Concrete groups and their supporters are pushing their members to write to the International Code Council (ICC) urging the group to reject proposed code changes that would permit the construction of 18-story-tall wood buildings. Concerns over fire get top billing, but fears of losing market share also appear to be driving the effort.
"KEEP THE PUBLIC SAFE FROM TALL WOOD BUILDINGS," the Portland Cement Association declares in action alert on its website. The American Concrete Pumping Association has a nearly identical call to action on its site.
Both groups have been pushing since early July for members to protest an endorsement by an ICC subgroup that the 2021 International Building Code permit the use of mass timber in the construction of buildings up to 18 stories. Mass timber refers to cross-laminated timbers and similar products. Most local U.S. building codes bar the construction of wood buildings higher than five or six stories, but much higher structures have been erected elsewhere, particularly in Europe.
Bill Palmer, a columnist for Concrete Construction (a sister publication to ProSales), called in a July 9 blog post for concrete interests to join the protest. "Tall wooden buildings are much more vulnerable to fire than a truly noncombustible material like concrete and there are many other unproven aspects of tall timber buildings," Palmer wrote. "And, let’s face it, this is a big threat to concrete construction, which is currently the material of choice for mid-rise buildings.
"The concrete industry has mounted an effort to fight back and it depends on those of us who care to submit comments by July 16," he continued. "... If you are one who cares about maintaining concrete’s share of this market—and the safety of the public—please take the time to submit a comment. It will make a difference!"
Concrete interests have emphasized fire dangers in their campaign against tall wood buildings. Build With Strength, a website sponsored by the National Ready-Mixed Concrete Association, features a map showing locations of fires nationwide at low- to mid-rise wood buildings along with the message: "It’s time for builders, contractors, developers, first responders and residents to come together to create new solutions that embrace non-combustible materials like steel and concrete."
Supporters of tall wood buildings and members of an ICC ad hoc committee on the subject stress that there's a difference between dimensional lumber and mass timber products, both in how they burn and how they're used. Wood's promoters argue that many of the fires cited by concrete groups and firefighting officials took place at apartment complexes in which fire-suppression products like gypsum and sprinkler systems hadn't been installed. Mass timber doesn't burn so much as it chars, these groups note, and the char rate is slow enough to meet flammability standards.
And while concrete groups say mass timber construction remains an unproven concept, supporters say recent research has found that tall wood buildings are safe.
Supporters of mass timber construction have their own coalitions in groups like Build Tall Build Safe. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also has promoted tall wood buildings, in part as a way to boost the timber industry.
