Virginia Tech and the Virginia Department of Forestry are recipients of grants awarded under the Wood Innovation Grants Program (WIPG) from the US Department of Agriculture. WIPG looks at ways companies, organizations, and universities can stimulate and expand wood products and the wood energy markets.
News in offsite construction
New Vancouver Office Building Provides Examples of Rapid Timber Construction
oN5 is a new office building in downtown Vancouver, BC, constructed entirely of insulated, prefabricated cross-laminated timber (CLT). The new building includes instruments that monitor its performance, making it a living case study on the possibilities for urban infill projects with innovative mass timber.
Sanctions on Russia for Its Invasion of Ukraine Set to Negatively Impact Australia’s Construction Industry
With supplies of key laminated veneered lumber (LVL) and engineered wood products (EWPs) imported from Russia and Belarus, which accounted for 40-50% of these construction products, no longer available due to sanctions, Australia’s tight timber markets are now facing a severe shortfall of products.
Sweden’s Setra Now Offering Cross-Laminated Timber Frames With Moisture Protection
Lesprom Network is reportingthat Setra, one of Sweden’s largest wood industry companies, is the first company in Sweden to offer a new moisture protection for frames made from cross-laminated timber. The moisture protection, Wetguard200SA, is manufactured by Siga Cover AG, a Swiss company, and is applied to surfaces such as floor structures.
USDA Announces Southern Region Wood Innovations and Community Wood Grants Recipients
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on Friday more than $32 million to fund the 2022 Wood Innovations and Community Wood Grants. These grants hope to expand the use of wood products, expand emerging wood markets, and support active management that will improve forest health and resiliency.
Wood Engineering Technology Reports Construction of Their Second Production Line Is Advancing
Originally announced in June of 2021, work to build the second production line at the state-of-the-art Wood Engineering Technology at Matawhero, New Zealand is advancing. “The building to house all the production equipment is 40 percent complete, and we are starting the installation of the plant equipment over the coming few weeks.”
Canada’s First Office Building Constructed From Cross-Laminated Timber Welcomes New Tenants
On Friday (6-10-22), Natural Resources Canada announced the official occupancy of oN5, located in downtown Vancouver. oN5 is the first office building in Canada constructed using high-performance cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels. The top three stories of this four-story office building are constructed completely out of CLT.
binderholz Group GmbH Solid Wood Plant II Preparing to Start Production in Late 2022
binderholz Group GmbH, a leading European company offering solid wood products and innovative building solutions, announced in August 2021 that it had commenced construction on binderholz solid wood panel plant II, which is set to be located in St. Georgen bei Salzburg, Austria.
Australia Considering the Construction of Two of the World’s Tallest Timber Towers
The world’s tallest timber tower has been pitched for Perth, tipping out tech giant Atlassian’s approved Sydney timber hybrid tower. Grange Development recently filed plans for a $350-million, 50-story timber-hybrid residential tower of 245 apartments. At almost 183 meters, the development would be the tallest timber building in the world.
Stora Enso and Modvion Partnering on Wood Wind Turbine Towers
Stora Enso Oyi and wood technology company Modvion AB are partnering together to make wood the material of choice for wood turbine towers. Modvion builds wind turbine towers with laminated veneer lumber (LVL). Stora Enso is a leading supplier of mass timber products, including LVL.