Building Sustainably: Mass Timber

Mass timber, including cross-laminated timber, offers a lower-carbon alternative to steel and concrete, potentially reducing building material emissions by 13% to 26.5%. In the U.S., the number of projects grew to 1,860 by June 2023, supported by USDA Wood Innovations Grants and the 2018 Farm Bill. While it provides carbon storage and supports forest health by utilizing small-diameter trees, challenges include moisture-related risks like fungi and mold, which require specific mitigation techniques.

• Mass timber can significantly lower the carbon footprint of construction compared to traditional materials, with the potential to reduce emissions associated with building materials by 13% to 26.5%.
• The use of mass timber supports sustainable forest management by creating a market for small-diameter or diseased trees, which helps reduce wildfire hazards and prevents waste by using lower-grade panels for non-structural applications.
• Mass timber adoption is increasing in the United States, with 1,860 projects completed or planned as of June 2023, including a 25-story apartment building in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, completed in 2022.
• U.S. government support includes the USDA Wood Innovations Program, which has provided over $14 million in grants for at least 60 projects, and the 2018 Farm Bill, which incorporated the Timber Innovation Act of 2017 to increase domestic manufacturing and research.
• While mass timber can be more fire-resistant than traditional light-frame wood, it is more susceptible to moisture-related issues such as mold, fungi, and insects because it dries more slowly than conventional lumber.

APA

Brind’Amour, M., & Bertrand, S. (2023). Building Sustainably: Mass Timber. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-building-sustainably-mass-timber-september-2023

Chicago

Brind’Amour, Molly, and Savannah Bertrand. Building Sustainably: Mass Timber. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2023. https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-building-sustainably-mass-timber-september-2023.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Brind’Amour |first1=Molly |last2=Bertrand |first2=Savannah |title=Building Sustainably: Mass Timber |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=29 September 2023 |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-building-sustainably-mass-timber-september-2023 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{brindamour2023building, author = {Brind’Amour, Molly and Bertrand, Savannah}, title = {{Building Sustainably: Mass Timber}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2023}, month = sep, url = {https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-building-sustainably-mass-timber-september-2023}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }