Mass Timber for Everyday Projects
Several years ago, a cross-laminated timber (CLT) supplier came to Morrison-Maierle, hoping to convince us they were manufacturing the next big thing. We were fascinated and ready to make mass timber happen. While we were more skeptical a decade ago, this idea stuck: what if we could remove concrete and steel from buildings, embody carbon in them, and use mass timber for everyday projects?
Time passed, and we received an invitation to the International Mass Timber Conference and eagerly accepted it. The first day was a tour of mass timber buildings in the Portland, Oregon, area. As we walked up the stairs of a partially constructed Carbon 12 building, at that point, the tallest mass timber building in the U.S., the tour guides made mass timber seem simple. Each conference speaker and panelist spoke with passion and hope, but they left us wondering if this would be possible to incorporate into our much smaller projects.
The Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest Supervisor’s Office in Kamiah, Idaho.
Where We Are Today
Following the trajectory of mass timber has been fascinating. However, coming from a region where our building sizes do not push the limits, the positive attributes of mass timber are attainable for many buildings. Through our recent projects, we have addressed the following when it comes to mass timber:
1. Change is Hard, But Solutions are Plentiful
We all know that change is hard and understand the need to balance business stability with the desire to be on the leading edge of advancements, especially when the status quo works well. We have thought a lot about achieving this balance and have been asked various questions. Some of those that constantly pop up in conversations are:
- Is this going to be faster to frame?
- Will I need fewer onsite framing laborers?
- Is this going to be more expensive?
- We don’t have any direct comparison costs and can’t take a chance on this budget.
- The contractor will throw a high number at this one. How do I prevent that?
- Do I now have to expose all my mechanical ducting and electrical wires?
- Can my project impact climate change?
When answering these questions, we see their next thought: “Maybe I should stick with my conventionally framed building.”
Mass Timber Approach Benefits Project Outcome
Countering the concept that mass timber is only suited for expensive urban buildings, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) chose cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue-laminated timber (glulam) to build the Nez Perce Clearwater Forest Supervisors Office. The two-story structure, built in Kamiah, Idaho, fits seamlessly into its remote, scenic location.
Read about this mass timber projectWith an increase in mass timber projects in our region, we know more; many contractors have more experience, and we can push the envelope for continuous improvement within our mass timber projects. We’re now at a point where we can provide evidence-backed answers to those questions.
Mass timber is adaptable and customizable and can be used in everyday projects because there is minimal on-site waste, buildings are lighter than concrete and steel, which reduces concrete foundation needs, and they require less on-site labor to frame.
One of our missions is to provide accessibility to mass timber for all architects and owners. We have found that mass timber can be used on everyday projects like the ones we design and build in Montana; it is not solely for large-scale projects.
Morrison-Maierle used mass timber in the design of Helena's new airport terminal.
2. Reach Out to Experts
We typically engage Woodworks and a mass timber supplier when we begin each project. The depth of information with professionals available to help answer questions and discuss design direction is extensive. We do this to keep up with the industry’s continuous improvement. For example, we contacted SmartLam for design assistance on one of our recent projects: the Nez Perce Clearwater Forest Supervisor’s Office in Kamiah, Idaho. We met early in the project, during which they answered questions and helped us devise a design approach using mass timber.
Mass timber can be used on everyday projects like the ones we design and build in Montana; it is not solely for large-scale projects.
We decided early on as a team that the extent of the mass timber framing would be cross-laminated timber (CLT) for the roof framing and elevator shaft and glulam members for the interior support beam lines and columns. The remainder of the walls and mezzanine floor framing is light wood framing. This decision allowed mechanical, plumbing, and electrical utilities to run through walls according to conventional practice. We also vetted several panel types, including nail-laminated timber (NLT), dowel-laminated timber (DLT), and CLT. The design at overhangs, product availability, and cost estimates with suppliers ultimately helped inform our decision.
We simultaneously worked with the architect on the layout for the roof panels and beam/column locations to ensure efficiency in the design. The panel cost increases significantly with each lamination (the thinnest panel has three laminations), so it is critical to strike a balance between maximizing panel span length using the thinnest panel possible and minimizing the number of glulam beam/column bearing lines.
Panels are dropped off at the Nez Perce Clearwater Forest Supervisor’s Office in Kamiah, Idaho.
3. Engineering Disciplines That Understand Each Other
Mass timber projects work better with upfront coordination between all disciplines and trades. One of our greatest advantages is having our complete mass timber engineering team at Morrison-Maierle under one roof. For example, when one of our structural engineers wants to understand mechanical duct penetrations in the structure, we can easily contact a coworker in person or on Teams and work through it.
A good example of this upfront teamwork was on Supervisor’s Office project when the panels arrived from the supplier to the job site. Most of the duct holes had been cut and ready, and the windows were already sized and ready to assemble. Early in the design phase, our electrical engineers realized that they would have issues running exposed conduit past large glulam beams. To address this potential issue, we specified a small notch in the CLT panels at regular intervals over the top of the glulam beam to accommodate the conduit. This eliminated the need to drill holes for the conduit in the field, which created a smoother and better end result that mirrored the architectural design team’s vision.
4. Faster to Frame
Once construction begins, we have found that mass timber roof panels can be installed much faster than conventional framing methods. On the Supervisor’s Office project, the entire mass timber roof package was framed in five days, with five laborers on site to run the crane and set the panels. As this was his first mass timber project, the on-site superintendent said the installation was straightforward and could have been done in three days with more practice. He added that the cost was comparable to traditional wood framing.
Mercer Mass Timber manufactures cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels at their location in Spokane, Washington.
Future Projects and Information
We will keep working and encouraging mass timber in our everyday applications and look forward to the buildings that require us to push the envelope. We can help guide you through this process. The bottom line is we know how beneficial mass timber can be for everyday projects.
Reach out anytime; we are excited to talk about this topic.
Read Another Article: Cross-Laminated Timber: Considerations for the Entire Design TeamRelated Insights
