MASS TIMBER: INVESTIGATIONS

This 2018 EESI Congressional Briefing by Susan Jones of AtelierJones advocates for the use of mass timber to reduce CO2 emissions in construction. It compares timber composite construction (7,467 tons CO2) favorably against steel (13,179 tons) and concrete (14,444 tons) per square foot of floor assembly. The presentation showcases various CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) projects in Washington and Oregon and calls for national action to update building codes (specifically types 4A and 4C) based on real-life fire testing.

• Timber composite construction results in significantly lower CO2 emissions per square foot of floor assembly compared to steel or concrete. Specifically, timber composite construction is associated with 7,467 tons of CO2 emissions, while steel composite construction is 13,179 tons and concrete frame construction is 14,444 tons.
• The document highlights several mass timber projects in Washington and Oregon, including the CLT House (2015, Seattle, WA), CLT Church (2016, Bellevue, WA), CLT Schools (2017, Wapato, WA), an eight-story residential building called Carbon-12 (2018, Portland, OR), and a five-story 155,000 SF office building for First Tech Credit Union (2018, Hillsboro, OR).
• The briefing advocates for systemic change and national action regarding building codes, specifically mentioning protection types 4A and 4C and the necessity of real-life fire testing.
• The work of AtelierJones emphasizes material-driven expressions utilizing sustainable forests, restorative thinning, small-diameter timber, and prefabrication logic.

APA

JONES, S. (2018). MASS TIMBER: INVESTIGATIONS. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/files/Susan_Jones_102318.pdf

Chicago

JONES, SUSAN. MASS TIMBER: INVESTIGATIONS. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2018. https://www.eesi.org/files/Susan_Jones_102318.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=JONES |first1=SUSAN |title=MASS TIMBER: INVESTIGATIONS |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=23 October 2018 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/Susan_Jones_102318.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jones2018mass, author = {JONES, SUSAN}, title = {{MASS TIMBER: INVESTIGATIONS}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/Susan_Jones_102318.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }