Mass Timber construction is an energy-efficient alternative to high-rise and commercial buildings. Wood is a natural, renewable and sustainable material for building, with a lighter carbon footprint than steel or concrete. Not only does it have positive environmental impacts, but it has also proven to be structurally strong and meet the same performance and life safety standards as concrete and steel structures.
Mass timber materials are not inexpensive. However, mass timber offers several cost competitive advantages and long-term benefits. Columns, beams and panels on average weigh 1/5th the weight of concrete and steel materials, reducing shipping costs and requiring a smaller workforce to install. With prefabricated panels delivered directly to jobsites, construction time can be reduced by approximately 25 percent, saving owners even more time and money. Furthermore, wood structures have a biophilic effect on people, increasing occupants’ overall health and wellness and give long-term value to the design.
Timber buildings store carbon in their structure for the life of the building. An 18-story mass timber building, for example, has a negative carbon imprint equal to taking 2,350 cars off the road per year.
Modern forestry practices ensure a continuous cycle of growing, harvesting and replanting timber. Lumber that is sourced for mass timber construction is sustainably harvested using these best practices. Alternating trees are cut during harvest, allowing the remaining trees to grow twice as tall and not compete for natural resources. Additionally, when timber is harvested, two saplings are planted for every tree harvested, ensuring future forest growth and resources.
Mass timber comprises multiple solid, load-bearing wood panels bound together to create extraordinary strength and stability. Panels can be bound together through various methods, including nailing, gluing or using dowels. Depending on the desired structural integrity, compressed layers of wood will be stacked parallel or at 90-degree angles. While a fraction of the weight of concrete buildings, mass timber buildings can withstand seismic forces and embodied energy, including earthquakes and high winds.
Mass timber columns, beams and panels are fire tested and rated to ensure occupant safety and meet building code requirements. Fire ratings are based on building types set by local and state building codes. Type I Buildings, commonly multi-story or high-rise buildings, require a fire-resistant rating of three hours. Timber burns in a predictable way, charring the wood’s exterior; this is called the char zone. Once a char-zone is formed in the event of a fire, it insulates the remaining wood, allowing it to retain its structural capacity. Engineers determine the required thickness needed to maintain the structural integrity of columns, beams and panels and add upwards of 16 inches of additional material to create a char-zone that would be burned off in the event of a fire. This structural design ensures it will be structurally adequate under fire conditions.
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