According to Patrick Crabbe, who oversees everything from pre-construction to execution for all of Bird Construction’s mass timber projects in Canada, supply chain difficulties have led to extended lead times on commodities such as steel I-joist and pre-engineered building components. These difficulties are creating new opportunities for mass timber products in the construction of low-rise commercial buildings in Canada.
News in engineered wood products mass timber
Australia’s La Trobe University Opens New Mass-Timber Student Accommodations
La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia is now home to the mass timber student accommodation scheme created by Australian studio Jackson Clements Burrows. Two sweeping arcs providing accommodation for 642 students hug a central courtyard on the 18,000-square-metre site, which is the first to complete in a new masterplan for the university’s eastern residential precinct.
Mass Timber Metro Station Under Construction in Naples, Italy as Part of a Major Infrastructure Upgrade
EMBT, the Barcelona-based studio, has revealed images of a mass-timber metro station which is currently under construction in the Centro Direzionale area of Naples, Italy. The Naples Underground Central Station is being built in a neighborhood designed by Japanese architect Kenzo Tange as part of a major upgrade to the city’s infrastructure.
The Number of Communities Participating in B.C.’s Tall Wood Initiative Continues to Grow
The City of New Westminster, British Columbia has joined 20 other B.C. communities — along with the City of Vancouver, which has its own similar initiative — in participating in the province’s Tall Wood Initiative.
Södra Expands into Denmark with a Complete Line of CLT Panels and Accessories
Södra, a forestry cooperative based in Växjö, Sweden, has announced that its complete offering of CLT panels for frame assembly with complementary products and services will now be available in the Danish market starting in September. This is the first step of Södra’s plan to expand their business into Europe.
Metsä Group Planning to Invest EUR 200 Million in the Construction of a Kerto® LVL mill in Äänekoski, Finland
Metsä Wood, part of Metsä Group, is planning to construct a new Kerto® LVL mill on its expanding mill area in Äänekoski, Finland. The investment of approximately EUR 200 million is pending the completion of a local detailed plan for the area.
Structurlam Ready to Lead Climate-Smart Construction with New Facility Ready to Open in Conway, Arkansas
Hardy Wentzel, a 40-year veteran of the timber sector and CEO of Structurlam, the Penticton, B.C.–based firm, reports that Structurlam is close to commissioning their first U.S. plant in Conway, Arkansas. The new 287,000-square-foot facility will produce glulam and CLT.
Apple’s Former Design Director BJ Segal Establishes Juno a Mass Timber Housing Company
BJ Segal, Apple’s former design director, has recently established a mass timber housing company named Juno. Architect Segal, who worked for 19 years designing Apple stores — most recently as senior design director of real estate and development — believes that Juno can create housing that dispels people’s preconception about modular buildings.
American Wood Council Supports Mass Timber Pilot Program for Department of Defense
Following the House Armed Service Committee’s markup of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included language to establish a pilot program to evaluate the effects of using mass timber products in Department of Defense (DOD) military construction projects, American Wood Council (AWC) President and CEO Jackson Morrill issued a statement in support.
Maine’s First Complete Mass Timber Structure Being Built at Bowdoin College in Brunswick
Brunswick, Maine’s Bowdoin College is soon to become home of the first complete mass timber commercial structure in the state of Maine and also the first commercial structure in Maine to utilize a mass timber lateral system to resist wind and seismic loads.