Pennsylvania Ag Connection - Mass Timber Offers Possibilities for Building with Wood

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Mass Timber Offers Possibilities for Building with Wood
Pennsylvania Ag Connection - 03/28/2017

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.

Today, mass timber technologies, including cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail laminated timber (NLT) and glued laminated timber (glulam), are gaining traction in the United States 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."

Wood buildings are durable and can be designed to last a lifetime. As documented in the reThink Wood Research Library, a growing body of research, real-life events and building code development continue to prove that mass timber structures can meet or exceed the most demanding design requirements. Wood is inherently ductile and substantially lighter than steel and concrete, making wood structures better equipped to withstand high wind and seismic forces, enabling its use in a wide range of building types.

Further highlighting the excitement around mass timber construction is the 2017 Mass Timber Conference, to be held March 28 -30 in Portland, Ore. reThink Wood and other industry professionals are discussing the latest mass timber technologies and how professionals can increase the use of wood in mid-rise and tall buildings.

reThink Wood provides information and educational resources on designing with wood in a variety of applications for building professionals. reThink Wood's continuing education course, Mass Timber in North America, offers AIA and GBCI credits and information on how mass timber is evolving the possibilities of wood design.

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