by Web Editor | Mar 29, 2017 | News
Over the past several years, there has been a rise in mass timber construction around the world, demonstrating the strength, stability, and design flexibility of next-generation lumber technologies. To help inform architects, engineers, developers, industry professionals, students and interested parties, reThink Wood has launched the reThink Wood Research Library to serve as the go-to industry resource for those seeking information on the latest advancements in wood’s performance and advantages in the built environment.
reThink Wood is a body of research hoping to push boundaries and shift perceptions about building with wood.
Today, mass timber technologies, including cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam), are gaining traction in the U.S. for mid-rise and tall wood structures. The publicly accessible and comprehensive reThink Wood Research Library will be frequently updated with the latest research on wood building products and systems worldwide, as well as demonstrate where research gaps currently exist.
“The future of mass timber in the U.S. is really starting to heat up,” said Lucas Epp, head of engineering at StructureCraft. “In the next few years, there will be considerably more mass timber buildings built than we have today. The industry is starting to see that this type of construction is fast, cost effective and sustainable.”
Advocates of CLT say it can be used to construct buildings of equal strength and fire-resistance as those made of steel and concrete. It has also fueled the passions of architects and environmentalists, who believe it to be a much greener method for housing the world’s growing population.
From Woodworking Network: https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/news/woodworking-industry-news/wood-research-library-advances-timber-building-construction?ss=news,news,woodworking_industry_news,news,almanac_market_data,news,canadian_news
by Web Editor | Mar 22, 2017 | News
Brian Luoma Picked To Lead Alabama’s Westervelt Company
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548376180744-0'); });
The Westervelt Company named Brian Luoma as President and CEO, succeeding Mike Case, who announced his retirement after more than 32 years with the company. Luoma will oversee Westervelt Lumber, Westervelt Renewable Energy, Westervelt Forest Resources, Westervelt Communities, Westervelt Ecological Services and Westervelt New Zealand.
Luoma most recently served as executive vice president and general manager, Siding, with Louisiana-Pacific Corp.
Jon Warner, Chairman of the Board at The Westervelt Co., based in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, comments, “Brian’s proven leadership and vision will be essential in leading our company.”
“I am thrilled to join the Westervelt team,” Luoma says. “The company’s commitment to excellence and focus on sustainability are the driving forces behind 133 years of success.”
Since 1987, Luoma held roles of increasing responsibility with LP. Luoma graduated in Forestry from Humboldt State University in Arcata, California. He worked for LP while attending college, first as an assistant log scaler at the LP stud mill in Fort Bragg, California and then in the woods as a forestry technician. After graduating he worked for Simpson Timber in Korbel for a year before rejoining LP as timberlands manager in northern California. He then became wood procurement manager for LP’s Western Region. He later led LP’s Northern operations OSB group in Hayward, Wisconsin before moving to LP headquarters as head of forestry, wood procurement and logistics.
He advanced to LP’s vice president of Engineered Wood Products before becoming executive vice president and GM over LP Siding, based at headquarters in Nashville, Tennnessee.
Westervelt operates a high production, modernized southern yellow pine sawmill at Moundville, Alabama, a large industrial wood pellet plant in Aliceville, Alabama, and owns/manages 500,000 acres of timberland.
For more information on The Westervelt Company visit westervelt.com.
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548375988914-0'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1589916740199-0'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548376916922-0'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548376961890-0'); });
googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1548377005333-0'); });
The monthly Panel World Industry Newsletter reaches over 3,000 who represent primary panel production operations.
Panel World is delivered six times per year to North American and international professionals, who represent primary panel production operations. Subscriptions are FREE to qualified individuals.
Complete the online form so we can direct you to the appropriate Sales Representative. Contact us today!
by Web Editor | Feb 27, 2017 | News
From: Panel World Editors
Organizers have announced that the sixth Panel & Engineered Lumber International Conference & Expo (PELICE) will be held Friday-Saturday, April 13-14, 2018, and once again in the Grand Ballroom North of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
PELICE again immediately follows the Wood Bioenergy Conference & Expo, which will be held April 11-12, 2018, also in the Grand Ballroom North. Both events are supported by Panel World and Wood Bioenergy magazines, and Georgia Research Institute.
The 2016 PELICE set a record attendance of 450 industry professionals, including representatives from 32 wood products producer companies. They enjoyed 50 presentations on new project development, production technologies and market forecasts concerning veneer, plywood, OSB, MDF, particleboard and engineered wood products. The event was supported by a record 80 equipment and technology exhibitors, of which 37 exhibited in both the PELICE and Wood Bioenergy events.
Many forecasts expect what has been a gradual improvement in building products sectors to begin snowballing in 2018. Several new mill projects in both the structural and non-structural sectors will be hitting full production mode, and several others will be nearing startup. New developments in new engineered wood products will also be gaining momentum.
The 2018 PELICE will address all of this as well as the latest developments in machinery technologies.
Such momentum generates great anticipation for the 2018 PELICE. Once again, Gold, Silver and Bronze exhibitor sponsorship packages will be offered.
For exhibitor sponsorship information, contact Fred Kurpiel, fredkurpiel@aol.com; 678-642-1238.
To submit a presentation idea, contact Rich Donnell, rich@hattonbrown.com; 334-834-1170.
by Web Editor | Feb 1, 2017 | News
Market participants in the North American wood products market are once again cautiously optimistic as they look to 2017. This caution continues to pervade the wood products markets as uncertainty from the ongoing softwood lumber trade negotiations between the USA and Canada, the uneven U.S. housing recovery and the potential for further OSB restarts stifle optimism.
Market participants seem to be gearing up for what they believe will be yet another year of modest demand growth with ample supply availability. This will likely result in cautious inventory buying behavior early in the year. However, 2017 could easily surpass these cautious expectations, which could result in an insufficient inventory buffer as demand powers higher both cyclically and seasonally in late spring and throughout the summer.
Buyers adopted a conservative inventory strategy in 2016 in response to recent market performance and restrained expectations. Unmet price expectations in the North American OSB market in 2013 and more recently in the softwood lumber market in 2015 translated into debilitating inventory losses.
Fresh memories of inventory losses combined with guarded optimism about housing (traders fully in the show-me mode), the OSB industry still acclimating to the startup of over 4.5 BSF of OSB capacity, and the uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the softwood lumber trade negotiations between the USA and Canada drained enthusiasm for building inventories in 2016.
From Building-Products.com: https://www.building-products.com/January-2017/2017-Good-Signs-in-Wood-Products/
by Web Editor | Jan 18, 2017 | News
Mass timber is sprouting up in cities in North America and abroad. After years of feasibility studies and design proposals, buildings six stories or taller constructed primarily from pre-engineered wood products are being considered in cities around the world.
In London, one proposal, called the Splinter, would rise to 100 stories. In Chicago, Perkins+Will (in collaboration with Thornton Tomasetti and the University of Cambridge) has designed an 80-story high-rise with 300 duplex apartments. If built, River Beech—a key component of P+W’s master plan for the Riverline development—would be made almost entirely from mass timber.
So-called “plyscrapers” are still a tiny sliver of nonresidential construction. In the past five years, only 17 buildings seven stories or taller have been completed worldwide, mostly in Europe and Canada. Six more have started construction, according to the American Wood Council.
Mass production of timber for high-rise construction is still in its infancy in North America. Specifying these products in the U.S. faces resistance from insurers, regulators, and code officials. Steel fabricators and concrete suppliers disparage mass timber for taller buildings on the grounds of safety and durability.
Proponents cite the speed at which tall buildings can be constructed using pre-engineered wood and mass timber’s ability to sequester carbon. Joey-Michelle Hutchison, RA, LEED AP BD+C, CSBA, Associate Vice Principal, CallisonRTKL, says, “The role of mass wood is going to grow because of the demand for sustainable design.” Researchers from Yale and the University of Washington, in a study published in the Journal of Sustainable Forestry (March 28, 2014), postulated that using wood substitutes for constructing buildings (and bridges) could save 14–31% of global CO2 emissions.
From Building Design + Construction: https://www.bdcnetwork.com/mass-timber-what-heck-wow
