Sustainability and innovation are key components in the fight against climate change. Mass timber buildings have been gaining popularity due to the renewable nature of timber. Although research comparing mass timber buildings to more mainstream buildings such as steel is still in the early stages and therefore, limited. We are looking to determine the difference between carbon footprints of mass timber and traditional steel and concrete buildings. This is done with the intention of determining the sustainability and practicality of mass timber buildings.
The Nature Conservancy is leading a multi-institution collaboration to quantify the potential for innovative mass timber materials to support improved forest management, revitalize forest economies and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Life cycle assessments (LCAs) of engineered timber products such as glued laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) in construction have highlighted their environmental advantages over conventional materials such as concrete and steel. However, there is little understanding of how developing new markets for such materials could support the wood product sector and the management of US forests. This applied research will assess in detail the potential impacts of large-scale growth in mass timber demand on wood product markets, timber harvest, forest management and climate change mitigation in key wood-producing regions across the USA and globally, as well as opportunities to leverage these markets to support US forest management and rural economies. The findings will be used to produce peer-reviewed publications and design a suite of targeted stakeholder engagement materials and programs, providing an objective, credible fact base to inform the design of policies and programs to maximize environmental and economic benefits of mass timber use for the forest sector.
