DEMAND FOR TIMBER PRODUCTS 



165 



Table 126.- — Timber products consumed in new nonresidential construction, by major product, 1962 and 



1970, with projections (1970 relative prices) to 2000 





Lumber 



Plywood (%-inch basis) 



Building board x (>2-inch basis) 



Year 



Total 



Use per $1,000 of 

 expenditures 2 



Total 



Use per $1,000 of 

 expenditures 2 



Total 



Use per $1,000 of 

 expenditures 2 



1962 



1970 



Million board 

 feet 

 3, 040 

 2,610 



Board feet 



75 

 53 



Million square 

 feet 

 1, 280 

 1,700 



Square feet 



28 

 34 



Million square 

 feet 



430 

 720 



Square feet 



11 

 14. 5 



Low projections 



1980 



2,920 



39 



2,580 



35 



1,030 



14 



1990 



3, 360 



34 



3,260 



33 



1,280 



13 



2000 



3,880 



30 



4, 050 



31 



1, 420 



11 









Medium projections 









1980 



1990 



2000 



3,030 

 3,630 

 4, 360 



39 

 34 

 30 



2, 680 



3, 530 



4, 550 



35 

 33 



31 



1,080 

 1, 380 

 1,600 



14 

 13 

 11 









High projections 









1980 



1990 



2000 



3, 150 

 3,920 



4, 890 



39 

 34 

 30 



2,800 

 3,800 

 5, 100 



35 

 33 

 31 



1, 120 

 1, 490 

 1, 790 



14 

 13 

 11 



1 Includes hardboard, parti cleboard, insulation board. 



2 1967 dollars. Use per $1,000 of construction 

 expenditure for 1962 and 1970 computed by Forest 

 Service. (See table 125 for construction expenditures.) 



Source: Timber products use, 1962 and 1970, estimates 



based on Forest Service surveys except highways, which 

 were adapted from data provided by U.S. Department of 

 Transportation, Bureau of Public Roads. 



Projections: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

 Service. 



lumber per dollar of expenditure in most classes 

 of construction, and some fall-off in construction 

 activity in 1970. Plywood consumption per dollar 

 also dropped in some classes, but there were sub- 

 stantial increases in noncommercial buildings, 

 highways, and the "all other" class. Use of 

 building board per dollar of construction expendi- 

 ture rose in all classes. 



These trends in use of timber products per 

 dollar of expenditures reflect many technological 

 and institutional forces. For example, boards and 

 dimension lumber were formerly used for nearly 

 all concrete form work. When plywood with syn- 

 thetic glues came into wide use in the 1950's, 

 plywood was substituted to an increasing degree 

 for form lumber. Increased durability of plywood 

 panels, which permitted a larger number of reuses, 

 has more recently had important effects on the 

 consumption of plywood. Growing use of rented 

 metal forms in concrete form work has likewise 

 become important. With development of steel 

 frames and connecting devices some supporting 

 dimension lumber also has been eliminated. 



Growing use of metal studs, joists, and decking 

 has also contributed to the decline in lumber use 

 per dollar. Increased off -site forming of precast and 

 prestressed concrete beams and decking in lieu 

 of on-site forming have further reduced use of 

 forming lumber and plywood per unit of non- 

 residential construction. And finally, use of timber 

 products in nonresidential construction has been 

 strongly influenced by building code restrictions 

 and growing urbanization, with an associated 

 growth in demand for large high-rise structures, 

 constructed almost entirety of steel and concrete. 



In contrast to the above forces, which have 

 acted to reduce the demand for timber products 

 there have been other developments which have 

 tended to increase use. Use of structural wood 

 items such as beams, trusses, and arches has been 

 growing, especially in churches, supermarkets, 

 schools, and warehouses. Certain architectural 

 styles, such as the recent revival of the mansard 

 roof, have also increased use of framing lumber and 

 plywood. 



