Why Mass Timber Is the Future of Building Material
Mass timber is here to revolutionize the construction industry.
Mass timber is sustainable, lightweight, and environmentally friendly. It is layers of wood glued together to form beefy slabs that build sturdy buildings.
In fact, architects have started designing and planning buildings made of mass timber.
In Milwaukee, a 25-storey tower, Ascent, is the world’s tallest timber building. This shows that mass timber can create sturdy, warm, and beautiful buildings.
Here are three reasons why mass timber is revolutionizing construction by using suitable materials that are cost-effective.
1. Sustainability of Mass Timber
Mass timber is sustainable as it comes from trees, and we can grow more trees than we harvest to ensure we always have more wood.
Harvesting timber uses fewer gas emissions than manufacturing steel or concrete. Thus, mass timber reduces carbon footprint.
Also, because trees absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, this positively impacts climate change.
For example, Microsoft’s design teams used mass timber to renovate a portion of the Mountain View campus in order to reduce the building’s carbon footprint.
Therefore, most people are shifting to mass timber to conserve the environment while reducing climate change.
2. Durability of Mass Timber
As shown in the table below, mass timber is long-lasting because of these reasons.
| Reason | Brief description |
| Fire resistance | Since wood makes mass timber, most people think building with mass timber is a high risk.
However, a fire-resistant test at 980°C revealed that mass timber could burn for more than three hours before spreading fire. Exposing mass timber to fire burns the surface, resulting in a protective charred layer that slows fire spread. And when treated with fire retardants, this can reduce the risk of burning even further by delaying the ignition time or reducing the heat rate. |
| Strength and load-bearing capacity | Since layers of wood are glued together to make mass timber, it is very strong. Also, it has a high load-bearing capacity, so you can use it to build a 25-storey building without collapsing. |
| Longevity and low maintenance requirements | Properly treated mass timber is resistant to decay and pests.
This makes it last longer and requires minimal maintenance as it does not corrode, rust, or degrade over time. You do not need to paint it; you can leave it exposed for aesthetics. For example, Google built its offices in Sunnyvale’s Moffett Park in 2021 using mass timber, exposing the ceilings so that visitors could admire them. |
3. High-Quality than Traditional Building Materials
Mass timber stands out from the crowd for its high-quality building materials with a range of benefits traditional materials cannot match.
For example, mass timber in its natural state is warm and beautiful. It also has gorgeous wood grains, knots, and natural colour variations that draw you in.
Furthermore, due to the welcoming appearance and the aroma of freshly cut wood, the atmosphere gives the impression that you are working or living in a heavily wooded palace.
Even Walmart has fallen victim to this material’s allure, as evidenced by the new campus office buildings made of material that has more than 2.4 square feet of office space.
Other benefits of mass timber over traditional building materials include:
- Architects and builders can create visually appealing structures.
- Reduces waste. You can recycle or repurpose construction waste, thus cutting down on waste and construction debris.
- Wood has biophilic benefits that help improve people’s well-being. It is nature’s chill pill, as it can reduce stress—no wonder most businesses like Google and Walmart are creating workspaces using timber.
Build a Sturdy and Sustainable Structure With Mass Timber
To build using mass timber, you need to cut different shapes of wood to create the structure of the building you want, and having high-quality connection designs can save you a lot of headaches.
And this is where we step in.
F3 Timber Technologies provides the best possible connection design solutions for your mass timber project. From simple joints to complex truss systems, our team of experts ensures we work closely with you to create designs that meet your requirements.
So, don’t settle for anything less than the best when it comes to the safety and durability of your structure.
Contact us today, and let us help you create a connection design for your mass timber building.
You will save on building materials costs while helping conserve the environment to build a breathtaking calming structure.