One of the most commonly used building materials for our so-called urban concrete jungles is of course none other than concrete. However, concrete has its problems, with a lack of overall sustainability being one of them. This is why many developers are starting to look for different materials, even for taller buildings such as high rises and apartments. The material we’re talking about here is mass timber (MT), and there’s become an increasing demand for it across Canada.
According to a recent report, in 2022, MT comprised just 1 percent of all construction materials used for buildings. However, according to analysts, the market for mass timber is going to expand rapidly in the next few years. All across the country mass timber production plants are either being upgraded or built from scratch.
Increasing Demand
“The demand is extremely high for mass timber now,” said Frank Gannon, director of stakeholder engagement with mass timber manufacturer Western Archrib. To keep up with the growing number of orders, Western Archrib just built a 155,000 square foot MT production facility in Edmonton.
Orders are now so backed up that they’re taking up to 10 months to be completed. One of the reasons why MT is becoming more popular is because of new building codes that allow much taller buildings to be built out of mass timber than before.
Due to new evidence showing that tall wood structures made of mass timber have high fire safety levels, building codes have changed and started allowing Canadians to build much taller buildings out of MT, spurring on its demand.
What is Mass Timber?
Mass timber is an umbrella category for a variety of materials that are created by binding together various layers of wood to create larger and stronger elements. This could include beams and panels, as well as other MT building hardware.
Wood or mass timber might not seem like the first choice for building large buildings, but there are many experts who contend that it’s much easier and faster to use than either steel or concrete. On that note, it’s also much less carbon intensive than both steel and concrete.
At this point, according to federal statistics, most mass timber has been used for institutional construction, such as for community centres and schools.
The Types of Mass Timber Being Used
There are two main types of mass timber currently in use, glulam or glue-laminated timber and CLT or cross-laminated timber. Glulam has been around since the early 20th century, and it’s been used to make columns and beams.
CLT panels are a much more recent development in the construction industry, and they’re now often being used for walls, roofs, and floors.
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