DEMAND FOR TIMBER PRODUCTS 



165 



T\ble 1^6 —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 ' 2-inch basis) 



Year 



„ . . Use per SI. 000 of 

 iotal expenditures 2 



Total 



Use per SI, 000 of 

 expenditures 2 



„ . , Use per $1,000 of 

 iotal expenditures 2 



1962 



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 



1970 . 



14. 5 













Low projections 



1980 

 1990 

 2000 



2. 920 



3, 360 

 3,880 



39 

 34 

 30 



2, 580 

 3,260 

 4, 050 



35 

 33 

 31 



1,030 

 1, 280 

 1,420 



14 

 13 

 11 



Medium projections 



1980 

 1990 

 2000 



35 



1,080 



14 



33 



1,380 



13 



31 



1, 600 



11 



High projections 



35 



1, 120 



14 



33 



1,490 



13 



31 



1,790 



11 



1 Includes hardboard, particleboard, 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 



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 ha; been eliminated. 



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. 



Growing use of metal studs, joists, and deck'ng 

 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 entirely of steel and concrete. 



In contrast to the above forces, which have 

 acted to reduce the demand for timber product- 

 there have been other development- 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 man-aid 

 roof, have also increased use of framing lumber and 

 plywood. 



