'Mass Timber Competition' is accepting entries

The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and the USDA Forest Service (USDA) are supporting the Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-Zero Carbon.

Designed to expand the use of mass timber in the United States, the competition will showcase mass timber’s application, practicality, commercial viability, and role as a natural climate solution that reduces the carbon footprint of the built environment. 

The competition is also designed to help expand the use of mass timber building solutions and support increased employment in advanced wood products design, engineering, construction, supply chain, and manufacturing sector, SLB said. 

The SLB and USDA are providing funding for the competition. Funding will support costs associated with the use of mass timber or mass timber hybrid building systems and construction.

Funding will also help project teams overcome barriers to the use of a new building material and system, most notably the costs of analyzing design and engineering alternatives and verifying that these solutions comply with applicable code(s).

The competition will share any lessons learned, cost analysis, life cycle assessment (LCA) results, and research findings to help support future projects. It will also advance, accelerate, and prove the business case for mass timber use in project types that have not been widely adopted in the U.S., including institutional, industrial, or warehouse/distribution centers, educational, and healthcare environments.

Winning teams will receive up to $500,000. The deadline for entries is March 30.

More details and registration for the contest are available here.