FUTURE DEMAND FOR TIMBER 



385 



25 



20 



15 



VERTICAL BARS INDICATE VOLUME OF NEVI/ NONRESIDENTAL CONSTRUCTION 



(LEFT-HAND SCALE) 

 . VOLUME IN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER MILLION OF GROSS NATIONAL 



PRODUCT AT 1953 PRICES (RIGHT-HAND SCALE) 

 . 1915-55 AVERAGE VOLUME IN THOUSAND DOLLARS PER MILLION OF 



GROSS NATIONAL PRODUCT AT 1953 PRICES (RIGHT-HAND SCALE) 



Source: U.S. Department of Commerce 



100 



50 



1915 '17 '19 '21 '23 '25 '27 '29 '31 



'33 '35 '37 

 YEARS 



'39 '41 '43 '45 '47 '49 '51 '53 '55 



Figure 115. — Volume of new nonresidential construction (excluding railroad and farm) put in place annually. 



contractors, found that concrete forms are the 

 major item : ^°^ 



Percent 



Concrete forms 58 



Framing and trim 20 



Scaffolding 10 



Bracing, shoring, decking 9 



Temporarj' buildings, skids and other uses. 3 



Total 100 



Plywood, hardboard, and other sheet materials 

 have displaced a large volume of lumber in con- 

 crete forms, but these serve only as facing mate- 

 rial. Lumber is still the dominant form of material 

 for studs and bracing, and it probably will not be 

 displaced to any large extent. Concrete and 

 lumber are often competitive, but they are also 

 complementary. Usually it is not practicable to 

 erect concrete structures witliout using a con- 

 siderable volume of lumber, though much of the 

 lumber can be used several times. 



It would, however, be a mistake to relegate the 

 future use of lumber in nonresidential construc- 

 tion entirely to facilitating roles. The modern 

 trend in buildings of many kinds (for light manu- 



"" Stanford Research Institute. America's Demand for 

 Wood, 1929-1975, p. 42. Weyerhaeuser Timber Co., 

 Tacoma, Wash., 1954. 



facturing industr^^, for warehouses, suburban 

 stores, schools and gymnasiums, garages, and 

 churches) is away from the multiple-story struc- 

 ture toward the single-story structure spread over 

 a larger area of ground. In low-type buildings of 

 light construction, the possibilities for economical 

 use of structural lumber are more favorable than 

 in tall buildings where heavy construction is a 

 prime requirement. 



The problem of obtaining large unobstructed 

 interior space under a wood-supported roof has 

 been solved by development of the glued lami- 

 nated wooden arch. That type of construction 

 is becoming increasingly popular for churches and 

 gymnasiums where pleasing interior effects with 

 no ceilings are desirable. Where ceilings are de- 

 sired, the wood truss with metal timber connectors 

 provides an excellent roof structure. For build- 

 ings in which high relative humidity is maintained 

 (textile factories, for example) preservative-treated 

 wood has several advantages. Moisture does not 

 condense on surfaces as in the case of mineral 

 materials, and there is no problem of corrosion. 

 Large-scale development of air conditioning has 

 provided a new use for lumber as structural ma- 

 terial for water-cooling towers. In general, the 

 prospect for continued use of a large volume of 



U. 



