World’s Tallest Mass Timber Building Nearing Completion

by | Feb 13, 2017 | News

The new Brock Commons student residence at the University of British Columbia will be the tallest contemporary mass timber building in the world when finished this May. The term “mass timber” or “mass wood” covers an array of approaches, usually referring to a structural system combining engineered wood columns and floor slabs. In Canada, the most commonly referenced technical innovation, and one of the ones behind Brock Commons’ structure, is the cross-laminated timber (CLT) slab, available in a variety of thicknesses for different span requirements.

While Brock Commons’ height will unquestionably get the lion’s share of attention after its completion, that’s not the most interesting thing about the building for architects. Rather, it is the fact that, on typical floors, the wood is not visible.

Acton Ostry Architects principal Russell Acton, FRAIC, the lead designer of Brock Commons, has lectured widely on the project. When he talks to architectural audiences, he is inevitably asked: “why didn’t you expose the wood?” The answer is that the wood structure has been encapsulated in drywall and concrete topping to ensure efficient code compliance.

This pragmatic approach was a response to achieving quick approvals, and as an associated outcome, addressed perceptual challenges in terms of fire safety. In fact, the historic (and completely understandable) fear of fire in wood frame buildings is dramatically less relevant to mass timber. During a fire, the outside surface of a thick wood member chars while protecting a structural core of unburnt wood. As building codes develop, it is likely that the testing of mass wood assemblies will assist authorities to better understand the inherent fire resistance of mass timber, and potentially reduce the need for encapsulation, provided that a sacrificial layer of wood char is provided in its place.

From Canadian Architect: https://www.canadianarchitect.com/features/reaching-new-heights-2/

Portland State University Tests CLT’s Seismic Strength

by | Jan 4, 2017 | News

When the 12-story Framework building planned at Portland’s Northwest 10th Avenue and Glisan Street is complete, it may look to passers-by like any other Pearl District condo tower.

But it will hold a special distinction in the sustainable building world: the nation’s tallest building made primarily from mass timber (long pieces of timber, glue-laminated together).

Designers and engineers across the country are chasing an innovative style of mass timber construction pioneered in Europe, which they believe will go a long way to reduce the carbon footprint of large buildings.

The breakthrough came with the development of cross-laminated timber or CLT: Large, layered flat panels used as floors and walls (rather than just beams as vertical posts).

As Oregon moves on multiple fronts to take the national lead in all-wood construction for tall buildings, Portland State University stepped up early to do basic research. PSU won a three-year, $400,000 National Science Foundation grant to study two aspects of mass timber construction: its sustainability and how well it resists earthquakes.

From Sustainable Life: https://pamplinmedia.com/sl/337694-214716-psu-tests-new-green-woods-seismic-strength

WoodWorks Leads Blast Testing Project For Cross-Laminated Timber

by | Dec 19, 2016 | News

Videos are now available showing a series of live blast tests on three cross-laminated timber (CLT) structures at Tyndall Air Force Base, conducted by WoodWorks in cooperation with the US Forest Service and Softwood Lumber Board. Post-test observations were exciting. All structures remained intact and matched modeling predictions with acceptable levels of damage under significant explosive loading. The results of this testing will be used to further expand the use of wood solutions for Department of Defense applications and other blast-resistant construction. Watch the videos here: https://bit.ly/2hwVE1g

The CLT structures—each two-story, single-bay structure with anchorage to an existing concrete slab—were constructed in full by Lendlease over a period of eight days. Each structure was constructed using a different grade of CLT (i.e., grade designations V1, E1 and V4 per ANSI/APA PRG-320 provided by DR Johnson, Nordic and SmartLam, respectively) and included window and door openings (with doors provided by American Direct) consistent with an actual building. Self-drilling screws provided by MyTiCon and adhesive anchors provided by Hilti were utilized in concert with angle steel to connect the constituent panels of each structure.

Three shots were performed to demonstrate the effectiveness of CLT over a spectrum of blast loads. The first two shots were designed to stress the CLT structures to within their respective elastic limits. The third shot was designed to push the structures beyond their elastic limits such that post-peak response could be observed. Reflected pressure and peak deflections were recorded and will be used to thoroughly document the response of the structure in time, and support a design methodology for predicting elastic response of CLT under dynamic loads.

Initial observations deriving from these tests are positive. For the first two tests, peak recorded deflections were consistent with pre-test predictions, indicating the efficacy of the design assumptions and supporting design methodologies. Results from the third test indicated a controlled response in which localized panel rupture was observed but connection integrity and load carrying ability were not compromised for any of the three structures. Over the next couple months, WoodWorks will be working with Karagozian & Case, Inc. and the University of Maine to thoroughly post-process and analyze the results of these tests.

From Business Wire: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161215005337/en/WoodWorks-Leads-Blast-Testing-Project-Cross-Laminated-Timber

Freres Lumber Unveils MPP, Adding Plant In 2017

by | Dec 7, 2016 | News

Freres Lumber Unveils MPP, Adding Plant In 2017

Capitalizing on the current interest in building large-scale wooden buildings and more multi-story wooden structures, longtime Oregon plywood and veneer producer Freres Lumber has introduced the “Mass Plywood Panel” (MPP), a veneer-based engineered wood product that’s been more than a year in development while being tested and refined in conjunction with Oregon State University.

Calling the MPP the “first veneer-based product of this size and scale that’s been proposed to the marketplace,” Freres Lumber Executive Vice President Rob Freres says the MPP development represents the kind of innovative investment required to differentiate the company, add value and stay on the leading edge of product development and new technology.

Freres Lumber is adding an MPP plant near its Lyons, Ore. veneer plant and its Mill City, Ore. plywood plant. The facility is starting with a scarfing line and test press in early 2017, with a building planned for completion by late third quarter and commercial production to begin by late 2017.

“This will allow us to test panels and gain certification,” Freres says, adding he believes MPP will qualify under LVL and CTL standards.

A week after announcing the new product, Freres reps displayed MPP at the North American Wholesale Lumber Assn.’s Trade Market trade show in Las Vegas in late October. In a blog post on Freres Lumber’s web site, plywood sales rep Bob Maeda noted an “overwhelming response” to the product.

He added that Freres officials had “great discussions with many industry experts about product opportunities” that include crane mats, large cross-laminated timber (CLT) -like floor panels, solid wall panels, concrete forming applications, solid structural columns, scaffold planking, long length scarfed panels, furniture applications and more. “We have had a lot to digest and think about, but the opportunities seem to be many, and that is the exciting part,” Maeda posted.

Freres says the MPPs can be produced in dimensions up to 12 ft. wide, 48 ft. long and 12 in. thick. He believes a veneer-based mass building panel is more appropriate than the lumber-based CLT mass panel because defects are more easily removed during veneer production, and early research shows MPPs may reach the same strength values as CLT but using 20%-30% less raw material.

In addition, he says, the veneer layup process gives the MPP more engineering flexibility when it comes to meeting customer needs. MPP’s relative lightness, plus the aesthetic aspects of veneer add to MPP’s competitive benefits, Freres believes.

Moving ahead, Freres says, “We’re going to be testing a lot of different combinations and veneer thicknesses.” He believes MPP will be able to match the properties that engineers, builders and architects are looking for but with less raw material.

“It’s really exciting,” Freres says. “We’re looking at a multitude of different types of products, and it’s really a way to diversify and not be so reliant on standard commodity products.”

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Tallest Timber Building In The U.S. Opens Its Doors

by | Dec 2, 2016 | News

The seven-story T3 tower features 220,000 square feet of prefabricated CLT timber panels and nail-laminated timber cladding.

It became the largest timber building in the U.S. when it opened Wednesday in Minneapolis. Designed by Vancouver-based Michael Green Architecture and Architect-of-Record DLR Group, the office building is named T3, which stands for Timber, Technology, and Transit.

“As businesses compete to attract and retain staff, T3 offers a modern re-interpretation of the historic building that appeals to young professionals,” says Architect Michael Green. “It celebrates the robust character of historic wood, brick, stone and steel buildings, but provides state of the art amenities, environmental performance, and technical capability needed for competitive businesses in Minneapolis.”

In addition to being constructed of sustainable lumber, the building will sequester about 3,200 tons of carbon.

StructureCraft, who worked on the project, said the building, which resembles nearby historic warehouses in the district, features a structural system around a fifth of the weight of a similarly sized concrete building. StructureCraft says it was able to construct the 180,000 square feet of timber required in less than 10 weeks.

From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/tallest-timber-building-us-opens-its-doors?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news