The Wood Products Council announces the launch of WoodWorks, a new initiative designed to support architects, engineers and builders considering or using wood in non-residential buildings.
“WoodWorks was established to help architects, engineers, contractors (AEC) and others to design and build non-residential structures out of wood more easily and at less cost,” said Dwight Yochim, national director of the WoodWorks program.
Professional Support and Education
Through free educational events, support hotlines and an expert field staff, WoodWorks will provide technical support on wood-related topics such as building code issues, fire protection, wind and seismic design, cost efficiency, durability and green building. The program—which is currently available in California and the Southeast (Georgia and the Carolinas) and launches this spring in Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin—covers a range of building types including retail, offices, hotels, schools, industrial, religious, recreational, public, health care and multi-family residential.
Many experts, such as Marcy Wong, principal of Marcy Wong & Donn Logan Architects, are already aware of the benefits of using wood. “Wood is one of the most sustainable materials out there,” said Wong. “It performs very well as a structural material in earthquake country; and it is a timeless material that can look good through the lifetime of a building.”
Safe, Durable, Renewable
In addition to the seismic design benefits associated with the redundant load paths in typical wood-based structures, wood performs well in high-wind areas. Wood buildings tend to be lighter and more flexible, and are effective at resisting lateral loads.
Besides being the only major building material that’s renewable and sustainable over the long term, wood also outperforms steel and concrete using life cycle assessment (LCA) methodology—in categories such as global warming potential, air and water pollution and embodied energy (the energy required to extract, process, manufacture, transport and maintain the material over time). It also has a role to play in the fight against climate change and contributes positively to a building’s energy efficiency.
About WoodWorks
WoodWorks is an initiative of the Wood Products Council, a cooperative venture of all major North American wood associations, as well as research organizations and government agencies. For more information, visit woodworks.org.
Contacts:
Josh Chaitin, 206-352-6402
jchaitin@frause.com
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