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Use and production of solid sawn timbers in the United States

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Although timber production has grown steadily over the last decade, information about the use of timbers and the corresponding resource remains in short supply. This study adds to the available literature on solid sawn timbers by compiling data on timber production and uses. The major categories of solid sawn timbers researched were railroad ties, timber bridges, and other transportation structures. The outlook seems relatively bright for railroad ties. The demand for wood railroad ties has grown with the railroad industry, and there is no reason to think that this demand will not continue to grow for many decades to come. Of all uses of solid sawn timbers, timber bridges have the least promising outlook. Steel and concrete are the major materials used by the bridge industry. Other markets for solid sawn timbers are smaller than that for railroad ties, and timbers in these markets will also face competition from other materials. The research reported here helps quantify an important segment of the wood products industry in the U.S. economy.

Keywords

Sawnwood, Timbers, Lumber, Forest products industries, Wood utilization, Productivity, Railways, Bridges

Citation

Jackson, Gerry.; Howard, James.; Hammett, A. L. 2001. Use and production of solid sawn timbers in the United States. Forest products journal. Vol. 51, nos. 7/8 (July/Aug. 2001).:p. 23-28.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/5791