Strong, Widespread Concern Raised by Proposals to Expand High-Rise Construction Using Wood

Washington, D.C., Aug. 14, 2018 – Three in four or 74 percent of Americans say proposals to allow taller buildings to be constructed with wood raise serious concerns for public safety, according to a new national public opinion poll. When asked about proposals to change the nation’s model building codes to raise to 18 the number of stories that can be built using wood products, respondents expressed worry over building structure and fire safety.  These proposals will be voted on in October by the International Code Council (ICC), which develops the model building code.

“Most people don’t know what materials were used to build their home, school, hospital or office building – so the building codes that shaped those construction decisions are way off their radar,” said Portland Cement Association (PCA) President and CEO Michael Ireland. “We wanted to take the pulse of Americans to learn what they think about proposals to build taller structures using wood, and we got a very clear picture: they don’t like it.”

According to the nationwide poll conducted by Hart Research on behalf of PCA, three in four respondents, or 74 percent, think it’s a bad idea to allow high-rise construction using wood. Further, three in four respondents, or 74 percent, also say they’d be personally uncomfortable doing business in buildings built using wood products, such as cross-laminated timber.

When asked why they had concerns about such proposals, the following percentage of respondents volunteered specific reasons, which are summarized here:

• Wood is less strong than other building materials like steel and concrete, it’s not as sturdy or durable and could break (52%)
• Wood is more flammable, more likely to burn, and presents a greater fire hazard (31%)
• Wood is more susceptible to weather damage and weather events (including earthquakes & hurricanes), it is less safe and will decompose or rot faster than other materials (18%)

“It’s time Americans were made aware of this threat, and that they can have a say in whether the wood industry gets a fast-tracked path to being able to build high-rise buildings across the country,” Ireland said, urging people to visit https://stoptallwood.com to get engaged.

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For more information, contact: Holly Arthur harthur@cement.org, 202-719-1979.