Huge volumes of cross‑laminated timber and other bio‑based building materials could be used to construct the next generation of military bases, warehouses and other Department of Defense infrastructure, according to a Report to Congress tabled by the Pentagon. The 18‑page document, Integration of Innovative Construction Materials, was prepared by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense and is cited as a key consideration in the administration’s decision to impose global tariffs on lumber on national‑security grounds.
“Considering that approximately 20 per cent of the anticipated building portfolio for the year 2045 is yet to be constructed, it is imperative that innovative and sustainable materials parameters be researched and integrated into guidance protocols quickly,” the report says, revealing that low carbon construction marerials like timber will play a key in building up to 1 billion square feet of miltary infrasture over the next 20 years.
Pentagon officials say the immediate objective is to convert research into binding standards and procurement certainty. “The main outcome of these R&D activities will be the development of CCRs and coordination with the Standards and Criteria program to make innovation and sustainability‑focused updates to UFC and UFGS documents,” the report states, describing a coordinated review of more than fifty specifications covering asphalt, concrete, geosynthetics, timber and biomaterials intended to remove technical and contractual barriers to adoption.
Engineered wood, and cross‑laminated timber in particular, sits at the centre of that work. The report records R&D that “test[s] and demonstrate[s] cutting‑edge bio‑adhesives and cross‑laminated timber (CLT) strategies” to inform updates to UFGS 06 17 19 Cross‑Laminated Timber. “The aim is to inform and enhance CLT specifications and evaluate the opportunity to combine CLT panels with bio‑based insulation, creating structural insulated panels for thermal and mechanical demonstrations,” it adds, saying the programme “could revolutionise energy‑efficient construction techniques, improving the total sustainability associated with new buildings and infrastructure.”
The Department of Defense (DOD) is moving from the lab to on‑the‑ground pilots.
The Department of Defense is already testing its research in real projects. The fiscal‑year 2024 Unaccompanied Enlisted Personnel Housing project at Joint‑Base Lewis‑McChord — an 87,000‑sq‑ft barracks due in 2027 — was delivered with sustainability‑centric specification changes that prioritise lower‑impact materials and regional sourcing, while a 40,000‑sq‑ft Child Development Center at Naval Support Activity Hampton Roads is advancing with hybrid glue‑laminated and cross‑laminated timber structural options as force‑protection analysis is completed by ERDC and the USACE Protective Design Center.
The report comes as the Trump administration is looking to ramp up onshore timber processing to meet current and future DoD demand. New tariff measures, which came into effect last week, and industrial incentives are being promoted to strengthen U.S. timber production and reduce reliance on imports, and DoD’s work to update CCRs, UFCs and UFGS documents could create predictable procurement pathways: formal recognition of CLT‑plus‑bio‑insulation assemblies in DoD standards would give manufacturers the volume and contract certainty needed to justify capital investment in CLT lines, bio‑adhesives and insulated‑panel production.
For the industry, the implications are immediate. Clear, standards‑driven procurement lowers investment risk for mills and engineered‑wood fabricators, shortens supply chains and helps stabilise pricing for military and civilian buyers. For Defence, whole‑panel mass‑timber systems promise shorter construction schedules and materially lower embodied carbon than many conventional concrete and steel solutions. For manufacturers, dependable DoD demand improves access to financing, supports workforce development and accelerates third‑party testing and certification—prerequisites for rapid capacity expansion.
Significant hurdles will temper the pace of change. The report flags supply constraints, third‑party certification timelines and the need to harmonise military specifications with state and international building codes. “Lead times for engineered‑wood production and the pace at which CCRs and UFC/UFGS updates are finalised will determine how quickly demonstration projects convert into awarded contracts,” a specialist familiar with the programme said, underscoring that standards alone will not instantly unlock industrial scale.
- Click here to learn more about how the US Army is testing new and improved versions of cross-laminated timber to withstand a one-in-250-year earthquake. And to learn why engineered wood products made from Amercian Red oak could be used in place of tropical timbers in military floorboards, click here for Wood Central’s special feature from March 2025.
