Design with Mass Timber in Mind

In recent years, the use of mass timber design in projects of all types has exploded across the United States. You may have heard in the media or from other sources that mass timber is sustainable, renewable, and as strong as steel. While this is true to a certain extent, it is important to understand mass timber’s strengths while taking the time to understand its limitations.

Because mass timber is frequently talked about as being as strong as steel, there is a common misconception that mass timber products are equivalent to steel. This can sometimes lead to expectations for equivalent performance between steel and mass timber construction.

However, because steel’s weight/density is 15-16 times more than the wood used in mass timber projects, they aren’t a 1:1 replacement. Wood has similar strength to steel per pound, but because of the density difference, we need a lot more volume of wood to achieve equivalent strength performance. Therefore, designing mass timber buildings in the same way as a typical steel building requires deeper members, which increases the height and cost of the building overall and results in less efficient buildings.

If you want to reap the benefits of using mass timber materials, we have found that designing your project from the outset with mass timber in mind sets you up for success.