To save on costs and improve quality, many builders are considering alternatives to traditional wood frame construction. In a continuation of its research on new residential building technologies, HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research recently released two reports on promising substitutes for wood frame residential construction. Wood structural panels, also known as foam core panels, are generally made of wood panel faces separated by a layer of plastic foam. Foam core panels are a practical material for exterior wall construction because they are structurally stronger and insulate better than wood.
Builders can use normal woodworking tools and fasteners with the panels.
However, these panels are vulnerable to termite or carpenter ant infestation and unresolved questions remain about fire resistance and long-term performance. Unlike conventional concrete forms, builders can quickly install insulating concrete forms and work with them in cold weather. Forms and finished surfaces, however, may cost more than wood frame walls, may be vulnerable to insect infestation, and have not been fully evaluated for fire resistance. The report suggests that the construction industry should support field evaluations on practical construction requirements and cost benefit analyses of the new wood panel and concrete technologies. The demonstration projects were a large custom home in Raleigh, North Carolina, and a simpler, affordable home in Upper Marlboro, Maryland, both with light-gauge steel framing.