Laguarda Mallo, M F (2017) Critical factors in the willingness to adopt innovative woodbased building materials in the construction industry: The case of CLT. PhD thesis, University of Minnesota, USA.
Abstract
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), has increased the possibilities of building with wood. CLT consists of multi-layer panels, manufactured with lumber boards that are glued together, alternating the direction of their fibers for each layer. The successful introduction of CLT into the Canadian market indicates that there is potential for further market penetration in North America, and more specifically the United States. To increase the understanding of the market potential for CLT in the U.S., this dissertation aimed at identifying the critical factors influencing the willingness of U.S. construction professionals to adopt innovative wood-based construction materials, such as CLT. The overall objective was achieved by: (a) investigating the level of awareness, perceptions, and willingness to adopt CLT among structural engineers and construction firms; (b) developing a conceptual model including the most critical factors that influence the adoption of innovate wood-based construction materials among structural engineers and construction firms; and (c) identifying distinct market segments for CLT adoption in the U.S. The outcomes from this research help fill the gap in the knowledge about the market adoption process for innovative wood-based materials in the construction industry. This study also contributes to advance the development of the CLT industry in the U.S. by increasing the demand of wood-based construction materials and supporting the creation of employment in a sector of critical importance to the U.S. economy. Findings from this thesis provide useful information that will help these actors accelerate the adoption of CLT through well-designed educational programs, demonstration projects, marketing strategies, and policy incentives.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Espinoza, O A |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | market; construction firms; cross-laminated timber; timber; employment; marketing; policy; United States; professional; structural engineer |
| Index terms: | critical factor, employment, wood, construction industry, cross-laminated timber, penetration, dissertation, building material, marketing, construction professional, construction material, construction firm, strategy, market segment, United States, program, structural engineer |
| Subjects: | business, risk assessment, profession, building materials, traditional and composite building materials, software systems, management, professional development, industry analysis, organization, research dissemination and communication, Geography, market analysis |
| Topics: | Risk Management, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Roles and Professions, Information Management, Construction Materials, Research Practice, Business Strategy, Human Resources, Digital Applications, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCTA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here