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...

Reviewing our 50-year journey tells us much about software. Now let’s recap how good software becomes great: 1. Continuity of development: Note our three distinct programs, each one totally rewritten to tackle larger objectives. Yet each was based on 15+ years of experience with the...

As you’re likely aware, mass timber has received incredible attention in the last year. With interest in mass timber and its use spreading throughout the United States construction industry, the American Wood Council (AWC) and International Code Council (ICC) are working together to...

We recently hosted an interactive webinar in which our new high-performance coiled strap’s product manager, Thom Murphy, and I discussed how an innovative embossment is a game changer for coiled strap, making it easier and faster to install with a standard framing nailer. During the...

2018 International Building Code (IBC-2018) is the latest version of the I-Code which is starting to be used or adopted in the United States and in other nations. While both the 2012 and 2015 IBC referenced the 2010 edition of ASCE 7, the 2018 IBC refers to the 2016 edition of ASCE 7,...

At the American Wood Council (AWC), we celebrate the role wood products play in our lives every day. However, once a year, the rest of the nation has the opportunity to join us and commemorate the importance of forest products during the third week of October. During National Forest Products...

Blocking or boundary member? In my experience traveling across the country observing wood-framed construction, it was apparent that east of the Rocky Mountains, structural wood members in-line with supporting walls between roof framing cease to be installed. Some may call these wood members...

The wood products industry has taken great leaps in generating greater awareness regarding the advantages of wood products in construction; however, people often overlook wood’s good performance in building energy efficiency. With pressure mounting to combat carbon emissions and reduce the...