Recent updates to the International Building Code (IBC) have expanded what’s possible in mass timber design and construction. While these changes open the door to new building heights, many jurisdictions across the country have not yet adopted mass timber–specific provisions for Type IV construction. To bridge that gap, the American Wood Council…
Read More
What a difference a few years can make. The 2021 IBC guidelines for buildings of Type IV construction divided the classification into three categories: IV-A (buildings up to 18 stories), IV-B (12 stories), and IV-C (nine stories). In IV-B buildings, the amount of exposed timber ceilings permitted was only 20%.However, in 2024, IV-B was updated…
Read More
Recent research into timber-concrete composite (TCC) systems highlights their growing potential for sustainable, high-performance structures. In a study by the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain, a simply supported beam was compared with a frame-connected TCC beam, with both beams measuring 370 millimeters (1.2 feet) wide and testing…
Read More
In the years since the pandemic kept us all home and isolated, demand for outdoor living spaces has grown dramatically. Homeowners and developers alike are looking to counteract that sense of confinement with environments that extend daily life with outdoor living rooms, kitchens, fireplaces, bars, and entertainment systems. For architects,…
Read More
There’s a new tool in timber’s toolbox, one that promises to revolutionize the efficiencies of the industry and produce astounding works of machine-assisted architecture. With the help of artificial intelligence, the heavy timber AEC industry is on the precipice of the extraordinary: computer-aided design that includes machine learning and…
Read More
Hurricanes are Earth’s most intense storms, generating astounding winds and torrential rain. When a hurricane makes landfall, damage is often calculated in the tens of billions of dollars. Homes are destroyed, businesses are ruined, and floodwaters, widespread destruction, and utility interruptions paralyze entire towns. Building with sturdy…
Read More
Corporations are increasingly demanding sustainable office buildings. As younger generations of employees rise through the ranks, they are clamoring for action. The desire to reduce their corporate carbon footprint, the push for offsite construction methods, and a demand for a healthy work environment, both mentally and physically, are driving…
Read More
On the Leading Edge Attending trade shows provides incredible opportunities to learn about new products directly from the innovators who are bringing them to market. Recently, we had the privilege of exhibiting at the Greenbuild/Mass Timber+ Conference in Philadelphia, and the takeaways were eye-opening. Greenbuild/Mass Timber+ is the world’s…
Read More
As the popularity of timber frame building grows around the world, standardization of certain hardware components has become inevitable. We’re seeing large national and international hardware distributors introduce connectors that work for a range of applications to bring increased productivity to the office and the jobsite. Standardized product…
Read More
This year’s International Mass Timber Conference took place at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland March 26–28. It was a welcome opportunity to meet with many architects, builders, engineers, suppliers, and industry professionals, and we came away with several important points that we will reference moving forward. Preparing for the Unknowns There’s…
Read More