International Code Council approves AWC's proposed change to allow use of cross laminated timber under international building code's heavy timber construction classification; new code to be published in late 2014

Allison Oesterle

LEESBURG, Virginia , November 12, 2012 (press release) – A proposed code change by the American Wood Council (AWC) to expand the use of cross laminated timber through the building code’s heavy timber construction classification has been approved by the International Code Council (ICC). The recently approved change will lead the way for new U.S. markets for this emerging wood product in non-residential buildings.

The ICC held its final action hearings Oct. 21-28, 2012 in Portland, Ore. where ICC members made final decisions on proposed language for the 2015 International Building Code (IBC). This now-approved code will be published in late-2014 and will be immediately available for jurisdictions to adopt in 2015. The IBC is one in a series of codes that is being updated by the ICC for 2015.

“Having worked closely with ICC code and fire officials, AWC was able to quickly answer questions raised about the proposal during the earlier ICC committee hearings in May,” said AWC Vice President of Codes and Regulations Kenneth Bland. “The strong support for the proposal shown by ICC members in Portland is validation of the ICC process when all stakeholders work together to maintain state-of-the-art codes.”

Prior to the hearings, as part of a project to produce a U.S. design manual for cross-laminated timber, AWC conducted a successful ASTM E119 fire endurance test on a CLT wall at NGC Testing Services in Buffalo, N.Y. The wall, consisting of a 5-ply CLT (approximately 7 inches thick), was covered on each side with a single layer of 5/8" Type X gypsum wallboard. The wall was loaded to the maximum attainable by the test equipment, although it remained significantly below the full design strength of the CLT specimen. It was then exposed to a standard fire that reaches over 1800 degrees Fahrenheit in the first 90 minutes of exposure.

“While only seeking a 2-hour rating as required by the building code provisions, the test specimen lasted 3 hours 6 minutes. This may also open up additional possibilities in a few specialized locations where a 3-hr fire resistance rating might be required,” said AWC Vice President of Engineering Brad Douglas.

The test culminated nearly a month of intense planning and cooperation by the North American wood products industry to get the test run in advance of the recent ICC hearings.

For more information, contact Buddy Showalter at 202-463-2769.

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Editor’s Note
A photo for this story can be found here: http://bit.ly/TzxVLe

Caption: As part of a project to produce a U.S. design manual for cross-laminated timber (CLT), the American Wood Council conducted a successful ASTM E119 fire endurance test on a CLT wall at NGC Testing Services in Buffalo, N.Y.


The American Wood Council (AWC) is the voice of North American traditional and engineered wood products, representing over 60 percent of the industry. From a renewable resource that absorbs and sequesters carbon, the wood products industry makes products that are essential to everyday life and employs over one-third of a million men and women in well-paying jobs. AWC's engineers, technologists, scientists, and building code experts develop state-of-the-art engineering data, technology, and standards on structural wood products for use by design professionals, building officials, and wood products manufacturers to assure the safe and efficient design and use of wood structural components. AWC also provides technical, legal, and economic information on wood design, green building, and manufacturing environmental regulations advocating for balanced government policies that sustain the wood products industry. For more information, visit www.awc.org, or follow us on Twitter: @woodcouncil.

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