WoodWorks Expands to Baltimore and Washington, DC

WoodWorks, a cooperative venture of major North American wood associations, has expanded to Baltimore and Washington, DC with the appointment of a local senior technical director, Gary Broughton. WoodWorks technical directors provide free project support related to the design and construction of non-residential and multi-family wood buildings.

Broughton brings a wealth of experience to WoodWorks, including more than eight years as a building plan reviewer and building inspector, and more than 22 years with APA as a senior engineered wood specialist. Through this combination of experience and technical ability, he is well positioned to help architects, engineers and others design and construct wood buildings more easily and at less cost.

“Given how deeply the design and construction industry has been hit by the economic downturn, it’s great to see that non-residential and multi-family projects are starting to rebound in this region,” said Broughton. “I’m looking forward to helping people find solutions to their technical challenges—whether it’s for a wood-frame school or condominium—while demonstrating wood’s cost and performance advantages.”

“Designers in Baltimore and DC are doing some exciting things with wood buildings,” said Pat Schleisman, PE, regional director for WoodWorks in the eastern U.S. “We’re delighted that someone of Gary’s caliber and experience is going to be WoodWorks’ first on-the-ground representative providing support to these individuals.”

WoodWorks’ presence in the East is part of a phased national expansion. During the initial three-year pilot, the program focused on seven states (California, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota). These markets were chosen based on their level of construction activity and potential demand for technical support related to non-residential and multi-family wood buildings. By the end of the pilot, WoodWorks had provided support for more than 500 building projects.

This year, the initiative was expanded to include Seattle/Portland, Texas, and Baltimore/Washington, DC, again based on level of activity and the projected opportunity to provide support and education.

For project support in Baltimore and Washington, DC, design and building professionals are invited to contact Gary Broughton, technical director at [email protected], 443 257-3703.

WoodWorks also offers a wide range of other resources, from educational events such as Wood Solutions Fairs and workshops, to online training, CAD/REVIT details, design examples, span tables, cost and other calculators, and more. For more information, visit www.woodworks.org.

Upcoming East Region Events

Field Trip: Designing for Wind & Lateral Support

Jan. 25 – Charlotte, NC

Wood Solutions Fair

Feb. 21 – Atlanta, GA

Feb. 23 – Baltimore, MD

Source: WoodWorks

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