Mass Timber is a "thing" and will occupy many AIA pages and screens for quite a while, all extolling its obvious virtues.
While the 800 year-old wooden stave churches of Norway are proof that mass timber can last a very long time,
there should be some humility and caution in our community as we design timber high rises.
First, in the context of centuries of service, relatively short-lived preservatives must not be trusted and can not
be a panacea, permitting us to ignore basic truths about wood. Water is the big enemy. Water over decades or even
Centuries will if permitted easy access to wood structure, will eventually dilute and wash away preservative treatments.
Unprotected wood then if regularly soaked and left moist will lead to rot or being eaten by active creatures.
Surely no architect using mass timber would fail to place watertight flashing or cover over all such wood. But what
if the flashing fails decades later ? Just as important is ventilation, which is harder to achieve than a watertight cover.
Somehow, the detailing must assume that coverings will leak some day and proper ventilation will dry the wood before
rot or bugs can attack it. How to answer structural needs for stable connections and bracing, while permitting air to circulate
thoroughly is surely the hardest detail to achieve, even as it would seem to be unnecessary , After all the wood itself has
been thoroughly soaked in a non-cancer-causing preservative in a vacuum then pressure regime, and then it will be
tightly wrapped in a long-lived waterproof membrane. End of story (?)
Some of us remember the speed with which the World Trade Center towers went up as panel-laden trucks lined up on
the West Side Expressway. Several trucks carried three-story structural steel grids to form the outer tube. Then came prefab
floor panels made of several 60 foot bar joists with steel decking already attached, then welded to bearing pockets connecting the
previously-erected core with the outer tube wall grid. With the lightweight concrete floor fill atop the steel decking to form 110
diaphragms, each tower possessed immense resistance to any imaginable force. And, we applauded the fact that the tonnage of
structural steel per square foot of building area was vastly less than, say, the then eighty-year old Empire State Building.
Pride cometh before a fall.
John F. Corkill, Jr., AIA
------------------------------
John F. Corkill, Jr., AIA
Principal
Corkill Cush Reeves P A
Bowie, MD 20720
------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 09-23-2024 09:55 AM
From: Kira Gould
Subject: Mass Timber webinars / free / 3 part series
Mass Timber Construction: An Economic Study of Supply, Best Use, and Implementation in three North American regions
This series unveils a macroeconomic study of building with mass timber in three U.S. regions; the Upper Midwest, Rocky Mountain Colorado, and the Southeast.
Three companies - SCB Architects, LeMessurier, and Turner Construction - collaborated for two years under a USFS Wood Innovation Grant (https://www.fs.usda.gov/science-technology/energy-forest-products/wood-innovation/grants) to redesign buildings in Minneapolis, Denver, and Atlanta; revealing cost differences, schedule savings, global warming potential savings, and design considerations of each.
Building studies were complemented by comprehensive mapping of the mass timber supply chain, with a focus on its potential impact on forests in the United States.
The grant is sponsored by Olifant, a company whose work helped launch Mass Timber Accelerator Grant programs for developers in Boston, New York City, and Atlanta. The studies were conducted in consultation with many regional partners, including members of AIA-Minnesota, AIA-Colorado, and AIA-Georgia.
Architecture 2030 is pleased to host this webinar series where the authors of the study will present their findings and engage in an informative dialogue.
Session 1
Mass Timber Supply: Forests, the Supply Chain, and Sourcing
Wednesday, October 16, 1-2pm ET
Olifant will share mapped data analyses of the current mass timber supply chain and its potential in the United States, with a deep dive on three U.S. regions; the Upper Midwest, Rocky Mountain Colorado, and the Southeast. The session will examine forest practices, certifications, ownership, and the many considerations for sustainability between forest and building.
Speakers
Vince Martinez
Nicole St. Clair Knoblock, Olifant
Register - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ohP17BM2R3eNz38J9n_tyQ
Session 2
Mass Timber Multifamily: Carbon, Cost, and Constructability
Wednesday, October 30, 1-2pm ET
SCB Architects, LeMessurier, and Turner Construction will describe the results of three mass timber multifamily building studies, including comparative costs, construction conditions, and global warming potential. A "sweet spot" for zoning and code adoption will be revealed, where mass timber use allows the number of housing units to be maximized and global warming potential to be minimized with minimal cost implications. This is the first time national market leaders will share their analysis of the potential benefits and design considerations of mass timber construction.
Speakers
Vincent Martinez, Hon. AIA, President and COO, Architecture 2030
Ben Harrison, AIA, LEED AP BD+C, Associate Principal, SCB
Suzanne Robinson, P.E., LEED AP, Director of Sustainability, LeMessurier
David Robb, Project Preconstruction Manager, Turner Construction Company
Nicole St. Clair Knobloch, Principal, Olifant
Register - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_hhpClhWeTgab8h7z5qGdjQ
Session 3
Mass Timber Accelerators: Incentives for Housing and Economic Development in our Cities
Wednesday, November 6, 1-2:30pm ET
Hear from city planners in Boston, New York, Longmont, CO, and Atlanta on their implementation of incentives to encourage mass timber construction. Whether to generate more housing, spur economic development, reduce the carbon footprint of buildings, or all of the above, these cities are leading the way on the role of materials in addressing sustainability goals.
Speakers
Vincent Martinez, Hon. AIA, President and COO, Architecture 2030
John Dalzell, AIA, LEED Fellow, Senior Architect for Sustainable Development, City of Boston
Erin Fosdick, AICP, President and CEO, Longmont (CO) Economic Development Partnership
Gizem Karagoz, Senior Project Manager, New York City Economic Development Corporation
Register - https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_j18JyplEQOOM5pcpwyC86Q
------------------------------
Kira Gould Hon. AIA
Kira Gould CONNECT
Oakland CA
------------------------------