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.
News in offsite construction
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.
Simpson Strong-Tie Acquires EstiFrame Technologies
Simpson Strong-Ti announced on Tuesday that it has acquired EstiFrame Technologies, located in Elk Grove, California. EstiFrame, founded in 2017, provides component manufacturing and framing technologies to the construction industry, including EasyFrame.
LEVER Architecture’s Mass Timber Design Selected for Portland Museum of Art Expansion
Among a total of 104 worldwide entries, LEVER Architecture’s mass timber design has been selected over three other international semifinalist teams to design an expansion of the Portland Museum of Art in Maine’s largest City.
World’s First 3D-Printed House Completed in Maine
The world’s first 3D-printed house—made entirely with bio-based materials such as wood flour, or fine sawdust, mixed with a binder made from corn—has come to life thanks to the University of Maine’s Advanced Structures and Composites Center (ASCC), which spearheaded building BioHome3D in Orono, Maine.
Construction is Underway on the University of British Columbia’s Mass Timber Gateway Building
Construction is underway at the University of British Columbia’s (UBC) $180 million (CAD) Gateway Building. The six-story, 267,000 square-foot mass timber building is intended to be the “principal point of entry” to the UBC campus.