Mass timber construction: Building for the future with wood
Mass timber construction: Building for the future with wood
Mass timber construction is a synthesis of material science, structural engineering, and sustainable ecologies. Read on to learn about how it is revolutionizing building design.
Mass timber construction is a synthesis of material science, structural engineering, and sustainable ecologies. Read on to learn about how it is revolutionizing building design.
Mass timber offers a more sustainable option for modern construction. Image courtesy Casey Dunn.What is mass timber construction?
What is mass timber construction?
Mass timber is a composite building material made from pieces of wood that are glued, nailed, or connected via dowels, dramatically increasing its strength. One convincing benefit of mass timber construction is that its strength is competitive with traditional building materials such as concrete or steel, but its ability to sequester carbon makes it a far more sustainable option.
Mass timber is a composite building material made from pieces of wood that are glued, nailed, or connected via dowels, dramatically increasing its strength. One convincing benefit of mass timber construction is that its strength is competitive with traditional building materials such as concrete or steel, but its ability to sequester carbon makes it a far more sustainable option.
Mass timber products like glue-laminated timber are created by combining multiple pieces of wood into one building material.Types of mass timber
Types of mass timber
There are a variety of mass timber products, each with its own strengths.
Glue-laminated timber (glulam) is made from long, parallel pieces of wood glued together. Typical uses for glulam mass timber include structural posts, columns, and beams. Glulam’s ability to span large expanses make it ideal for bridges.
Nail-laminated timber (NLT) comprises parallel pieces of lumber stacked on edge and fastened together with nails or screws. It’s typically used for floors and ceilings.
Dowel-laminated timber (DLT)Â is similar to NLT and is made by stacking parallel pieces of lumber together on their edges and connecting them with wooden dowels through CNC-milled holes.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is the most versatile type of mass timber, functional for load-bearing walls, roofs, and floor panels, often in taller, multistory mass timber buildings. It’s made by stacking dimensional lumber in perpendicular (cross) patterns, which are then glued together.
There are a variety of mass timber products, each with its own strengths.
Glue-laminated timber (glulam) is made from long, parallel pieces of wood glued together. Typical uses for glulam mass timber include structural posts, columns, and beams. Glulam’s ability to span large expanses make it ideal for bridges.
Nail-laminated timber (NLT) comprises parallel pieces of lumber stacked on edge and fastened together with nails or screws. It’s typically used for floors and ceilings.
Dowel-laminated timber (DLT)Â is similar to NLT and is made by stacking parallel pieces of lumber together on their edges and connecting them with wooden dowels through CNC-milled holes.
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is the most versatile type of mass timber, functional for load-bearing walls, roofs, and floor panels, often in taller, multistory mass timber buildings. It’s made by stacking dimensional lumber in perpendicular (cross) patterns, which are then glued together.
Mass timber can be used for walls, floors, beams, and many other structural elements in buildings.What structural elements can mass timber construction be used for?
What structural elements can mass timber construction be used for?
Mass timber is a strong and versatile material that can be used in many different structural applications.
Beams: Because of their strength, mass timber beams are widely used as support beams in construction projects of varying scales.
Columns:Â Timber building construction projects make extensive use of glue-laminated timber (GLT) columns.
Walls:Â The use of large, prefabricated mass timber walls is a fast and durable way of constructing buildings.
Floors:Â Cross-laminated mass timber (CLT) products are often used for flooring, offering a carbon-friendly and aesthetically pleasing option.
Roofs: CLT timber construction is also often used for roofing, providing an insulated and weatherproof solution.
Mass timber is a strong and versatile material that can be used in many different structural applications.
Beams: Because of their strength, mass timber beams are widely used as support beams in construction projects of varying scales.
Columns:Â Timber building construction projects make extensive use of glue-laminated timber (GLT) columns.
Walls:Â The use of large, prefabricated mass timber walls is a fast and durable way of constructing buildings.
Floors:Â Cross-laminated mass timber (CLT) products are often used for flooring, offering a carbon-friendly and aesthetically pleasing option.
Roofs: CLT timber construction is also often used for roofing, providing an insulated and weatherproof solution.
Mass timber construction has been gaining in popularity since it was first introduced in Europe in the 1990s.Building with mass timber
Building with mass timber
Mass timber construction was developed in Europe starting in the 1990s and has been gaining traction in North America since the mid-2000s. The first modern tall mass timber buildingin the United States topped out in 2016, preceded by several projects in Canada.
And while high-rise mass timber building construction projects get the lion’s share of attention, this building system is well-suited to nearly any building type, including big-box stores, university facilities, sports venues, and bridges. Compared to steel and concrete, mass timber is lightweight and arrives onsite pre-cut and sized to be installed. This creates cleaner, safer construction sites that function more like those using prefabricated building materials, versus concrete that needs to be poured or steel to be welded. Structurally, mass timber works with a variety of framing systems, from simple post-and-beam timber construction to panelized systems, and various hybrid steel reinforcements.
Heavy timber construction design’s rise is fueled by its status as a renewable resource—an exceedingly rare characteristic for any building component. What’s more, trees sequester carbon dioxide as they grow, an exemplary benefit of mass timber. Mass timber also expends relatively little carbon emissions to harvest and shape into usable components. Mass timber products and constructions are the subject of extensive academic research, pushing the material to new heights of building performance and novel forms. And the regulatory and building codes climate is catching up. The 2021 International Building Code approves CLT for buildings up to 18 stories tall, a relatively unprecedented move incorporating a completely new building material system into the code structure.
Mass timber construction was developed in Europe starting in the 1990s and has been gaining traction in North America since the mid-2000s. The first modern tall mass timber buildingin the United States topped out in 2016, preceded by several projects in Canada.
And while high-rise mass timber building construction projects get the lion’s share of attention, this building system is well-suited to nearly any building type, including big-box stores, university facilities, sports venues, and bridges. Compared to steel and concrete, mass timber is lightweight and arrives onsite pre-cut and sized to be installed. This creates cleaner, safer construction sites that function more like those using prefabricated building materials, versus concrete that needs to be poured or steel to be welded. Structurally, mass timber works with a variety of framing systems, from simple post-and-beam timber construction to panelized systems, and various hybrid steel reinforcements.
Heavy timber construction design’s rise is fueled by its status as a renewable resource—an exceedingly rare characteristic for any building component. What’s more, trees sequester carbon dioxide as they grow, an exemplary benefit of mass timber. Mass timber also expends relatively little carbon emissions to harvest and shape into usable components. Mass timber products and constructions are the subject of extensive academic research, pushing the material to new heights of building performance and novel forms. And the regulatory and building codes climate is catching up. The 2021 International Building Code approves CLT for buildings up to 18 stories tall, a relatively unprecedented move incorporating a completely new building material system into the code structure.
Benefits of mass timber
Fire safety
The thickness of mass timber products such as CLT makes them hard to ignite—if they do catch fire, an outer layer of non-combustible char will shield the assembly from the fire and slow critical structural degradation. CLT mass timber can maintain fire resistance beyond three hours, in temperatures up to 1800 degrees F.
The thickness of mass timber products such as CLT makes them hard to ignite—if they do catch fire, an outer layer of non-combustible char will shield the assembly from the fire and slow critical structural degradation. CLT mass timber can maintain fire resistance beyond three hours, in temperatures up to 1800 degrees F.
Seismic safety
Because mass timber is lightweight, it’s able to stand with a smaller foundation, which reduces seismic forces during an earthquake.
Because mass timber is lightweight, it’s able to stand with a smaller foundation, which reduces seismic forces during an earthquake.
Versatility
Mass timber can perform a variety of structural functions, working as beams, columns, panels, and sheer walls. It’s also one of very few materials that can work nearly anywhere on the building, as internal structure, outer shell, or interior finishing.
Mass timber can perform a variety of structural functions, working as beams, columns, panels, and sheer walls. It’s also one of very few materials that can work nearly anywhere on the building, as internal structure, outer shell, or interior finishing.
Aesthetics and texture
Not all materials that can hold up a building are also attractive to look at—timber construction is both. A beam of mass timber can be pleasing to touch, look at, and smell, becoming a signature design moment all its own.
Not all materials that can hold up a building are also attractive to look at—timber construction is both. A beam of mass timber can be pleasing to touch, look at, and smell, becoming a signature design moment all its own.
Strength
Mass timber products are one-fifth the weight of concrete and more than 10 times lighter than steel, and are competitive with these materials’ strength, depending on the structural application.
Mass timber products are one-fifth the weight of concrete and more than 10 times lighter than steel, and are competitive with these materials’ strength, depending on the structural application.
Sustainability
For every ton of steel that rolls off an assembly line, 0.6 tons of carbon dioxide are produced. And every ton of cement manufactured comes with a half-ton of carbon emissions. Growing just one cubic meter of mass timber sequesters and absorbs one metric ton of carbon dioxide. This helps make it a great choice for sustainable construction projects.
For every ton of steel that rolls off an assembly line, 0.6 tons of carbon dioxide are produced. And every ton of cement manufactured comes with a half-ton of carbon emissions. Growing just one cubic meter of mass timber sequesters and absorbs one metric ton of carbon dioxide. This helps make it a great choice for sustainable construction projects.
Mass timber sequesters carbon, making it a more sustainable choice for many construction projects.Mass timber construction: The green alternative
Mass timber construction: The green alternative
The construction industry generates a significant amount of carbon emissions, so using a resource like mass timber can help a lot. As well as producing fewer greenhouse gases and using fewer resources than concrete and steel during its production, mass timber naturally stores a substantial amount of carbon. The lower weight of mass timber construction materials also results in fewer carbon emissions in the transportation phase of the project. Multiplied across many construction projects, the green credentials of mass timber products only grow.
The construction industry generates a significant amount of carbon emissions, so using a resource like mass timber can help a lot. As well as producing fewer greenhouse gases and using fewer resources than concrete and steel during its production, mass timber naturally stores a substantial amount of carbon. The lower weight of mass timber construction materials also results in fewer carbon emissions in the transportation phase of the project. Multiplied across many construction projects, the green credentials of mass timber products only grow.
Mass timber production emphasizes forestry management and sustainable harvesting of wood.What people get wrong about mass timber
What people get wrong about mass timber
As with any relatively new technology, the increased use of mass timber in the construction industry has been surrounded by misconceptions alongside the buzz of excitement. This Autodesk video addresses some of these misconceptions, clarifying how fire-resistant timber is and how sustainable the growth of trees for mass timber is.
As with any relatively new technology, the increased use of mass timber in the construction industry has been surrounded by misconceptions alongside the buzz of excitement. This Autodesk video addresses some of these misconceptions, clarifying how fire-resistant timber is and how sustainable the growth of trees for mass timber is.
Software for mass timber construction
Architecture Engineering & Construction collection
Revit
AutoCAD
Mass timber and heavy timber projects
Building California’s first multistory mass timber building
Building California’s first multistory mass timber building
San Francisco’s 1 De Haro project exemplifies commitment to sustainability and illustrates the opportunities possible with whole-life carbon management.
San Francisco’s 1 De Haro project exemplifies commitment to sustainability and illustrates the opportunities possible with whole-life carbon management.
Using DLT to construct a boutique hotel in Austin
Using DLT to construct a boutique hotel in Austin
Lake|Flato’s Hotel Magdalena project, the first mass-timber boutique hotel constructed in North America, showcases a design focused on embodied carbon.
Lake|Flato’s Hotel Magdalena project, the first mass-timber boutique hotel constructed in North America, showcases a design focused on embodied carbon.
Sculpting elegant structures with engineered bamboo
Sculpting elegant structures with engineered bamboo
Construction technology company BamCore has developed prefabricated building components that use a composite of timber and bamboo, a renewable resource that sequesters five to 10 times more carbon dioxide than wood.
Construction technology company BamCore has developed prefabricated building components that use a composite of timber and bamboo, a renewable resource that sequesters five to 10 times more carbon dioxide than wood.
Ariana Cohn, Digital Construction Engineer at Timberlab, discusses the impact of mass timber on the Digital Builder Podcast.Podcast: How mass timber is changing construction
Podcast: How mass timber is changing construction
At Autodesk University 2023, Ariana Cohn, Digital Construction Engineer at Timberlab, talked on the Digital Builder Podcast about how mass timber is changing construction today. Timber building construction issues discussed include common myths, reasons to be bullish about the methodology, and the steps you can take.
At Autodesk University 2023, Ariana Cohn, Digital Construction Engineer at Timberlab, talked on the Digital Builder Podcast about how mass timber is changing construction today. Timber building construction issues discussed include common myths, reasons to be bullish about the methodology, and the steps you can take.
Dalton Ho, Regional Sustainable Design Leader at Perkins+Will, presents on mass timber construction at Autodesk University 2023.AU session: Using mass timber to fight climate change
AU session: Using mass timber to fight climate change
Explore the transformative potential of mass timber construction in combating climate change and the role of embodied carbon emissions in building sustainability. Learn from industry experts how innovative techniques and technologies are driving sustainability in building design and construction using mass timber.
Explore the transformative potential of mass timber construction in combating climate change and the role of embodied carbon emissions in building sustainability. Learn from industry experts how innovative techniques and technologies are driving sustainability in building design and construction using mass timber.
Mass timber design resources
Top sustainable construction materials to build a better future
Learn about the sustainable materials—from mass timber to bamboo to mycelium—that are shaping the future of construction.
Learn about the sustainable materials—from mass timber to bamboo to mycelium—that are shaping the future of construction.
Mass timber construction: How wood is changing the future of building
Take an in-depth look at the ways mass timber is revolutionizing building construction with its inherent beauty, remarkable versatility, and exceptional strength.
Take an in-depth look at the ways mass timber is revolutionizing building construction with its inherent beauty, remarkable versatility, and exceptional strength.
Collaborative modular design and mass timber for sustainable building
This case study of mid-rise housing using mass timber products illustrates the reduced carbon footprint and related cost and schedule savings of the design compared to a traditional concrete structure.
This case study of mid-rise housing using mass timber products illustrates the reduced carbon footprint and related cost and schedule savings of the design compared to a traditional concrete structure.
Mass timber: The modern wood building material everyones raving about
This primer on mass timber shows the different types, what they’re used for, and the benefits.
This primer on mass timber shows the different types, what they’re used for, and the benefits.
Bamboo transcends the tropics for carbon-negative construction
Bamboo has the compressive strength of concrete and the tensile strength of steel, but it sequesters carbon as it grows instead of emitting it while it’s made. The material replenishes rapidly and is hollow and lightweight.
Bamboo has the compressive strength of concrete and the tensile strength of steel, but it sequesters carbon as it grows instead of emitting it while it’s made. The material replenishes rapidly and is hollow and lightweight.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ) on mass timber construction
Mass timber is a general term applied to many types of engineered wood assemblies; cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a specific type of mass timber. Made by stacking dimensional lumber in perpendicular patterns that are glued together, CLT is extremely flexible and can be used as a load-bearing element for structural members, finishing panels, floors, roofs, columns, and beams.
Mass timber components are precisely engineered to create composite assemblies of multiple pieces of wood that meet specific structural load and performance goals. Heavy timber construction refers to logs milled from large trees that are used, relatively unaltered, to frame buildings.
As a relatively new building technology, there isn’t much data on the potential lifespan of mass timber buildings—though there are traditional wood buildings standing today that are almost 1000 years old, far outlasting the average commercial or residential building in the US, which typically lasts 50 to 100 years. Timber constructions can be vulnerable to moisture and to pests, but its overall durability is superior to materials like steel and concrete in many situations.