{"id":14940,"date":"2016-02-05T12:18:32","date_gmt":"2016-02-05T17:18:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/?p=14940"},"modified":"2016-12-15T11:30:38","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T16:30:38","slug":"solid-timber-solid-construction-performance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionspecifier.com\/solid-timber-solid-construction-performance\/","title":{"rendered":"Solid timber, solid construction performance"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Forte_Credited\"
Photo courtesy Lend Lease<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

by Ryan E. Smith<\/strong>
\nSolid timber construction, sometimes called \u2018mass timber,\u2019 is an emerging set of engineered wood products\u2014massive planar or frame elements used for walls, floors, roofs, partitions, and core elements of a building. As shown in Figure 1, examples include both glued configurations liked glued-laminated timber (glulam), structural composite lumber (SCL), and cross-laminated timber (CLT), as well as non-glued products like dowel-laminated timber (DLT); nail-laminated timber (NLT), cross-nail-laminated timber (CNLT), and interlocking cross-laminated timber (ICLT).<\/p>\n

These mass timber products also have the potential to utilize both traditional graded lumber and other ungraded timber, including beetle-killed and salvaged trees. Employing salvage material presents an opportunity to reduce the impact of treating hazardous fuels and the removal of other woody biomass in forests.<\/p>\n

Construction with solid timber elements optimizes the inherent structural behavior of wood, creating a more homogeneous structural product. As mass wood products, these building materials are manufactured from an entirely renewable resource that, when compared with steel and concrete counterparts, has the capacity to sequester carbon in the structure of buildings and to reduce the negative environmental impact of construction on the planet.<\/p>\n

Solid timber construction is fabricated offsite in a factory, and is therefore able to leverage the advantages of automation and process control\u2014advanced machinery and measurement devices, reduction of onsite waste, and reduced construction duration from concurrent scheduling of site and factory work.<\/p>\n

The added value of solid timber, although conceptually strong, has yet to be significantly demonstrated through objective analysis. A recent study performed by a research team at the University of Utah\u2019s Integrated Technology in Architecture Center, aims to change that by demonstrating the qualitative and quantitative performance of such materials. This article summarizes the report quantifying and qualifying the impact on the delivery of commercial facilities. (The study, \u201cSolid Timber Construction: Process, Practice, Performance,\u201d was sponsored by American Institute of Architects (AIA), FPInnovations, and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Products Laboratory. To access the full report, visit www.rethinkwood.com\/sites\/default\/files\/Solid_Timber_Construction_Report_August_2015.pdf<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Method of the study
\n<\/strong>The research team collected case studies of the following mass timber projects built around the globe:<\/p>\n