Increasing use of mass timber as a competitive building product in the construction marketplace requires sound design guidelines to ensure safe, efficient, and economic use of wood products. AWC fire research on mass timber conducted over the last year, with support from the Softwood Lumber...

Wood products are one of the most widely used construction materials in the United States, especially for low- to mid-rise residential structures. However, surveys conducted by the National Council of Structural Engineers Associations (NCSEA) indicate that while many structural engineers...

One of the mandates of the American Wood Council is to make the job of code officials, engineers, and designers easier.  To do this, we provide the technology that is needed to best understand the use of wood in construction. For example, we develop wood design standards to ensure the...

Two kinds of designers are involved in home construction—design professionals responsible for the structure and the interior-focused designers responsible for the final appearance. Although these roles can overlap, it is important for design professionals to be aware of in-service demands...

Wood is the go-to material for builders in the U.S., where we have some of the highest construction standards in the world. Why? It’s easy to build with, strong, safe, and renewable. It’s also the right material for our planet since wood allows for a smaller carbon footprint than...

Building code officials are our security for ensuring safe building construction and they need to know a lot of information. The American Wood Council (AWC) aims to make the job of building code official a little easier when it comes to knowing about wood products and the latest wood-related...

The International Code Council (ICC) reviews and updates its family of building codes on a three-year cycle. The code change proposals that will be considered this year affect the fire provisions of the building (IBC) and fire (IFC) codes, and they have been publicly posted. These changes, if...

It’s that time of year again, when we observe National Forest Products Week during the third week of October. National Forest Products Week began in 1960 with Congress proclaiming “our country and its people have always found constant strength, individual peace, and personal pride...

The House of Representatives has passed the Ozone Standards Implementation Act of 2017 (HR 806), which balances air quality with sound regulatory processes. The legislation would prevent a rushed implementation of the 2015 ozone Nation Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). AWC urges the Senate...

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans to cut this year’s August recess short by two weeks, but federal lawmakers will still be using part of August to visit constituents at home. The American Wood Council encourages you to use this opportunity to schedule a meeting with members of...