Developing Timber Volume Calculators Through a Comparative Case Study Analysis of Wood Utilization in On-Site and Off-Site Construction Methods

Abstract

The research and development of Timber Volume Calculators (TVCs) was conducted to determine the amount of wood used in off-site light-frame construction compared to traditional on-site stick-built construction. A four-story mixed rate housing project in the fastest growing region in the US was used to: 1) quantify the total wood volume of the project as-built stick framed onsite, and 2) compare it to simulated factory built panelized and modular construction methods for the same housing configuration. Panelized construction used 6.7% more total wood and modular construction 69.4% more than the as-built scenario. A life cycle assessment found that panelized and modular construction store 4.5% and 32% more CO2 equivalent than on-site stick built construction. Next steps for evaluating economic costs of off-site constructed systems are presented.