Mass timber boosts industry

Innovation is promising for builders, loggers and rural communities

Andy Fast

Mention “mass timber” around people involved in the NH forest products industry, and you’ll likely see an increase in their energy and excitement. Mass timber refers to a suite of building products created by bonding multiple pieces of wood together.

Wood is a material that humans have been building with for a long time. Mass timber is a significant step forward in this history, in that it combines smaller pieces of wood in a way that increases their overall strength.

Mass timber products can be used as structural support in high-rise buildings, which previously was the sole domain of steel and concrete — building materials that are made of nonrenewable materials and which also require manufacturing processes that are fossil-fuel intensive.

In comparison to steel beams and concrete, wood has the advantages of being renewable and a sink for atmospheric carbon. Viewed from a New Hampshire lens, where the harvesting of wood products contributes $1.6 billion to the economy, the picture is even better. The growth of mass timber portends a busier future for local loggers and landowners, and more timber taxes for rural towns. In this time of cultural and political division, mass timber is one topic where we can all agree that it’s good for New Hampshire.

The forest products industry is already working with mass timber. Although we’re still at an early stage in the technology’s adoption, several manufacturers are already delivering cross-laminated timber (CLT), one form of mass timber. Sterling Structural, a domestic manufacturer, is making CLT panels up to 16 feet in length and Element 5, a Canadian company is planning to make panels up to 50 feet long — both are sourcing wood from New England. NH Wood Treaters and Laminator is certified to produce softwood framing grade glulam, another form of mass timber product, and can pressure-treat lumber to support bridge decking and other transportation uses.

Mass timber is a more sustainable choice than steel or concrete. It might also appeal to designers who are trying to increase their locally sourced materials. It is likely that architects and builders will ultimately utilize mass timber products in a hybrid strategy, using CLTs or glulam where its advantages would be best leveraged, with steel and concrete elsewhere in the design.

To builders, mass timber has specific advantages in that it can be pre-fabricated to suit a specific design, thereby saving time and labor during construction.

The availability of this New England – sourced product is due to hard work and financial support from many collaborators and partners. UMaine is a forest products research engine for the region and provided a lot of research and design. UMass also contributed substantial proof of concept research. Leadership from a consulting firm, Innovative Natural Resource Solutions, and the regional state foresters through the North East State Foresters Association, sparked a longer-term commercialization effort.

With instrumental engagement from UNH as well as NH Division of Forests and Lands, state marketing and utilization foresters, academia, nonprofits like NH Timberland Owners Association, and VT Sustainable Jobs Fund, private industry and the building community throughout the region, many of the challenges of introducing a new product were addressed and the rate of adoption increased.

Sustained and strong support from the USDA Forest Service’s Wood Innovations Program and Forest Products Laboratory have been essential for demonstration projects, supporting the supply chain and overcoming technical challenges.

Many additional funders have contributed in meaningful ways such as the Northern Border Regional Commission, the Conservation Fund, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Economic Development Authority, U.S. Endowment for Forests and Communities, the Northern Forest Center and others. The greatest impacts have been seen through thoughtful coordination, selfless allocation of resources to the greatest commercialization priority, and shared commitment to efficient outcomes.

These are exciting times as multiple interests champion the many benefits forests and forest products provide the state, economy, ecosystem and communities. Mass timber is one answer and opportunity to meet housing and economic needs.

For those with questions about building with wood, WoodWorks is a nonprofit that provides technical assistance to the building community around any wood construction, code, etc. questions. They are experts in mass timber and complement the forest-based knowledge UNH Extension provides.

Readers should reach out to the author if there are questions, interest or needs.

Andy Fast is the UNH Extension forest industry state specialist and extension faculty. His primary responsibility for UNH Extension is to provide statewide leadership and support to the forest industry through educational programing, business attraction and retention, economic development and research. He is available to meet with forest-based businesses throughout New Hampshire and is based at the University of New Hampshire in Durham, NH.