FUTURE DEMAND FOR TIMBER 



445 



feet {% inch basis) in 1952 to 2,000 square feet by 

 1975 and to 2,400 by the year 2000, and if the 

 rate of new residential construction increases as 

 explained previously, demand for softwood ply- 

 wood for these uses by 1975 may amount to 4.0 

 billion square feet (% inch basis). By 2000, it 

 may rise to 6.0 billion square feet or 7.2 billion — 

 depending on whether 2.5 million or 3.0 million 

 dwelling units are then constructed. 



Another important use is in maintenance and 

 repair construction, including alterations and 

 additions. This last type of construction often 

 involves new partitions, lining of unfinished space 

 (such as basements and attics) or other structural 

 changes. Plywood is ideally suited for these pur- 

 poses because it can be put in place at minimum 

 cost, with simple tools and by unskilled labor. 

 Expenditures for maintenance and repair construc- 

 tion are expected to increase 53 percent in the 

 period 1955-75 and 177 percent or 224 percent in 

 the period 1955-2000. 



In nonresidential construction, plywood is used 

 chiefly for concrete forms. It is particularly suit- 

 able where smooth or curved concrete surfaces are 

 desired. The moisture-proof and moisture-resist- 

 ant types can often be reused several times. By 

 1975, expenditures for nonresidential construction 

 are expected to be 35 percent above 1955 and, by 

 2000, 193 or 249 percent higher. 



In developing estimates of the quantity of soft- 

 wood plywood that may be demanded for these 

 purposes, it has been assumed that the average 

 use of plywood per dollar of expenditures will in- 

 crease at a somewhat faster rate than overall 

 expenditures because of the continued displace- 

 ment of lumber by plywood — ^even though relative 

 prices of each follow the same trend. In the case 

 of nonresidential construction, plywood use per 

 doUar of expenditures is assumed to increase 83 

 percent by 1975 and 217 or 242 percent by 2000. 

 The corresponding relationships assumed for 

 maintenance and repair construction are 71 per- 

 cent by 1975 and 157 or 229 percent by 2000. 



Applying these percentages to 1955 consump- 

 tion of softwood plj'Avood for new nonresidential 

 construction and for all maintenance and repair, 

 and adding the resulting estimates to new resi- 

 dential construction as previously developed, the 

 total use of softwood plywood (in billion square 

 feet, Ys inch basis) for all construction may be as 

 follows : 



All other Mainte- 

 New resi- construe- nance and All con- 

 Year: dential tion ' repair struction 



1955 2.2 1.2 0.7 4.1 



1975 4.0 2.2 1.2 7.4 



onnn / 6. 3. 8 1. 8 1 1. 6 



/UUU j -2 4.1 2.3 13.6 



' Includes maintenance and repairs on farms, railroads, 

 and mines. 



When these construction uses are added to the 

 estimates of use in manufacturing and shipping. 



the total estimates of demand for softwood ply- 

 wood provide for increases of 78 percent during 

 the period 1955-75 and of 178 percent or 224 per- 

 cent during the period 1955-2000, as follows: 



Billion sq.ft., ?4 inch basis 



Manufac- 

 Conslrac- taring and 

 Year; l^on shipping Total 



1955 4.1 1.3 5.4 



1975 7.4 2.2 9.6 



^»»»-- ( \kt It \l:t 



These estimates are large in comparison with the 

 demand increases estimated for lumber, but still 

 very moderate in comparison with the rate at 

 which softwood plywood consumption has been 

 increasing — roughly 1,000 percent during the 20- 

 3^ear period 1935-55. 



Hardwood Veneer and Plywood 



The hardwood pl3rwood and veneer industrj^ 

 includes about 500 mills located chiefly in the 

 southern States and in Wisconsin, Michigan, 

 Indiana, Ohio, New York, and Vermont. In 

 contrast to the softwood industry, it uses a wide 

 variety of species: '*- 



_ . Million 



opecies group: hd.-ft.. 



Birch, beech, cherry, maple, oak, wal- log scale Percent 



nut "_ 188 20 



Gum, yellow-poplar, basswood, cotton- 

 wood 627 66 



Other domestic hardwoods 111 11 



Imported tropical hardwoods 28 3 



Total consumption 954 100 



Hardwood plywood and veneer have highly 

 diversified uses in construction and in manufac- 

 turing. In construction, hardwood plywood and 

 veneer are mainly used for interior paneling, 

 cabinetwork, and doors. In manufacturing, they 

 are widely used in furniture and fixtures, radio and 

 television cabinets, small boats, and similar items. 

 In general, the hardwood product is preferred 

 where appearance, hardness, and sonic properties 

 are important. 



Total hardwood veneer production in 1953 

 amounted to about 10.1 billion square feet, surface 

 measure basis. About 60 percent of this was 

 used in the manufacture of hardwood plywood: 



Billion 

 square feet, 

 surface 

 Type: measure Percent 



Special and face 1.9 19 



Commercial and utility 4. 7 47 



Container 3. 1 30 



Flat .4 4 



Total all types 10.1 100 



'" U. S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Cen- 

 sus, Facts for Industry, Hardwood Veneer, 1953. Wash- 

 ington, D. C, 1954. (Hardwood veneer and plywood are 

 reported in square feet only, with no designation of thick- 

 ness.) 



