SLB Q1 2024 - 2024 Q1 Softwood Lumber Board Newsletter

DOWNLOADS

THINK WOOD
HIGHLIGHTS

AWC
HIGHLIGHTS

EDUCATION
HIGHLIGHTS

WOODWORKS
HIGHLIGHTS

Q1 HIGHLIGHTS

SLB
Feature Story

Scroll to Read the Report

The SLB’s investments this quarter delivered strong, measurable results, expanding markets and driving incremental lumber demand. Through its programs and partnerships, the SLB is leading the industry’s efforts to deliver long-term, sustainable growth in demand for softwood lumber products.

2024

REPORT

2020

Q4 1.0 MM

Q3 1.1 MM

Q2 1.1 MM

Q1 1.2 MM

4.5 MM

2021

Q4 1.2 MM

Q3 1.2 MM

Q2 1.4 MM

Q1 1.1 MM

4.9 MM

2022

Q4 1.4 MM

Q3 1.2 MM

Q2 1.4 MM

Q1 1.3 MM

5.3 MM

2023

Q4 1.5 MM

Q3 1.2 MM

Q2 1.3 MM

Q1 1.1 MM

5.1 MM

Total Carbon Benefit of Previous Years

(Metric Tons of CO2)

Total Carbon Benefit of Previous Years

See previous years

70%
Light-Frame

30%
Mass Timber

The Equivalent to Not Burning

Railcars of Coal.

6,050

in Washington, D.C. for One Year.

Which is the Equivalent of All

Cars parked

Q1 HIGHLIGHTS

Q1 INCREMENTAL DEMAND GENERATED

431 MM BF

Toward the 1,629 MM bf 2024 goal

2023

1,895

2022

1,998

2021

1,848

2020

1,624

2019

1,449

2018

1,245

2024

YE GOAL
1,629

Q1 431

0.7 MM

METRIC TONS OF CO2 AVOIDED

0.34 MM

METRIC TONS OF CO2 STORED

Carbon impact from facilitating wood use

Which Equals a Total Carbon Benefit of

1.1 MILLION

METRIC TONS
OF CO2

Jump to these stories.

Want to read more SLB stories?

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

Michael Bennett | Studio Kër

"The need to protect biodiversity, the role of carbon in design, countering deforestation…all of these things are really the reason I’ve fallen in love with cross-laminated timber.
It offers versatility, flexibility, and beauty and allows for big installations while reducing energy consumption and being a viable alternative to traditional building materials."

A year-long partnership with Super Bowl star-turned-designer Michael Bennett’s firm Studio Kër is showcasing innovative uses of lumber-based building systems.

1 of 5

CODA Detroit

A 95,000-square-foot, five-story mixed-use mass timber residential project incorporating elements of historic preservation and new methods to address acoustical challenges. Its team comprises OOMBRA Architects, Brush Park Properties, IN Development Partners, JDH Engineering, Britt Peters and Associates, and AM Higley.

The audience, made up of over 100 students and faculty, actively engaged with Bennett, asking questions and
offering positive feedback. The event and sponsorship demonstrate how high-profile speakers and partnerships can amplify the SLB’s message into mainstream forums.

Bennett’s talk kicked off a yearlong partnership between Studio Kër and the SLB. The collaboration also includes
work on a chapel and traveling exhibition featuring a CLT form used for education and dialogue related to preserving Black historical and sacred spaces.

SLB Education and Think Wood secured a speaking opportunity for former Super Bowl champion Michael Bennett, who spoke about his design firm’s use of wood at the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Spring Forum, hosted by the University of DC in March.

The former professional athlete and celebrity figure is a graduate of the Heritage School of Interior Design and is currently finishing an architecture degree at the University of Hawaii. In 2020, he founded Studio Kër, dedicated to creating spaces that “harmonize with the natural world and encourage meaningful interaction between humans,” and he is an influential presence on social media with 331,000 followers on his personal account.

During his presentation, Bennett shared insights into how his firm integrates lumber in its design projects, emphasizing lumber’s strength, flexibility, and ease of fabrication. He highlighted that using lumber also supports sustainable forest management practices and climate-conscious design.

SLB Feature Story

SLB Partners With Former Football Star to
Champion Wood Use to Underserved Communities

Research from WoodWorks and the SLB has identified general contractors’ lack of knowledge about wood construction systems as a primary barrier to greater mass timber adoption. WoodWorks is making significant strides toward overcoming that obstacle and expanding market opportunities through its Mass Timber Installer Training program. To date, WoodWorks has partnered with 28 training centers and four universities across the U.S. for mass timber instruction, amounting to a total of 32 mass timber mock-ups deployed to date. And last year, WoodWorks reported a 55% increase in the number of installers trained—with 630 tradespeople completing just under 10,000 hours of installer training. To date, 1,200 construction management students received nearly 23,000 educational hours related to mass timber installation.

Interest in mass timber training extends beyond traditional wood construction sectors. Notably, the Southwestern United Ironworkers recently invested $145,000 for seven mass timber mock-ups, initiating training in seven locations across California, Arizona, and Nevada.

In Maui, where an August 2023 wildfire caused widespread damage, WoodWorks, the SLB, and the USDA Forest Service assisted with a training mock-up to aid post-fire recovery efforts, demonstrating the practical benefits of mass timber in disaster resilience. By providing these educational resources and hands-on training, WoodWorks is opening up new markets for mass timber in every corner of the country.

STORY 3 of 3

WOODWORKS FEATURE

WoodWorks’ Mass Timber Installer Training program is growing market share for mass timber by addressing the shortage of qualified installers in the U.S.

Installer Training Helps Overcome a
Primary Barrier to Mass Timber Adoption

WoodWorks played a central role on the steering committee at the 9th annual International Mass Timber Conference (IMTC) in March, shaping the program and presenting several of the sessions, which included a first-ever developer track. The largest gathering of mass timber experts in the world, with more than 700 first-time attendees, the event drew more than 60 speakers, 170 exhibitors, and nearly 3,000 AEC professionals. Throughout the conference, WoodWorks and its project support staff were promoted as the organization to contact for project support, education, and resources.

Complementing the educational sessions, the onsite erection of a mass timber construction mock-up by a skilled team of three carpenters from Seagate Mass Timber showcased the practical application, speed, and versatility of mass timber construction techniques. This project featured materials supplied by SmartLam, including cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glulam beams.

Post-conference, the mock-up was relocated to the Carpenters Training Center in Denver, where it now aids in training apprentice and journeyman-level carpenters in advanced construction techniques.

STORY 2 of 3

WOODWORKS FEATURE

WoodWorks demonstrated its position as the go-to resource for support, education, and training at the International Mass Timber Conference (IMTC), generating 125 project leads and attracting 1,300 first-time attendees.

WoodWorks Demonstrates Industry Leadership at Mass Timber Conference

More than 600 questions about light-frame construction were answered by WoodWorks’ help desk last year, and WoodWorks’ 2024 national light-frame webinar series attracted 6,900 attendees in just the first four months of the year. Together, these resources are boosting light-frame construction and directly influencing a greater use of lumber across project types such as multifamily, assembly/cultural, and education.

A notable example involved a four-story building in Florida, where the help desk suggested replacing a significant portion of the steel framework with glulam beams. This change not only simplified the construction process but is expected to save approximately $125,000 in construction costs for one section of the building alone.

Acting as complementary services, the webinars grow greater understanding of advanced light-frame construction, while the help desk provides more detailed assistance and problem solving. When combined, these strategies are playing a market-expanding role — converting more projects in the low-rise category essential for market share growth to light-frame construction.

STORY 1 of 3

WOODWORKS FEATURE

WoodWorks’ help desk services, complemented by an extensive range of webinars, provide a resource-efficient, high-impact way to grow the light-frame wood construction market.

Help Desk & Webinars Boost
Light-Frame Lumber Construction

Installer Training Helps Overcome a Primary Barrier to Mass Timber Adoption

WoodWorks Demonstrates Industry Leadership at Mass Timber Conference

Help Desk & Webinars
Boost Light-Frame
Lumber Construction

WOODWORKS HIGHLIGHTS

Resulting in

of Incremental Wood
Structural Panels

113 MM SF

of Incremental EWP

37 MM SF

of Incremental Lumber

173 MM SF

of Wood Project
ConstructioN

18 MM SF

delivered

30,072

Education Hours

hosted

168

Events

WOODWORKS Q1 STATS

Projects Were Directly Influenced

332

Projects Were Directly + Indirectly Influenced

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB STORY 1

Alongside commercial project profiles, Think Wood continues to roll out residential case studies that showcase innovative uses of wood. Not only do these single-family home (SFH) stories highlight how critical a role wood plays in the home building industry, they also demonstrate innovative approaches to using wood beyond the framing of a home.

And they don’t just resonate with the residential audience: a profile of House Between Forest and Field by nArchitects—which features wood inside and out—was one of the most popular newsletter items in Q1 across all of Think Wood’s audiences. Other high-performing SFH content included Lake | Flato’s North Fork Residence showcasing the beauty and brawn of high-tech prefabricated wood systems.

To continue the momentum and meet this ongoing demand, Q2 will see the launch of a SFH LookBook—a downloadable resource featuring compelling photography and freshly curated content—with a focus on outdoor use and wood decking. This resource will nurture Think Wood’s residential audience to protect market share and also appeal to commercial AEC users who are inspired by single-family home design.

Think Wood engaged 5,500 builders and residential contractors with informative and inspiring residential stories in Q1.

Think Wood Defends Market Share with Residential Wood Content

EDUCATION HIGHLIGHTS

AEC professionals are staying on The Wood Institute’s site longer, consuming more content, and completing more courses—confirming strong demand for more technical resources on wood design and construction. The Wood Institute is SLB Education’s online learning platform, providing accredited continuing education to design industry professionals.

Course completions were up nearly 30% year-over-year, thanks in part to more effective search engine marketing (SEM) strategies. Because the program is more efficiently driving course takers with paid advertising earlier in the year, completions are expected to increase steadily through 2024 with a softer peak in Q4.

The Wood Institute is also making additional enhancements in 2024. A newly launched paid social media campaign will drive more new users to courses, further growing this valuable and engaged user base. A modernized user interface and new Learning Tracks that recommend courses for users based on their area of interest and level of expertise will be rolled out in Q3.

STORY 3 of 3

EDUCATION FEATURE

The Wood Institute saw completions of its wood design and construction courses improve markedly year-over-year, demonstrating the value of the SLB’s leadership in education.

Strong Course Engagement Reflects Quality of SLB Education’s Online Learning

Building on a successful series of SLB-led faculty engagements co-funded by the U.S. Endowment in 2023, SLB Education launched its first faculty workshop of 2024 at Oregon State University’s (OSU’s) TallWood Design Institute in January. For the first time, the event took an interdisciplinary approach, providing tenure-track architecture and engineering faculty with a hands-on, intensive immersion to mass timber design, digital fabrication, and construction processes. The workshop culminated in the assembly of CLT panels to construct a mass timber pavilion structure, showcased at OSU. This investment in faculty engagement complements SLB’s student strategies, helping to shape the next generation of architects and engineers and fostering a workforce proficient in the advantages of wood construction.

Four additional workshops are planned for 2024, including workshops at:

Clemson University in May with 20 tenure track architecture faculty.
Auburn University in June, led by mass timber pioneer Tom Chung, Principal at
Leers Weinzapfel Associates.
Michigan State University for a hands-on workshop for construction management faculty.
Cal Poly Pomona for engineering faculty.

Contact Director of Education Reed Kelterborn to recommend additional schools.

STORY 2 of 3

EDUCATION FEATURE

Investing in the development of early-career architecture and engineering faculty is a strategic initiative that exponentially increases the SLB’s reach.

New Slate of Workshops Provide Faculty With Curriculum and Tools to Expand Architecture and Engineering Education in the U.S.

The SLB is inspiring the next generation of designers and engineers to build with wood through a growing range of student-focused strategies. More than 650 students from 49 different schools have registered to participate in this year’s Timber in the City, the fifth iteration of the high-impact student competition. Sponsored by the SLB in collaboration with the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, the initiative challenges architecture students and faculty advisers to select a centrally located building in a busy urban area and devise an innovative wood solution for housing density. The steel and concrete masonry industries also sponsor student design competitions, with the steel competition receiving 1,000 entries from 49 schools and the CMU competition receiving 400 entries from 31 schools, demonstrating the importance of the wood products industry having a strong presence.

Think Wood, in collaboration with the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations, offered the Wood Solutions Scholarship to incentivize engineering students to focus on wood construction by offering $5,000 to four graduates from accredited engineering schools in the U.S. Applicants, either employed or seeking employment as structural engineers, will be selected based on their dedication to learning about sustainably sourced U.S. wood products and their plans to use this knowledge to design affordable, resilient, and low-carbon buildings. Together, these initiatives play an important role in expanding market share for wood products among the next wave of AEC professionals.

STORY 1 of 3

EDUCATION FEATURE

SLB student engagement programs such as the Timber in the City competition and Wood Solutions Scholarship foster a passion for wood with emerging AEC professionals.

Inspiring a Future Generation to
Innovate with Wood

Strong Course Engagement Reflects Quality of SLB Education’s Online Learning

New Slate of Workshops Provide Faculty With Curriculum and Tools to Expand Architecture and Engineering Education in the U.S.

Inspiring a Future Generation to Innovate with Wood

As the frequency and severity of wildfires grow, policymakers and code officials are scrutinizing buildings in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), the areas between wilderness and developed land that are at greatest risk for wildfires. With some advocates calling to prohibit wood decks and fences or, more drastically, wood-framed houses in WUI areas, the AWC is engaging in WUI-related code development and adapting its approach with new research showing how wood-framed homes can be protected from wildfires.
Those efforts include:

Fire testing a WUI-hardened wood-frame assembly, demonstrating successful performance and generating data to support AWC’s strategy for showing that wood framing can be used in WUI areas with proper protection.
Engagement in development of ICC-605, a new ICC standard on residential construction in regions with wildfire hazard that will provide a more complete set of requirements than those that exist in the International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC).
Participation in code development in California, a state that has seen some of the most severe
and damaging wildfires in the United States, and where the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) recently held hearings to help decide on California Code amendments, including WUI changes.

The AWC is also gearing up for the 2027 I-Code development cycle, which is expected to be more time-intensive, with activities taking place in all three years of the cycle rather than in two out of three years as in the past. The AWC’s staff is already preparing code change proposals due in January and participating in committee meetings.

To ensure the AWC is fully staffed for these priorities, the AWC recently filled two important positions. Cade Booth joins as Regional Manager, Codes & Standards, with responsibility for southern states in ICC Regions VIII and IX, bringing experience as a Certified Building Official for the city of Savannah, Georgia. Greg Womack will serve as Manager, Fire Service Relations for the Western region, where he will be increasing the reach of the AWC fire-service engagement program on issues related to WUI and construction fire safety.

STORY 1 of 3

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL STORIES

The AWC is better positioning the industry for a defense of wood in wildland-urban interface zones, filling two important staff positions to engage with building codes and build awareness of wood’s fire safety record.

Fire Performance and Building
Codes Emerge as Priority Issues

Progress continues on the AWC’s expanded Lifecycle Assessment Database—which collects EPD and fiber sourcing data—to include non-AWC-member manufacturers without additional costs to these manufacturers. Funded in part by a USDA Forest Service Wood Innovations Grant, the LCA database enhancement ensures that the wood industry offers EPDs with robust environmental impact information.
Demand for such data is expected to grow as more and more design teams
seek to measure the climate impacts of their buildings.

The second round of data collection closed December 21, amassing calendar year 2022 data. Moving forward, surveys will go to mills every August and close every December. Work has begun on updating the softwood lumber LCAs, which are expected to be completed by the end of Q1 2024. The updated Softwood Lumber EPD, which will represent U.S. West, Northeast, Southeast, and Central regions, will be completed by Q3 2024, helping to meet the growing market demand for more specific regional and mill-level EPDs.

The AWC is also close to finding a way to provide industrywide data for the “transport to site” phase of life cycle assessments known as A4. This data is currently not harmonized within environmental decision-making tools and often does not reflect actual shipping trends. The AWC is also seeking a multipart grant to improve EPD data and automate EPD generation after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced $100 million available in funding for improving transparency and disclosure of construction materials’ embodied carbon emissions.

STORY 2 of 3

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL STORIES

The AWC is gearing up to produce updated environmental product declarations for our industry’s primary products.

Robust EPD to Secure Competitive Advantage and Protect Market Share

Mass timber construction continues to gain traction in the United States, with more states adopting the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) provisions for tall mass timber as the AWC engages in education and outreach efforts across the country.

The latest states to join the movement are Ohio and Tennessee. The Ohio Board of Building Standards recently approved the code package to adopt the 2021 IBC, set to take effect next March. The AWC was a regular participant in the Ohio Building Codes Committee meetings supporting the development of the approved code package.

Nashville, Tennessee, went a step further and approved a new ordinance to adopt the 2021 IBC provisions for mass timber ahead of statewide adoption next year. Washington, D.C., is also making progress in adopting mass timber code provisions.

Continuing outreach to encourage more states and localities to adopt the tall mass timber provisions is vital to increasing the market opportunity for softwood lumber. Notably, states that have not yet adopted the code provisions represent an incremental opportunity of nearly 2 BBF annually.

In the meantime, the AWC’s staff is getting creative to make mass timber buildings easier to construct in areas that haven’t yet adopted the mass timber provisions. The Florida Mass Timber Alternative Materials and Methods (AMM) Guide is a resource to help code officials establish requirements for approval of mass timber buildings as AMM projects in Florida, which narrowly voted against approving mass timber provisions in its code. The AWC will develop additional versions of this resource for other states without mass timber provisions.

STORY 3 of 3

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL STORIES

28 states/jurisdictions have adopted the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) mass timber provisions.

Mass Timber Code Adoption Grows
Through Outreach and Education

SLB EDUCATION Q1 STATS

1,640

Engagements with Students and Emerging Professionals

ON THE
WOOD INSTITUTE

1,363

Courses
Completed

CREATED ON THE
WOOD INSTITUTE

635

New Accounts

Engagements with University Faculty

210

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB STORY 2

With funding from the SLB and USDA Forest Service, the 2023 Mass Timber Competition-winning project team for UP@310 Lofts is spreading the word about the potential for mass timber overbuilds in a variety of ways. Constructed as a mass timber overbuild above an existing two-story commercial building, the net-zero, 57-unit multifamily project is built using glulam posts and beams with CLT floor slabs. The architect for the project, Randall Walter, Principal at Lignin Group, recently presented learnings from the project in an SLB-sponsored webinar about mass timber overbuilds—reaching over 1,300 AEC professionals.

“Unappreciated buildings don’t need to be forgotten forever,” Walter said. “Sometimes they just need a little vision and a nudge in the right direction to come alive again. A mass timber overbuild is a great way to do that.”

Walter also presented a session in the WoodWorks Learning Lounge at the AIA Conference on Architecture in June. These initiatives show how the SLB’s individual investment in the Mass Timber Competition winners can bring additional collaborations and mutual benefits that raise visibility and provide peer-to-peer validation of the benefits of wood construction.

Another Mass Timber Competition-winning project supporting market expansion is Evergreen Charter School. The 85,000-square-foot, five-story hybrid CLT education facility with biophilic design elements broke ground in Q2 and is planned for completion in 2024.

"The cost difference between a traditional steel structure and our hybrid CLT structure is negligible, even before considering schedule savings,” Martin Hopp, Principal Architect for the facility, told the SLB. “A crew of steel workers and carpenters, with no prior mass timber experience, successfully erected it. After seeing how successful it was, they were enthusiastic about working with this approach in the future.”

The project’s success is demonstrating the benefits of wood construction in schools and will help continue to drive mass timber’s 80% average annual growth rate in education buildings.

Winning projects from both the 2022 and 2023 Mass Timber Competitions are advancing, generating insights to solve long-term challenges for mass timber adoption and expansion.

Mass Timber Competition Winners Generate Insights and Enthusiasm

The AWC is advancing a high-capacity wood structural panel (WSP) wood-frame shear wall design that promises to meet increasing seismic loading requirements for multistory projects. This innovative design, sheathed on one side, could become a preferred option for building designers, expanding the opportunity for lumber in seismic regions and structures with extensive exterior glass. Initial tests in 2022 showed a 30% increase in shear capacity, while a second phase of testing achieved nearly a 70% increase using special detailing but without additional steel hardware.

These results will be presented to AWC’s Wood Design Standards Committee for potential inclusion in the 2027 Special Design Provisions for Wind and Seismic (SDPWS). If approved, the new high-strength WSP shear walls will be integrated into the 2027 national model building codes, enhancing multi-story wood construction's viability in seismic areas.

STORY 3 of 3

AWC FEATURE

Successful tests of a wood-frame shear wall design could open opportunities for greater wood use.

Expanding Lumber Markets Through
High-Strength Wood-Frame Shear Walls

The International Code Council’s I-codes form the basis for building safety codes in all 50 U.S. states, so ensuring the codes remain receptive and favorable to wood is a major priority. Building on successes in the 2021 and 2024 I-code cycles that set the stage for increased use of lumber in the United States, the AWC team has reviewed over 1,000 code change proposals in the 2027 code cycle and submitted 15 code change proposals.

Notably, one priority code change proposal would potentially remove certain sealant/adhesive requirements in mass timber buildings, which would save an estimated $360,000 per Type IV-A building. The change was requested by design professionals and would make mass timber more cost-competitive with other materials.

Additionally, the AWC is active in the consensus development process of ICC 605, the new standard for residential construction in regions with wildfire hazard. While some participants in the process are pushing for allowing only noncombustible or ignition-resistant siding materials in ICC 605, the AWC is arguing for the allowance of wood in structural applications based on the AWC’s recent wildland-urban interface (WUI) fire test results.

STORY 2 of 3

AWC FEATURE

The AWC is advocating for code change proposals that would remove certain sealant/adhesive requirements in mass timber buildings.

The AWC Seeks Continued Progress
for Wood Systems in 2027 Codes

In 2023, the AWC saw increased industry participation in its Life Cycle Assessment Database, which collects environmental product declaration (EPD) and fiber sourcing data. This boost sets the stage for the AWC to create new regional softwood lumber EPDs for the U.S. West, Northeast, Southeast, and Central regions, replacing the national EPD, by the end of 2024. The dataset now represents a significantly larger portion of regional lumber volumes, with increases from 9% to nearly 50% in the Inland Northwest and similar growth in other regions. These more precise EPDs mark a major step forward in providing the carbon impact data necessary to be credible with the design community. Providing data at this level of detail is becoming the industry standard for material specification.

However, the North/Northeast region still lacks sufficient mill-level data. To address this, the AWC, in collaboration with the SLB and the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association, will collect more data in the second quarter of 2024. The AWC is also creating a training video that walks through the Life Cycle Survey in detail. The AWC will assist all SLB investors with this process. For support,
contact Anna Ostrander.

The AWC has also continued to lead industry engagement in an ever-increasing number of sustainability standards (such as ASHRAE 240P, GBI Green Globes, and the Residential Energy Services Network), ranging from standards developing whole building life cycle assessment methodologies to how carbon is measured (including ISO TC 287, ASHRAE 189.1, and ISO TC 308). The AWC received $770,000 as part of a Softwood Export Council umbrella grant through the USDA Regional Agricultural Promotion Program to support its work in ISO and ASHRAE and the development of the EPDs, and is pursuing a larger grant through the EPA.

STORY 1 of 3

AWC FEATURE

Increased industry participation in the AWC's Life Cycle Assessment Database in 2023 sets the stage for crucial updates to regional softwood lumber environmental product declarations by the end of 2024.

The AWC Bolsters Wood’s Sustainability Story With Mill-Level Data Collection

Expanding Lumber Markets Through High-Strength Wood-Frame Shear Walls

The AWC Seeks Continued Progress for Wood Systems in 2027 Codes

The AWC Bolsters Wood’s Sustainability Story With Mill-Level Data Collection

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL Q1 STATS

Fire Service Trainings Held

Events Held

Total Contact
Hours Logged

22,179

11,086

Total Attendees
Across All Events

AWC HIGHLIGHTS

Fire testing a WUI-hardened wood-frame assembly, demonstrating successful performance and generating data to support AWC’s strategy for showing that wood framing can be used in WUI areas with proper protection.
Engagement in development of ICC-605, a new ICC standard on residential construction in regions with wildfire hazard that will provide a more complete set of requirements than those that exist in the International Wildland Urban Interface Code (IWUIC).
Participation in code development in California, a state that has seen some of the most severe
and damaging wildfires in the United States, and where the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) recently held hearings to help decide on California Code amendments, including WUI changes.

STORY 1 of 3

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL STORIES

Fire Performance and Building
Codes Emerge as Priority Issues

STORY 2 of 3

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL STORIES

The AWC is gearing up to produce updated environmental product declarations for our industry’s primary products.

Robust EPD to Secure Competitive Advantage and Protect Market Share

STORY 3 of 3

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL STORIES

28 states/jurisdictions have adopted the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) mass timber provisions.

Mass Timber Code Adoption Grows
Through Outreach and Education

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL Q3 2023 STATS

25 YTD Toward the 25 YE Goal

Fire Service Trainings Held

103 YTD Toward the 75 YE Goal

Events Held

Total Contact
Hours Logged

38,597 YTD Toward the 26,000 YE Goal

12,111

22,955 YTD Toward the 26,000 YE Goal

7,107

Total Attendees
Across All Events

Mass Timber Code Adoption Grows Through Outreach and Education

Robust EPD to Secure Competitive Advantage and Protect Market Share

Fire Performance and Building Codes Emerge as Priority Issues

AMERICAN WOOD COUNCIL STORIES

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB STORY 3

Working with jurisdictions, industry, and local governments, SLB-supported mass timber accelerator initiatives are expanding opportunities for mass timber projects, removing barriers, and streamlining code compliance in Boston, New York, and Atlanta.

The accelerators utilize matching funds from the USDA Forest Service’s Wood Innovations Grants and other programs, amplifying the SLB’s $50,000 investment to support a total project budget of $500,000.

This past fall, New York City launched its first-ever Mass Timber Studio, a technical assistance program designed to support active mass timber development projects in the early phases of project planning and design.

“Expanding the use of mass timber is a critical component to achieving New York City’s carbon reduction targets, including reducing embodied carbon emissions for new buildings, infrastructure, and major retrofits by 50 percent,” writes the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter as part of an event presenting seven projects that have been awarded in the first phase of the new mass timber accelerator program. The winning projects include four multifamily buildings, a mixed-use industrial space, a public library branch, and a recreation center.

The Atlanta Mass Timber Accelerator Program from the Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF), in partnership with the City of Atlanta, is accepting applications through July 2. Meanwhile, the Boston Mass Timber Accelerator, launched in 2021, issued a final report finding that mass timber is accelerating in the city and region, with eight active projects totaling over 1.3 million sq. ft. projected to be constructed with mass timber materials. “Notably, two of the active projects with mass timber commitments are the initial buildings of much larger multi-building projects that will be built out over the next ten years,” the report says. “Boston’s future projects with mass timber commitments amount to 22 buildings totaling over 4.3 million sq. ft. of construction.

Mass timber accelerators in key urban regions remove market barriers and ensure maximum funding impact.

SLB-USDA Mass Timber Accelerators Help Drive Market Growth

Among Think Wood's primary target audiences, commercial developers are the most challenging to engage and most costly to reach. To address this challenge in Q1, Think Wood focused on media partnerships aimed at reaching new developer contacts, prioritizing the quality of these connections. Think Wood gained 457 new developer contacts in Q1, up from 132 in Q1 2023, through partnerships such as a developer-focused event in Philadelphia, where 238 of the 244 attendees were new contacts for Think Wood.

The type and quality of project leads that Think Wood develops is important because Think Wood serves as an engine to provide contacts to WoodWorks for project assistance. When developers enter the Think Wood database, engage with educational or inspiring content, and raise their hand for assistance, Think Wood sends the questions to WoodWorks, where an expert sets up a one-on-one meeting to discuss their project.

Overall, Think Wood added 6,350 net new contacts in Q1 and, through nurturing and targeted outreach, generated 164 project leads delivered to WoodWorks. By enhancing WoodWorks’ own lead generation efforts with a broader communication and outreach campaign, Think Wood helps bring scale to WoodWorks’ project conversions, resulting in a growing number of architecture, engineering, and development firms becoming advocates for wood construction systems.

STORY 3 of 3

THINK WOOD FEATURE

Think Wood’s developer-focused resources and partnerships helped make in-roads for efforts to convert this vital audience that finances most construction projects.

Success With Developer Leads
Propels Conversion to Wood

One of Think Wood’s key strategies for growing demand for wood products is through the development of engaging resources that inspire and educate design audiences with compelling project examples. Think Wood promoted several exciting new and refreshed resources over the last quarter that will assist with engaging existing audiences and attracting new contacts.

A new high-impact Mass Timber LookBook features projects that use mass timber to solve a variety of design challenges, from a record-setting 25-story residential timber tower in Milwaukee to a carbon-cutting mass timber student facility at Seattle’s University of Washington.
A targeted download titled 5 Mass Timber Higher Ed Projects that Pencil Out shows how mass timber helps create sustainable spaces that contribute to occupant wellness—key ingredients in the recipe for academic success.
A popular online listicle 13 Mass Timber Design Resources You Won’t Want to Miss attracts design professionals seeking an efficient entry point to this rapidly growing project type.

These resources have already combined to produce more than 300 new contacts and 20 project leads to deliver to WoodWorks, with plenty of potential for growth as they are promoted throughout the year.

Q2 and Q3 will also see the launch of two architecture firm portfolios highlighting leaders in commercial and multifamily mass timber construction.

STORY 2 of 3

THINK WOOD FEATURE

New resources grew engagement with architects, engineers, and developers across a range of construction segments.

Growing Demand and Engaging Designers With Compelling Resources

At the end of February, the SLB, Think Wood, and several industry association partners joined forces at the International Builders’ Show (IBS) with a new trade show experience to highlight the benefits of wood in single-family construction and remodeling. The new flexibility of Think Wood’s booth setup allowed for additional partners to have a presence this year, with the Southern Forest Products Association (SFPA), the Western Red Cedar Lumber Association (WRCLA), the Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NeLMA), the Western Wood Preservers Institute (WWPI), the Western Wood Products Association (WWPA), and new to this year’s show, the Pacific Lumber Inspection Bureau (PLIB), all representing their regions.

Following IBS, the new booth experience traveled to Providence, Rhode Island, on March 21 for JLC Live, a regional event for builders, remodelers, and tradespeople. In addition to a cobranded trade show display, Think Wood sponsored a trim carpentry clinic led by renowned carpenter Gary Striegler, who discussed box beams for vaulted ceilings, garden benches, and custom screen doors. The next stop was the AIA Conference on Architecture from June 5 through 7 in Washington, D.C.

STORY 1 of 3

THINK WOOD FEATURE

A newly designed display reinvigorates the industry’s presence at some of the nation’s largest and most important builder trade shows.

Think Wood Promotes Residential Wood Construction With New Trade Show Experience

Success With Developer Leads Propels Conversion
to Wood

Growing Demand and Engaging Designers With Compelling Resources

Think Wood Promotes Residential Wood Construction With New Trade Show Experience

THINK WOOD Q1 STATS

(1,654 Cumulative SQLs)

164

Qualified
Leads (SQLs)

REPRESENTING
8.4 MM BF
OF LUMBER

Touchpoint
Projects

CEUs Taken

5,299

6,350

New Contacts Generated

THINK WOOD HIGHLIGHTS

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB STORY 4

Marriott Towneplace Suites – Lyndhurst, New Jersey

13.2 BF/SF

Light-Frame

The owner and project manager of Groove Construction contacted WoodWorks when an approval issue caused delays in the firm’s construction of a four-story, light-frame Marriott TownePlace Suites hotel. The city plan reviewer believed that the building code limited their construction type (Type V-A) to a maximum of three stories, despite a letter supporting the plan from the project’s structural engineer.

A WoodWorks Regional Director and a representative from the AWC met with Groove together to discuss options for the project. The two SLB programs agreed with the project team’s code interpretation and suggested clarifications to share with the city. The reviewer was receptive to the comments, and ultimately approved the 67,000-square-foot hotel, which will use 13.2 BF/SF.

Project teams supported by WoodWorks generally go on to build many additional projects with wood, a fact that was particularly true in this instance: Groove Construction had three other light-frame wood projects on hold because of the code issue, all of which were able to move forward thanks to the cooperative efforts of WoodWorks and the AWC.

WoodWorks and the AWC Help Overcome Code Challenges for Light-Frame Hotels

If you'd like a printed version of the Q1 Report mailed to you,
please email info@softwoodlumberboard.org.

Q1 2024 Report

Download the SLB

DOWNLOAD PDF

Other ReportS

2023 Independent Evaluation
of the Impact of the SLB

Q1 2023 Report

2023 QUARTERLY REPORTS

Q3 2023 Report

Q2 2023 Report

2022 Annual Report

2023 Annual Report

Access Past Reports

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) is an industry-funded initiative established to promote the benefits and uses of softwood lumber products in outdoor, residential, and non-residential construction. Programs and initiatives supported by the SLB focus on increasing the demand for appearance and softwood lumber products in the United States.

INFO@SOFTWOODLUMBERBOARD.ORG

SOFTWOODLUMBERBOARD.ORG

2024

REPORT

70%
Light-Frame

30%
Mass Timber

5.3 MM

2022

Q2 1.4 MM

Q4 1.4 MM

Q3 1.2 MM

Q1 1.3 MM

(Metric Tons of CO2)

5.1 MM

2023

Q2 1.3 MM

Q4 1.5 MM

Q3 1.2 MM

Q1 1.1 MM

4.9 MM

2021

Q2 1.4 MM

Q4 1.2 MM

Q3 1.2 MM

Q1 1.1 MM

Total Carbon Benefit
of Previous Years

4.5 MM

2020

Q2 1.1 MM

Q4 1.0 MM

Q3 1.1 MM

Q1 1.2 MM

Q1 HIGHLIGHTS

Railcars of Coal.

The Equivalent to Not Burning

6,050

in Washington, D.C. for One Year.

Which Is the Equivalent of All

CARS PARKED

0.7 MM

METRIC TONS OF CO2 AVOIDED

0.34 MM

METRIC TONS OF CO2 STORED

Carbon impact from
facilitating wood use

1.1 MILLION

and 3.6 MM metric tons of CO2 (YTD)

METRIC TONS OF CO2

Which Equals a Total Carbon Benefit of

Q1
431

YE
GOAL
1,629

2024

2023

1,895

2022

1,998

2021

1,848

2020

1,624

2019

1,449

2018

1,245

Q1 INCREMENTAL DEMAND GENERATED

431 MM BF

TOWARD THE 1,629 MM BF
2024 GOAL

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

Want to read more SLB stories?

Jump to these stories.

As part of the SLB’s partnership with Studio Kër, a CLT form created to build a chapel will be used in a traveling exhibition. Rendering Credit: Courtesy of Studio Kër

As part of the SLB’s partnership with Studio Kër, a CLT form created to build a chapel will be used in a traveling exhibition. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Studio Kër

Michael Bennett of Studio Kër. Photo Credit: John Meza

The audience, made up of over 100 students
and faculty, actively engaged with Bennett,
asking questions and offering positive feedback. The event and sponsorship demonstrate how high-profile speakers and partnerships can amplify the SLB’s message into mainstream forums.

Bennett’s talk kicked off a yearlong partnership between Studio Kër and the SLB. The collaboration also includes work on a chapel and traveling exhibition featuring a CLT form used for education and dialogue related to preserving Black historical and sacred spaces.

A year-long partnership with Super Bowl star-turned-designer Michael Bennett’s firm Studio Kër is showcasing innovative uses of lumber-based building systems.

SLB Feature Story

SLB Partners With Former Football Star to
Champion Wood Use to Underserved Communities

Michael Bennett | Studio Kër

Help Desk & Webinars Boost
Light-Frame Lumber Construction

WoodWorks Demonstrates Industry Leadership at Mass Timber Conference

Installer Training Helps Overcome a Primary Barrier to Mass Timber Adoption

Q1 2024 STATS

STORIES

Were Directly Influenced

Projects

ABOUT WOODWORKS

WoodWorks is the AEC community’s go-to resource for commercial and multifamily wood building design, engineering, and construction. It works to support AEC professionals with free one-on-one project assistance, continuing education, design tools, and on-demand resources, with the goal of converting more projects to wood.

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

In House Between Forest and Field, the architects used cedar siding as a screen around the porch that creates a sense of enclosure while allowing views in and out. House Between Forest and Field.
Photo Credit: Michael Moran

SLB STORY 1

Think Wood engaged 5,500 builders and residential contractors with informative and inspiring residential stories in Q1.

Think Wood Defends Market Share with Residential Wood Content

Inspiring a Future Generation
to Innovate with Wood

New Slate of Workshops Provide Faculty With Curriculum and Tools to Expand Architecture and Engineering Education in the U.S.

Strong Course Engagement Reflects Quality of SLB Education’s Online Learning

Q1 2024 STATS

STORIES

CREATED ON THE
WOOD INSTITUTE

635

New Accounts Created

ABOUT SLB EDUCATION

SLB Education seeks to change the way we build by instilling practitioners, institutions, educators, and emerging professionals with knowledge of and preference for wood solutions.

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

The CLT erection at Evergreen Charter School progressed in about half the scheduled time.

The UP@310 project team tipped their hard hats at a “hat tipping” ceremony to the supporters who made the project a success.

The project’s success is demonstrating the benefits of wood construction in schools and will help continue to drive mass timber’s 80% average annual growth rate in education buildings.

Winning projects from both the 2022 and 2023 Mass Timber Competitions are advancing, generating insights to solve long-term challenges for mass timber adoption and expansion.

Mass Timber Competition Winners Generate Insights and Enthusiasm

SLB STORY 2

The AWC Bolsters Wood’s Sustainability Story With Mill-Level Data Collection

The AWC Seeks Continued Progress for Wood Systems in 2027 Codes

Expanding Lumber Markets Through High-Strength Wood-Frame Shear Walls

Q1 2024 STATS

STORIES

Events Held

ABOUT AWC

The AWC is the nation’s leading technical authority and advocate for the sustainable wood building products industry in the codes, standards, and sustainability arenas.

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

The Walter Gladwin Recreation Center in Tremont, Bronx, was an awardee of the NYC Mass Timber Studio.
Rendering Credit: MARVEL

Mass timber accelerators in key urban regions remove market barriers and ensure maximum funding impact.

SLB-USDA Mass Timber Accelerators Help Drive Market Growth

SLB STORY 3

Think Wood Promotes Residential Wood Construction With New Trade Show Experience

Growing Demand and Engaging Designers With Compelling Resources

Success With Developer Leads
Propels Conversion to Wood

Q1 2024 STATS

STORIES

1,654 Cumulative SQLs

164

Qualified
Leads (SQLs)

ABOUT THINK WOOD

Advances in wood construction reimagine the future of the built environment, combining strength with sustainability. Think Wood is a communications and education campaign that provides commercial, multifamily, and single-family home design and build resources to architects, developers, and contractors.

SLB STORY 4

Marriott Towneplace Suites – Lyndhurst, New Jersey

13.2 BF/SF

Light-Frame

SLB Story 4:
Overcoming Code Challenges

SLB Story 3:
Mass Timber Accelerators

SLB Story 2:
MTC Winners Generate Insight

SLB Story 1:
Defending Market Share

Rendering Credit: S&P Architectural Studio