Dec 21, 2023:
Mass timber construction is on the rise. Could it help the housing crisis?
By Talia Ricci CBC 5 minutes video “There’s been an increase in large-scale building projects using mass timber, otherwise known as engineered wood. Experts say the material offers several benefits compared to steel and concrete — including sustainability and speed. Talia Ricci explores whether it could be part of a solution to Toronto’s housing crisis” Video, shows Toronto’s first MT residential building…Good overview. Positive or negative environmental impacts depending on how it develops.
Dec 13, 2023:
Measuring the growth of mass timber buildings
By John Bleasby in canada.constructconnect.com “Mass timber (MT) is seen by many as an answer to construction’s embodied carbon problem. It is suggested using manufactured wooden components in place of concrete or steel could reduce a large chunk of the industry’s estimated 11 per cent contribution to global GHGs. Yet, progress is far from straight-forward. The 2023 Mass Timber Construction Report compiles statistics from portfolios of architects, engineers and builders that shed light on the state of the industry and its challenges. One challenge concerns perceptions of MTC cost premiums
Dec 5, 2023:
Latest testing further documents mass timber’s fire safety
on naturallywood.com “Developers and other project owners in pursuit of low-carbon construction methods are increasingly choosing mass timber for their projects. But to do so in larger and taller buildings, they must reassure civic leaders, fire and rescue services and insurance underwriters—along with the public—that these projects are fire safe. New research, supported by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), Canadian Wood Council and federal and provincial governments, is doing just that. A recent series of tests, dubbed the Mass Timber Demonstration Fire Test Program, show, even in worst-case fire scenarios, mass timber buildings perform similarly to noncombustible construction.”
Dec 4, 2023:
Can Mass Timber Help Solve the Housing Crisis?
By Justin R. Wolf in Green Building News, “Colorado’s Timber Age Systems believes so, provided it’s carried out at the local level” Interesting pro&con discussion follows.