As former students, we all know the importance of having a study guide. A great study guide pulls together all the pertinent information from various sources to help you focus on the topic at hand. In the world of mass timber construction, complex codes and standards need to be well understood...

Excessive sound and noise have become such an inundating part of our daily lives that we may hardly notice it (except of course when trying to put the kids to sleep or giving a presentation on Zoom). And nowadays noise comes at us from so many places that at times it’s hard to even...

Imagine you’re standing in the bread aisle at your local grocery store, contemplating what loaf you should take home that day. If you’re like any of the millions of health-conscious shoppers, you’ll subconsciously turn the loaf over and read the nutrition label for a better...

As elected officials discuss potential policies to support the nation’s economic recovery, the American Wood Council (AWC) is supporting a number of policy efforts to stimulate housing, and construction in general. In addition, we have engaged on a related issue that has the potential to...

Many of us have been spending extra time at home the past few months, bringing new meaning to May as Building Safety Month. This year’s theme was aptly chosen and is “Safer Buildings, Safer Communities, Safer World.” Ensuring that local building codes are up-to-date with the...

Perhaps like many of you, I am writing this message from my home. In light of safety precautions recommended because of the spread of COVID-19, or the Coronavirus, the American Wood Council (AWC) has closed our multi-person offices in Leesburg, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. until such time as...

A 7-alarm fire in Bound Brook, New Jersey, in mid-January destroyed six buildings and caused approximately $52 million in damages. Fortunately, there were no reported injuries. The cause of the fire was arson, and the perpetrator was arrested soon after. Nonetheless, in the investigations of...

The City of Denver is the latest in a growing number of cities, states, and municipalities to recognize the possibilities of tall mass timber construction. Following states such as Oregon, Utah, and Washington, the City of Denver voted in late December to adopt the 2019 Denver Building Code,...

The American Wood Council (AWC) is prepared for an active 2020, but first, we look back at the challenges and resulting accomplishments over the course of 2019. Last year was marked by successes in the building codes development process, establishing lines of communications with the fire...

In our October article, we provided some advance highlights of our plans for National Forest Products Week. This month, I want to recap the events of the week’s Timber Innovation Day and also share that there is a second important week in October for the wood products industry and its...