Is mass timber an efficient use of resources?
jollygreenshortguy
| Posted in Green Building Techniques on
Is mass timber construction an efficient use of timber resources, given that volumes can be enclosed quite well using studs, joists and sheet goods?
Or does mass timber offer some compelling advantages over typical wood framing?
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Replies
Mass timber is typically juxtaposed against concrete and steel alternatives. Are you specifically asking about it's resource efficiency when compared to wood stick frame construction? If so, do you have any examples of a project that utilizes mass timber in a way where stick frame construction could have been used instead?
"do you have any examples of a project that utilizes mass timber in a way where stick frame construction could have been used instead?"
No I don't. I don't have experience with mass timber. I can see its advantages over steel and concrete. That's why I asked specifically about comparing it to wood frame.
In DC, wood frame buildings are limited to three stories. What builders are now doing for mid-rise apartment buildings is to build a two-story steel and concrete base with three stories of wood framing above. (It has a name but I can't remember it). If mass timber could be substituted for the concrete and steel base, I think that would be more resource-efficient.
It's hard to beat the efficiency of wood frame construction.
I think the word you're looking for is podium construction.
Yes, thank you.
I don't have direct experience with CLT construction but I've been paying attention to it for a long time now. There are few, if any, situations where it makes good sense for single family homes, and it's not appropriate for skyscrapers, but it can be a good alternative for buildings in the 3-6 story range, and even up to 12 stories it could pencil out as a good value while also reducing up-front carbon emissions.