US Army Corps of Engineers Requires Consideration of Mass Timber as a Structural Option for All Vertical Construction Projects

The Engineering News-Record (ENR) is reporting (10-2-23) that on September 23rd, the US Army Corps of Engineers announced a new policy requiring the consideration of mass timber as a structural option for all vertical construction projects undertaken for all Army and civil work projects.

The new policy for the Corps came via an Engineering and Construction Bulletin: “Mandatory Consideration of Mass Timber in Army Military Construction (MILCON) and Civil Works Vertical Construction Projects.” It stated that Corps personnel should consider at least one option where mass timber is a substantial structural component when comparing structural systems during early design.

According to ENR, the new policy outlined in the bulletin further stipulates that if the use of mass timber increases square footage of a project beyond the Army Standard gross square footage limitation, mass timber can still be considered for the project under the policy; however, the increase must qualify for a waiver for the additional size and scope of the project. The new directive also says that while not all projects will be conducive to mass-timber structural support, many other structures will.