Stora Enso has announced that it has invested in the French wood process company ACDF Indstrie SAS. Stora Enso has taken a 35% stake in the company. According to the company website, the investment is aligned with Stora Enso’s growth strategy for mass timber building elements, enabling value-added, bespoke cross-laminated timber (CLT) solutions to its long-term French partners.
News in offsite construction
City of South Perth, Australia Set to Become Home of World’s First Hybrid Timber Tower
The City of South Perth, Australia’s skyline is about to become home to one of the world’s most unique tower buildings. Grange Development submitted plans on Thursday (4-21-22) to the City of South Perth for what is set to be the world’s tallest $350 million (A$) hybrid timber tower and Australia’s first carbon negative building.
Norway’s Third-Tallest Skyscraper Is 18-Stories Tall and Built With 100% Locally Harvested Pine Timber
Norway’s third tallest skyscraper is unique. The building was built using local pine, which was harvested straight from its own backyard and is at the center of lumber-based architecture. The Mjøstårnet was built with 100% diverse types of engineered wood. Everything, including the elevator shaft, features complete wooden construction.
Mass Timber Passive House Condo Project Coming to Toronto
A venture between R-Hauz, Windmill Development, and Leader Lane to build the first-ever mass timber passive house condominium project in Toronto is in the design phase. The project will include three six-story residential buildings to be built near the Mimico GO station in Etobicoke and will have a total of 83-units.
New 30-Story Cross-Laminated Timber Building to be Built in Winterthur, Switzerland
The Danish architectural firm of Schmidt Hammer Lassen (SHL) has designed a 100-meter (more than 30-story) housing block in the city of Winterthur, near Zurich, Switzerland, that will be world’s tallest cross-laminated timber building when complete. The second tallest building is still under construction in Wisconsin.
Canadian Timberframes Purchases Canada’s First “Hundegger K2 Industry(i) 1300” Machine
Canadian Timberframes (CTF), located in Parson, British Columbia, is a premier design and manufacturer in the timber frame industry. CTF has announced that it has purchased Canada’s first Hundegger K2 Industry(i) 1300 machine. The machine will increase CTF’s timber size capacity by 500 percent.
Sterling Structural Providing Accessible CLT Solutions to the Construction Market
Sterling announced on Monday (4-11-22) that it is entering into the construction market. Sterling’s new business unit, Sterling Structural, will offer its TerraLam® CLT product lines as a scalable, sustainable, and affordable floor/roof solution for buildings that are compatible with a range of structural building materials.
British Columbia Announces Mass Timber Action Plan, Part of the StrongerBC Economic Plan
On Thursday (4-7-22), Ravi Kahlon, British Columbia’s Minster of Jobs, Economic Recovery, and Innovation, announced B.C.’s Mass Timber Action Plan. The plan comes with $1.2 million (CAD) in funding for four new mass-timber housing and infrastructure projects, as part of the StrongerBC Economic Plan.
B.C. Builders Reconsider the Use of Mass Timber in Construction as Prices Surge Higher
Construction using mass timber remains a viable option and checks several boxes, including environmental, economic, and human resource factors. However, the unpredictable costs associated with mass timber construction, which includes supply chain and logistics issues, has made it a difficult scheme for many builders to embrace.
Cross-Laminated Timber and Local Forest Products Featured in Remodeling of Quebec’s Chibougamau-Chapais Airport
The terminal highlights its proximity to the boreal forest by using locally produced wood and high-performance products such as glulam and CLT structural slabs. Timber curtain walls surround the waiting area on three sides. Engineered wood and steel components make up the roof structure.