.”

Alter cites Will Arnold, an engineer who currently serves as head of climate action at the Institution of Structural Engineers and previously worked at ARUP, where he wrote an article titled “Reducing Carbon Emissions ... Every Working Day.” Arnold equates the carbon in buildings to relatable statistics in everyday life to show the scale of impact. When people think of their own carbon footprint, air travel and driving are tangible concerns, he argues, so he clocks a one-way flight from London to New York as consuming 1 metric ton (1 tonne) of carbon and driving the average family car 10,000 miles at 3 metric tons of carbon. But, he points out, just a 1% reduction in the carbon footprint of a building could save 100 metric tons of carbon.

Assessing carbon savings by relatable daily activity, Alter says, makes it easier to visualize: A 10% reduction in the carbon footprint of a building—or 1,000 metric tons of carbon savings—as being equivalent to 1,000 transatlantic flights (more than most people will ever taking in their lives), is something that people can relate to. And that relationship is important: When the idea of the scale of carbon savings possible in the built environment is difficult to grasp, it is easier to swallow the decision to tear down one tower to make room for another. But when people understand how even small reductions in the carbon footprint of buildings can make a big difference, the impact of selecting building materials for their embodied carbon benefits becomes clear.

This monthly housing commentary report is a free service of Virginia Tech and is intended to help one gauge future business activity in the U.S. housing market.

December 2022 Reports (released in February 2023)

Part A: December Housing Commentary

Part B: December Economic Conditions