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Why American Steel is Fighting the Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act

The big steel lobbies have written to Congress claiming that the new act will drive up prices, cause supply chain chaos, and neglect true sustainability and safety concerns.


Tue 21 May 24

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The American Steel industry has hit back at the “anti-competitive” Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act, which would see thousands of public buildings built from timber over traditional steel-and-concrete systems.

In a letter co-signed by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and the Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA), the leading authorities in the steel industry, the peak lobbies have expressed concerns about the “favourable treatment” given to the mass timber industry – which they argue will come at the expense of other building material competitors, including steel.

The letter, addressed to Rick Crawford and Frank Mrvan, the chair and vice chair of the Congressional Steel Causas, raises concerns about the potential ramifications of this legislation on fair competition, taxpayer value and sustainability practices in the construction industry. 

“While we support the exploration and development of innovative building materials,” the letter said, “this bill, and similar efforts, create an unfair contracting preference and would ultimately hinder rather than promote responsible construction practices.”

Issues raised in the letter include:
  • Mandated contracting preferences—The steel organisations argue that the proposed mandate for contracting preferences favouring wood products would disrupt the competitive bidding process and undermine taxpayer value by neglecting cost-effectiveness and project suitability considerations.
  • Supply chain concerns—More specifically, a material strain from a surge in demand for wood products, such as increased material costs, could have broader implications for the construction industry and project budgets.
  • Neglect of true sustainability—The steel groups claim that mass timber’s sustainability claims are misleading and overstated. They add that energy efficiency, durability, and responsible sourcing should be considered in promoting sustainable building practices.
  • Safety considerations—In addition, the organisations say thorough testing and code development are needed to address concerns associated with mass timber construction.

The letter states, “The construction industry is constantly evolving, and mass timber should be encouraged to adopt more sustainable practices. The private sector is already actively exploring and developing these materials. A government mandate that favours one industry over another, funded by taxpayers, is ill-advised.”

America’s Wooden Takeover: How Tall Timber Became Mainstream!

Last month, Wood Central reported that mass timber was rising across the United States, not only in the Pacific Northwest but also in the South, West and Northeast.

Introduced by Senators Jeff Merkley (a Democrat) and James Risch (a Republican), the Mass Timber Federal Buildings Act, also known as S4149, would create an incentive for the use of mass timber building materials by providing a preference in federal building contracts for mass timber products. In effect, this would allow mass timber companies to compete for federal construction, renovation, or acquisition of public buildings and military construction.

Mass timber is a type of wood being used to build large buildings, like high-rises and airports. Last month, Jeff Glor travelled to Oregon to understand more about the material, its safety, and whether it’s sustainable to use long-term – footage courtesy of @CBSNews.

In announcing the Bill, Senator Merkley said, “Mass timber is a key piece of the puzzle to solving our nation’s affordable housing crisis and tackling climate chaos.” Senator Risch added, “Idaho’s forest products industry supports rural economies, reduces wildfire risk, and produces high-quality building materials.” Both stated that the new Act “opens opportunities for Idaho’s timber industry and ensures our government offices are built with the best of the best.”

Should it pass, the Act will mandate a preference in federal building contracts for mass timber products, creating a two-tier contracting preference based on where the timber comes from. It will also require the conduct of building lifecycle assessments.

Is Hybrid Construction – mixing mass timber with steel and concrete – America’s Sweet Spot?

The push comes after Wood Central reported that a new study produced by one of North America’s largest construction contractors suggests mass timber is just 4% more expensive than concrete, with 12-18-story residential towers “the sweet spot hybrid mass timber systems.” 

At the same time, a new study, Comparison of Embodied Carbon of a Mass Timber Building Structure with a Steel Equivalent, found that replacing steel and concrete with CLT floors and glulam columns and beams could hold the secret to decarbonising the construction industry and promoting lighter and faster construction systems.

The study used 3D-modelling to assess the weight and embodied carbon from Adohi Hall, once America's biggest mass timber building, and compared it to a conventional steel-and-concrete building. (Image Credit: Comparison of Embodied Carbon of a Mass Timber Building Structure with a Steel Equivalent in Buildings Journal)
Last week, Wood Central reported on a study using 3D-modelling to assess the weight and embodied carbon from Adohi Hall, once America’s biggest mass timber building, and compared it to a conventional steel-and-concrete building. (Image Credit: Comparison of Embodied Carbon of a Mass Timber Building Structure with a Steel Equivalent in Buildings Journal)

Led by Mahboobeh Hemmati from the University of Arkansas, researchers from the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and the Forest Products Laboratory at the USDA Forest Service modelled the embodied carbon footprint of Adohi Hall, once America’s largest mass timber building and compared it to a traditional steel structure.

“Adohi Hall’s structure predominately comprises CLT slabs, supported by glulam columns and beams,” the researchers said, “with the basement and ground floors constructed with reinforced concrete slabs, as well as a combination of steel and concrete columns and beams.”

As a result, “Adohi Hall presents an ideal examine the level of efficiency (of mass timber) compared to steel when hypothetically constructed,” according to the researchers, using Revit and 3D modelling to conduct a Life Cycle Analysis (or LCA) on both construction systems.

Author

  • Jason Ross

    Jason Ross, publisher, is a 15-year professional in building and construction, connecting with more than 400 specifiers. A Gottstein Fellowship recipient, he is passionate about growing the market for wood-based information. Jason is Wood Central's in-house emcee and is available for corporate host and MC services.

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