ASME Milwaukee: R & D of Mass Timber Structures for U.S. Building Construction

Description

Laminated wood construction materials have a century-long history in the United States. Over the last decade, a renaissance of commercial timber construction has taken shape with mass timber panels that resemble precast concrete in size but at a reduced weight and carbon footprint. The aesthetic and green features of mass timber construction are broadly garnering attention among a range of businesses, from urban real estate developers to global corporations. This presentation provides an overview of manufacturing, building code, and sustainability standards that pertain to mass timber building products. We will review several building archetypes and trends taking place in cities across the nation and in Wisconsin, where some of the most notable multistory timber construction is rising. To keep pace with these trends, we will discuss research that the USDA, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory has conducted or planned, in cooperation with various partners, to foster mass timber construction with improved resilience to earthquake, wind, fire, and other hazards. The overall objective of this presentation is to provide an overview of the technical design considerations that affect the structural, mechanical, and sustainability performance of mass timber building construction.