AWC Encouraged by Mass Timber Provisions Included in NDAA

American Wood Council (“AWC”) President and CEO Robert Glowinski issued a statement following today’s vote approving Amendment 358 to the National Defense Authorization Act (“NDAA”) for Fiscal Year 2021. The amendment includes language directing the Secretary of Defense to review the potential for incorporating innovative wood products in the construction or renovation of Department of Defense facilities.

“Innovative wood products, such as mass timber, present an unparalleled opportunity for military installations to shorten facility construction times while utilizing low-carbon alternatives to traditional building materials. Mass timber panels are prefabricated, meaning that a building can go up as fast as one or two floors per week, a rate unmatched by other construction materials. Various design firms have found that this increased speed of construction saved, on average, a total of four-to-five months from the overall construction process.

“Additionally, a January 2019 Pentagon report identified climate change as a serious national security issue. Wood products store carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere indefinitely, thereby reducing a building’s environmental footprint.

“The wood products industry thanks Representatives Abigail Spanberger and Austin Scott for their leadership on incorporating innovative wood products in Department of Defense projects.”

Source: American Wood Council