Why the US is spending to promote wood skyscrapersFriday 4 Apr 2014
You might remember that President Obama signed a new $US956 billion Farm Bill in early February. A big focus of the new bill is “Made in Rural America,” an initiative designed to help rural farmers find and take advantage of economic opportunities. Like, say, helping lumber companies develop and market high-tech wood products to architects who might otherwise spec steel and concrete in taller buildings. Let’s back up for a second, though: Skyscrapers made from timber?? Is there really a market for wood that can be used in tall buildings? In fact, there is — though it’s very young. So American architects are thinking about timber construction. The problem the White House wants to solve is where they will get it from? A recent London multi-story tower’s timber was sourced from a company in Austria called KLH, which pioneered the manufacturing of the stuff. But the US government would like that wood to come from the US, not Europe — hence its partnership with WoodWorks, a nonprofit that aims to connect architects with stateside suppliers. There are plenty of other things standing in the way of timber towers, as The Oregonian explains: Building codes that don’t allow the use of wood in buildings over a certain height, for example, not to mention shifting the longstanding public perception that wood buildings are weaker, more dangerous, and less durable. There’s also been a surge in lobbyists hired by chemical and plastics companies, which are waging a war against LEED and other sustainable building initiatives — which they see as legislation that harms their businesses. So as President Obama promises to spend billions helping rural America, he’s also looking at the lumber industry — which, from the Federal Government’s perspective, could be growing the next big building material in our own back yard. More >> | ||
Copyright 2004-2026 © Innovatek Ltd. All rights reserved. |
