DEMAND FOR TIMBER PRODUCTS' 



173 



Table 130. — Timber products consumed in manufacturing, specified years 1948-70, with projections (1970 



relative prices) to 2000 





Lumber 



Veneer and plywood 

 (%-inch basis) 



Hardboard 

 (%-inch basis) 



Particleboard 

 (%-inch basis) 



Year 



Total 



Per dollar 



of 

 shipments ' 



Total 



Per dollar 



of 

 shipments x 



Total 



Per dollar 



of 

 shipments ' 



Total 



Per dollar 



of 

 shipments 1 



1948 



Million 

 board feet 

 3, 924 

 3,865 

 4,609 

 4,670 



Board feet 



0. 016 



. 010 



. 009 



.008 



Million 

 square feet 

 1, 126 

 1, 822 

 1,562 

 1,656 



Square feet 



0. 005 



. 005 



. 003 



.003 



Million 

 square feet 



NA 



760 



1, 135 



1,361 



Square feet 



Million 

 square feet 



NA 

 106 

 476 

 669 



Square feet 



I960— 

 1965— 

 1970— 



0. 0020 

 .0023 

 .0023 



0. 0003 

 .0010 

 .0011 



Low projections 



1980... 

 1990— 

 2000... 



5,480 

 6,290 

 7, 140 



.006 

 . 005 

 .004 



2, 290 

 2, 950 

 3,760 



.003 

 .002 

 .002 



2, 140 

 3,050 

 4,230 



. 0025 

 .0025 

 .0025 



1,330 

 2, 100 

 3,090 



.0016 

 .0018 

 .0019 



Medium projections 



1980... 

 1990... 

 2000... 



5,720 

 6,850 

 8, 130 



.006 

 .005 

 .004 



2,400 

 3,220 

 4,300 



.003 

 . 002 

 .002 



2,240 

 3,350 

 4,850 



.0025 

 .0025 

 .0025 



1,400 

 2,300 

 3,540 



.0015 

 . 0017 

 .0018 



High projections 



1980— 

 1990... 

 2000... 



6,040 

 7,560 

 9,360 



.006 

 . 005 

 .004 



2,530 

 3,570 

 5,010 



.003 

 .002 

 .002 



2,370 

 3,720 

 5,650 



.0025 

 .0025 

 . 0025 



1,480 

 2,560 

 4, 140 



. 0015 

 .0017 

 .0018 



1 1967 dollars. Use per dollar of shipments in the 1948-70 

 period computed by Forest Service (see table 129 for 

 value of shipments). 



Sources: Timber products use, U.S. Department of 

 Agriculture, Forest Service. 1948 — Wood used in manufac- 

 ture, 1948. Forest Resource Rep. 2. 1951; 1960— Wood 

 used in manufacturing industries, 1960. Stat. Bull. 353. 



1965; 1965 — Wood used in manufacturing industries, 1965. 

 Stat. Bull. 440. 1969; 1970— Based on preliminary esti- 

 mates of value of shipments (table 129) and trends in 

 timber products use per dollar of shipments. 



Projections, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

 Service. 



ture parts, especially the ornate highly detailed 

 parts used in the manufacture of Spanish and 

 Mediterranean styles of furniture, were reportedly 

 below the costs of comparable parts made from 

 lumber. In addition, plastics permit great freedom 

 in design, and special effects not possible with 

 lumber or other wood products, they have dimen- 

 sional stability and resistance to damage from 

 scratches and liquids. Shortages of skilled wood 

 workers and rising costs of some fine hardwoods 

 have also been contributing factors. 



On the other hand, some forces favor use of 

 timber products over plastics. Perhaps the most 

 important of these is a deep seated consumer 

 preference for wood furniture. In addition, timber 

 products have some superior performance char- 

 acteristics such as ease of refinishing and repair, 

 greater fracture resistance, and higher load- 

 bearing strength. Timber products also have a 



cost advantage over plastics for many furniture 

 parts, especially those that are not produced 

 in large numbers. 



In the case of other manufactured products 

 such as commercial and institutional furniture, 

 boats, toys and handles, lumber and plywood have 

 also been partially displaced by other nonwood 

 materials such as steel or fiberglass having lower 

 costs or preferred performance characteristics. 

 Particleboard and hardboard have also partially 

 displaced lumber and plywood in some manu- 

 factured products. This has been particularly 

 important in furniture manufacture where par- 

 ticleboard is extensively used as core stock, 

 and hardboard is used as facing material or 

 components in such items as desks, bureaus, 

 and cabinets. 



Part of the decline in the use of lumber and 

 plywood per dollar of shipments also reflects a 



