LEESBURG, VA. – The International Code Council (ICC) has released the unofficial voting results on code change proposals considered in 2018, including passage of the entire package of 14 tall mass timber code change proposals. The proposals create three new types of construction (Types IV-A, IV-B and IV-C), which set fire safety requirements, and allowable heights, areas and number of stories for tall mass timber buildings. Official results are expected to be announced during the first quarter of 2019. The new provisions will be included in the 2021 International Building Code (IBC).

WASHINGTON – American Wood Council (AWC) President & CEO Robert Glowinski issued the following statement regarding today’s final passage of the 2019 Farm Bill. The bill includes the Research Title and Wood Innovation Grant language from the Timber Innovation Act (S.538/H.R. 1380), and separately a clarification on what constitutes a “USDA Certified Biobased Product” under federal procurement guidelines. AWC partnered with the National Alliance of Forest Owners and Southeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association.

LEESBURG, VA. – The American Wood Council (AWC) today announced the election of Roseburg Forest Products ​Chairman Allyn Ford as the AWC Board of Directors’ Chairman for a second one-year term, effective January 1, 2019.

LEESBURG, VA. – Arauco North America, headquartered in Atlanta, has joined the American Wood Council (AWC).

LEESBURG, VA. – The American Wood Council (AWC) submitted a letter in opposition to New Jersey Senate bill S. 1261, which would amend the state construction code to limit heights and areas of wood-frame construction in large residential multi-family construction. Excerpts of the letter are below and the full letter is available here.

WASHINGTON – American Wood Council (AWC) President & CEO Robert Glowinski issued the following statement regarding the Administration’s draft policy memo clarifying what is excluded from “ambient air” for air quality modeling purposes. The memo from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) adopts a more probabilistic approach for where impacts of new projects must be measured for evaluation.

WASHINGTON – American Wood Council (AWC) President & CEO Robert Glowinski issued the following statement regarding the Administration’s ending its reconsideration and lifting the stay on the 2009 New Source Review (NSR) project aggregation interpretative rule. The action from Acting EPA Administrator Wheeler clarifies when projects are substantially related for their emissions to be added together for permitting purposes.

LEESBURG, VA. – The American Wood Council (AWC) has released a new report on sound transmission, “Technical Report 15 (TR15), Calculation of Sound Transmission Parameters for Wood-Framed Assemblies.”