Forest Products Laboratory

Title: Estimated annual timber products consumption in major end uses in the United States, 1950-2006

Author: McKeever, David B.

Date: 2009

Source: General technical report FPL-GTR-181

Description: 

Timber products are vital in the construction, manufactur­ing, and shipping segments of the U.S. economy. Nearly all new houses are built principally with wood. Wood building products are also used extensively in the construction of nonresidential buildings and in the upkeep and improvement of existing structures. Solid wood is also used to produce, package, and transport manufactured products. In 2006, an estimated 6.8 billion ft3 (187.5 million m3) of solid wood products were consumed in the United States, down slightly from 2005 but more than twice the consumption in 1950. Over the period 1950 to 2006, the lumber share of total solid wood products consumption decreased from 73% to 69%, while the structural panel share increased from 14% to 18%. Nonstructural panel share remained unchanged. The share of lumber used for construction increased from 50% to 67% but remained the same or declined in other end-use areas. Structural panels share in construction remained about the same over the period 1950 to 2006, decreased in packag­ing and shipping (5% to 2%), and increased in the “other” end-use category. The share of nonstructural panels used for construction fell from 68% to 43%, while increasing in manufacturing and other end uses.

Keywords: Forest products industry, statistics, lumber trade, wooden buildings, production, consumption, timber products consumption, solid wood consumption, wood use, softwood lumber, hardwood lumber, structural panels, softwood plywood, oriented strandboard, OSB, nonstructural panels, hardwood plywood, particleboard, medium-density fiberboard, MDF, hardboard, insulation board, construction, housing, new residential construction, single-family, multifamily, apartments, mobile homes, repair, remodeling, upkeep, improvements, expenditures, nonresidential construction, manufacturing, furniture, shipping, wooden containers, pallets.

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Citation

McKeever, David B.  2009.  Estimated annual timber products consumption in major end uses in the United States, 1950-2006.   General technical report FPL-GTR-181.