When a structural engineer at a South Carolina engineering firm had a question about firewalls in light-frame construction, he knew who to call: WoodWorks.
WoodWorks is a program funded by the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) with a team of engineers and architects who help building specifiers and contractors build their commercial and multifamily projects using lumber and other wood products. WoodWorks’ wood construction experts provide technical assistance to show building professionals where wood can be used, navigate tricky code questions, or even help with structural calculations—all for free.
The engineering firm has typically specialized in precast concrete systems, so when the firm was building a light-frame 250,000-square-foot, 253-unit luxury apartment building in Virginia, a WoodWorks Regional Director (RD) offered to present an in-person training session on the nuances of these projects, focusing on areas that commonly present challenges. The structural engineer later followed up with questions specific to his project, and the WoodWorks expert provided clarification on code requirements and technical details. The project is now moving forward and set to be completed in 2026. WoodWorks has found that its relationship with such firms typically leads to increased use of wood structural systems in the firm’s future projects—an average of three similarly sized projects over the next three to five years.
Measurable Results
The successful project is just one of about 400 wood construction projects that WoodWorks is projected to directly influence in 2024. As in previous years, the SLB has provided 50 percent of the program’s budget, with matched funding from other sources including the USDA Forest Service’s State, Private and Tribal Forestry, to further its goal of expanding demand for softwood lumber by supporting and influencing projects to choose wood construction systems.
WoodWorks’ project support results in increased lumber demand. In 2023, WoodWorks’ direct and indirect influence on projects led to:
- 82 MM SF of wood project construction
- 842 MM BF of incremental lumber demand
- 166 MM BF of incremental engineered wood products
- 494 MM SF of incremental wood structural panels
Education and Influence
Each year, more than 18,000 buildings are built in the United States with steel and concrete that, by code, could actually be built with wood. WoodWorks aims to convert as many of those projects as possible to wood with a two-pronged approach.
WoodWorks education events range from introductory tours of buildings that have been built using wood to in-depth technical design examples and inspiring online events that spark interest and specification of wood construction with the design and construction audience. A webinar series on light-frame construction earlier this year attracted 9,100 engaged attendees interested in learning how to build five and six story wood buildings and better understand fire design and acoustics details.
After attending an event, architects and builders aren’t on their own. WoodWorks can then provide technical support on individual projects to help them be successful.
Oftentimes, the journey of a project will feature both education and support. When a WoodWorks RD provided a lunch-and-learn to architects at a Baltimore-based design firm, the timing was ideal as the firm was exploring mass timber for an 89,000-square-foot student housing project in Rhode Island. The RD conducted two well-attended sessions at the firm’s office, and when the firm’s client approved a hybrid structure featuring mass timber floor systems and steel framing, WoodWorks provided ongoing support with technical guides, answers to questions, and connections to manufacturers and suppliers for bidding. The student housing project will use 1.2 MM BF of lumber, and the design firm followed up for support on a light-frame student housing project set to break ground later this year.
Competitive Pressure
WoodWorks functions as an on-the-ground team that builds on the work of the SLB’s other funded programs. Think Wood is the SLB’s marketing and communications program that builds interest and intent to specify wood with design and construction teams, and it has evolved in recent years to become a sought-after educational resource for those professionals. The American Wood Council helps to open doors for wood construction by ensuring building codes and standards remain favorable to wood. WoodWorks capitalizes on those opportunities, walking design teams through those open doors to make sure they can successfully design their wood project.
The program’s work is particularly important for the industry with competitive material industries executing and launching programs similar to WoodWorks, such as the Concrete Masonry Checkoff’s new national design assistance network.
A healthy lumber industry requires strong demand not only from single-family and remodeling and replacement segments, but also from growing new market opportunities in multifamily and non-residential construction.
WoodWorks is delivering on that promise, with 191 non-residential wood projects directly influenced in 2023. The SLB’s investment in WoodWorks ensures that, even in a down market, a larger share of our buildings is constructed with wood.
