Mass Timber Could Rival Steel, Concrete

Oct. 6, 2020

With environmental benefits and lower labor costs, mass timber has grown into a market that could rival steel and concrete in the construction industry, according to the New York Times. 

Wood has several advantages over other building materials—including slowing climate change—that are driving interest, according to the article. Steel and cement generate greenhouse gases during every phase of their production. By contrast, wood stores carbon, offsetting the emission of greenhouse gases. 

Developers are also turning to wood for its versatility and sustainability. Prominent companies like Google, Microsoft, and Walmart have also expressed support for a renewable resource.

“We are making huge headway in the U.S. now,” said Michael Green, a mass timber architect for Katerra Construction Company. When Katerra was founded in 2015, only 10 large buildings in the U.S. were constructed from cross-laminated timber panels. But demand for the products is so strong that the number of construction projects could reach more than 24,000 by 2034.

However, as the market grows, so have concerns over safety. One of the biggest critics has been the concrete industry, which produces 83 percent of concrete for total projects annually in the U.S. 

“Have we not learned our lesson about increased density with combustible construction?” said Gregg Lewis, executive vice president of National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. “We’ve seen what happens when we build cities out of wood.”

To counter claims that mass timber buildings are unsafe, developers have financed scientific studies and collaborated with university research groups to show big wood panels and stout support beams defied fire and performed well in earthquakes, the NYT reports.

The findings have persuaded building code regulators to relax height restrictions for tall wood buildings. Washington and Oregon now allow 18-story wood buildings.

Source: The New York Times