Conclusion

As design professionals look to the decade ahead, they see many challenges—from addressing pressing environmental and social issues to accommodating rapid population growth and shifting market demands. There is also an increasing understanding that the built environment is inextricably linked to many of the complex issues of our day. While these problems are global in scale, and, in some cases, beyond the influence of the AEC industry alone, design professionals are taking action in their day-to-day practices that can begin to make an impact. Expanding the use of mass timber in all types of buildings, from industrial and commercial to civic and multifamily, can play an important role in tackling the 21st-century challenges facing the built environment.

Mass timber design applications are broad. A range of mass timber products are opening up even more possibilities—from newer innovations like CLT and DLT to triedand-tested technologies such as NLT and glulam. Mass timber products combined with concrete, steel, and light-frame wood construction can deliver building solutions for virtually any occupancy type. They also lend well to modularized prefabrication and open flexible grid configurations. Mass timber performs when it comes to safety, thermal efficiency, acoustics, durability, moisture management and biophilic design. Rigorous testing has proven mass timber is fire-safe and offers natural fire resistance.

Additionally, when it comes to reducing a building’s environmental footprint, life cycle assessment and carbon accounting demonstrate mass timber’s benefits. Not only is sustainably harvested wood a low-carbon alternative to extracting energy-intensive materials, but timber buildings store carbon, keeping it out of the atmosphere for the lifetime of the structure—and even longer if the wood is then reclaimed and reused.

With all of these advantages, understanding mass timber design and construction is quickly becoming essential knowledge for building professionals. While not entirely new, mass timber building systems are emerging technologies evolving in response to ongoing engineering advancements. As a ‘living document,’ this manual will be regularly updated with the most recent research, product information and other important findings to help AEC professionals stay up-todate with the industry’s latest resources.