The renaissance in the use of wood to construct taller buildings continues to develop. It’s likely that, when the market pops for the use of new wood products as the primary structural material in eco-friendly urban construction projects, the Pacific Northwest will be a major hub of activity.
In order to succeed, the tall wood building industry will need to bring together “software” — the creative ambition of architects and engineers — and “hardware” — stocks of sustainably grown timber for manufacture into modern materials such as cross-laminated timber (CLT). The Northwest is rich in both, a fact that could position us to be on the leading edge of the new industry and breathe new life into our region’s forestry sector.
From the International Business Times:
…[F]orestry in western Washington and throughout the country has long been hindered by narrowing profit margins and a shortage of loggers and mills capable of turning these trees into revenue-producing products. …
The daunting reality that landowners and managers such as Ettl face is that the price of timber in the U.S. has barely kept pace with inflation since the 1980s. …
Fortunately for Ettl, an industry turnaround could be on the horizon. A growing number of architects and designers predict that very soon, Americans will see a new breed of wooden high-rise buildings take shape that could shore up the struggling forestry industry in states such as Washington. …
Earlier this year, the leading global authority on construction policies took a major step by updating the International Building Code to permit tall wooden buildings to take root around the world. Advocates say it’s only a matter of time before the U.S.’ first wooden high-rise is erected. …
Why all the hubbub over a building material that was so long ago replaced by steel and concrete? In one concept, a 42-story wooden residential building reduced the carbon footprint by 60 percent to 75 percent from a concrete building of the same size. …
Here in the Evergreen State, it’s easy to imagine how much more timber these forests might produce. Ettl says a tree can grow two to three times as quickly here as on the eastern side of the state thanks to a steady drizzle that soaks young stands in 40 inches to 60 inches of rain a year. That means loggers can harvest two to four times as much timber per acre and landowners can clear cut their trees every 30 years to 50 years instead of waiting 70 years to 100 years. …
Read more in the full article >>
