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 service industry, educating federal and state legislative bodies about the performance of wood products, and reducing the regulatory burden on industry manufacturing.
Codes and Standards
2019 was the last year of ICC’s triennial code development cycle for the 2021 I-codes. To ensure positive outcomes for wood, AWC reviewed and established positions on over 1300 code change proposals in April for ICC’s Committee hearings and then 350 proposals brought forward to public comment hearings in October. Significant victories included defeating four AWC-opposed proposals submitted by the concrete industry, and nine AWC-opposed proposals submitted by others that sought to limit wood use. While holding off opposition groups, five AWC-proposed changes were approved, several of which will allow, for the first time, use of protected concealed spaces in heavy timber construction.
And to make it easier for designers to specify wood, AWC also conducted a successful fire test to demonstrate for the first time that an exterior wood-frame wall built with 2x6 studs spaced at 24 inches on-center with fiberglass insulation could pass the ASTM E119 1-hour fire endurance test.
Fire Service Engagement
In 2019, AWC also established the Fire Service Advisory Council, a distinguished group of fire service experts from all over the United States. The role of this group is to advise AWC on fire safety strategies and tactics regarding wood-frame construction, mass timber, and other wood products and ensure an ongoing dialogue between industry and this critical regulatory segment. The Council held its first in-person meeting in 2019 to discuss priorities.
The WoodAware website was relaunched this year, dedicated to educating the fire service and public on wood-frame construction, mass timber, and other wood products. The website provides an array of sources, including fire safety and testing, examples of wood construction in all types of structures, and anything else one might need to be knowledgeable about wood products for construction. The relaunched website also includes a section completely dedicated to the newly approved 2021 International Building Code tall mass timber code provisions.
Legislative Activities
At the federal level, 2019 was a slow year for legislation across the board, with most big-ticket items being pushed down the road. That said, AWC did make an impact on Capitol Hill, having hosted a widely-attended Capitol Hill briefing to highlight the potential for sustainable mass timber buildings and what that means economically for rural districts. The hearing was attended by over 120 Members of Congress and staff, as well as U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Forest Service personnel.
Legislative activity in the states was anything but slow. AWC enjoyed a large number of wins at the state level, thwarting several attempts from opposition groups and competing building materials to discriminate against wood products in states like California, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina. We also assisted multiple states and cities in their efforts for early adoption of tall mass timber ahead of the 2021 model building code.
Regulatory Engagement
AWC continued to be heavily engaged on the regulatory front, successfully reducing some of the regulatory burden on the wood products industry. Notably, AWC filed comments in support of the proposed Project Emissions Accounting rule, one of the industry’s top New Source Review reform recommendations, which will allow emission reductions to offset any emission increases, reducing the number of projects deemed significant. AWC also supported the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) proposed Plywood and Composite Wood Products (PCWP) Risk and Technology review, which found that health risks from emissions are acceptable and current controls are sufficient, potentially avoiding millions in additional control costs. AWC also provided EPA with significant information and analyses to support the use of flexible and cost-effective work practices in the upcoming PCWP Maximum Achievable Control Technology for lumber kilns, and successfully advocated for EPA to reverse its “Once In, Always In” policy. And in the states, AWC persuaded the California Office of Health Hazard Assessment to rescind a proposed rule that would have led to costly product labeling in accordance with Prop 65 by making risk calculations stricter.
2020 Outlook
Looking ahead to this year, we expect tall mass timber to still be a priority as more states push for early adoption of tall mass timber code provisions, and we plan to continue educating building officials, engineers, and the fire service on coming mass timber code provisions.
At the federal level, the House Select Committee on Climate Change has been hosting hearings to explore options to increase environmental sustainability, with many of these hearings focusing specifically on the built environment. AWC sees several opportunities for wood products to play a significant role in mitigating the effects of construction on the environment.