Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is already the home of the world’s tallest mass timber structure. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Ascent could soon be joined by another equally tall, or perhaps taller, mass timber building in downtown Milwaukee.
News in offsite construction
US Forest Service Accepting Applications for Wood Innovations Projects
The US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service has announced that it has begun accepting applications for the Wood Innovations Grant and Community Wood Grant programs. Totaling $41 million, the grant programs are intended to spark innovations and create new markets for wood products and renewable energy.
Denver Prepares for the Construction of “Return to Form,” Winner of the 2022 Mass Timber Competition
Colorado-based architecture firm Tres Birds has confirmed that construction on the city’s tallest mass timber building will commence in July 2023, according to the Construction Specifier magazine. The project was one of six winners in the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and USDA Forest Service 2022 Mass Timber Competition: Building to Net-zero.
Report Highlights the Benefits of Building Schools Out of Wood
A recent report, “Wood Use in British Columbia Schools,” authored by BC-based architecture firm thinkspace and structural engineering firm Fast + Epp finds that BC schools have increasingly featured a more innovative, eco-friendly, and flexible designs.
Holmen Announces Investment in Its Bygdsiljum, Sweden, Sawmill to Increase CLT Production
Sweden’s Holmen announced on Tuesday (1-31-23) that it was planning an extension and investment at its Bygdsiljum Sawmill, which will help remove bottlenecks at the facility and increase CLT production.
Construction of Six-Story Mass Timber Student Housing Project at University of Fraser Valley’s Abbotsford, BC, Campus to Get Underway
Turner Construction Co. and Clark Builders have been appointed by University of Fraser Valley to build a 398-bed student housing community on its Abbotsford, BC, Canada campus. Originally announced in May 2022, the $73.7 million (CAD) project will triple the campus’ number of beds.
Oregon Turns to Mass Timber and Factory-Built Houses to Meet Growing Housing Shortages
Oregon is short approximately 110,000 housing units and needs to build more than a half-million additional homes over the next 20 years to keep up with demand. Some believe the answer could be a protype of an affordable housing unit made from mass timber.
Omaha, Nebraska, Gaining New 4-Story Mixed Commercial Mass Timber Building
NBC affiliate WOWT in Omaha, Nebraska, is reporting that construction is underway on the city’s first known mass timber commercial building. The building is being touted as more environmentally friendly than most newer commercial building in the downtown area.
Timberlink Expanding Mill in Tarpeena, Australia
An investment of $90 million (A$) will fund the expansion of Timberlink’s Tarpeena, Australia, mill. The investment includes a $63 million manufacturing plant that will produce cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue laminated timber (GLT) for the construction industry.
Portland International Airport Installs 9-Acre Mass Timber Roof
Described in October 2022 as the crown jewel of the massive $2 billion dollar expansion of the Portland International Airport, the 9-acre mass timber roof, which has been under construction since last year in a remote corner of the airfield, has been installed.