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Knowledge Base
Designed for both industry experts and newcomers across the supply chain, Mass Timber Planning is a platform and knowledge base that addresses mass timber’s implementation, delivery methods, and best practices.
Dedicated to helping developers, engineers, installers, manufacturers, and more, we help you discover the growing power of mass timber’s functionality, cost-efficiency, and sustainability.
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We help shape an unparalleled learning environment that is informed by industry experts. Browse through our key posts to stay up-to-date on trends and broaden your knowledge base.
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Advice
Understand all aspects of the process, starting with the design, detailed design, and the fabrication model, all the way through to installation. If there are any parts not fully understood or covered by you or your team, hire expertise to fill the gaps as early as possible.
Advice
Mass timber helps address client’s sustainability targets.
Advice
Cost premiums with mass timber are offset by the more rapid construction process with pre-fabricated construction.
Advice
The timing of contractor engagement impacts the ability to get construction input on structural assembly sequence & detailing.
Advice
Use hybrid structural systems (timber/steel/concrete) to optimize for the best properties of each.
Advice
A bracing plan is important, and has a large effect on installation. Establish a bracing plan early and integrate it into the connection details. A good bracing plan allows the connections to assist with temporary stability and requires over-designing, but saves time, money, headaches, and patching.
Branching Out
Looking for inspiration? Filter your search by the various Roles and Phases to see what industry experts have to say about Mass Timber.
Advice
Timely delivery of CLT from the manufacturer has been an issue, but this is improving. CLT does provide opportunities in BC for local manufacture.
Advice
Cost reductions are realized with CLT design due to R value in roof and wall assemblies.
Advice
Cost of CLT is approximately equal to steel (or better if steel tariffs are in place).
Advice
Reasons to engage the services of a CLT installer during design: — gives rigour to cost and scope — gets structural modelling info and connection details — provides site sequencing and mobilization info — provides contractor costs for installation
Advice
Specs are often poorly organized on mass timber projects, resulting in discrepancies between general notes, specs, instructions, and expectations. Do not copy and paste from old doculments just because mass timber is a material that people are unfamiliar with. Throw away the old and start by stating assumptions.
Advice
Costs can easily inflate for MEP (mechanical, electrical, plumbing). Contractors go to suppliers for pricing, suppliers add contingency costs, contractors add their own contingency, and the cost can inflate enough to kill the project.
Advice
Spec a target tolerance. Contractually this is difficult to hold to, but provides a method to explain the importance of the allowable tolerance.
Advice
Dimensional control of mass timber elements is stringent, should be explored and re-evaluated within the boundaries of safety and performance.
Advice
More advanced technologies can be used for water and fire management to reduce and speed up on-site work.
Advice
Building with repeated layouts will bring more prefabrication opportunities.
Advice
Prefabrication was good for full design of MEP, as it allowed for accurate off-site cutting of ducts, pipes, other systems and partial off-site assembly of the mechanical room.
Advice
Mass panel installation advice: — Full scale mockup is a benefit, allows best practices to be developed and solutions identified prior to construction. — “Install prefab guardrail systems between columns on the perimeter and pre-determine tie-off points for worker safety” — Manufacturers need to clearly identify and locate balanced panel lifting points. — Pre plan and optimize truck load stacks, delivery schedules and erection sequencing
Advice
Peel and stick membranes on CLT panels is inadequate for inclement weather. The best solution is to erect rapidly and install building envelope ASAP.
Advice
Virtual design and construction modelling (VDC) is very important, as it identifies constructibility issues and associated costs, helping reduce the number of changes and speeds up the schedule. It is also a form of quality control on timing, scheduling, coordination, fine details, and safety.
