conversation
The Benefits of CLT in
STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING Interest in using wood for large-scale projects continues to grow.
D
avid Moses, P.Eng., principal with Toronto-based Moses Structural Engineers, has worked on many projects involving cross-laminated timber (CLT). He recently contributed to the 2019 edition of FPInnovations’ Canadian CLT Handbook, which reflects changes in Canadian codes and standards over the past decade that support broader use of CLT in new buildings. Here, he discusses the material’s appeal.
What has motivated you to use CLT in your projects? I was introduced to woodworking by a very dedicated teacher in high school. He emphasized the craft, understanding the material qualities of wood and working with traditional hand tools from around the world. The grain, the feel and the adaptability appealed to me. I did not realize you could design large structures in wood until I com20
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How did others perceive and react to this change? At first, designing and building with wood was a niche. Finding the right clients who shared our passion for these structures was not easy—and it varied geographically. But now, attitudes are changing and more people are coming to understand the value of using wood in their buildings, be it for esthetics, biophilic response or the environment. A great example is a CLT project manufactured by Canadian supplier
Structurlam Mass Timber for Hutton Offices, where the exposed wood structural elements create a warm and inviting atmosphere for staff and visitors. What obstacles have you encountered when proposing wood in projects for your clients? We get questions about the supply chain, scheduling, cost and performance. New construction products such as CLT take time to penetrate the market. I have seen this repeatedly over my career. A lot of people want to be the second or third to try something new. Tell us about the new handbook’s ‘design example’ chapter, of which you are the lead author? I was fortunate to be involved in the
Photo courtesy Hutton Offices
Photo courtesy Moses Structural Engineers
pleted my degree in engineering. At that same time, the technology was changing quickly for connections, fabrication and modelling. CLT was a great next step, a new product that was very strong, could be precision-cut and could be installed rapidly.
Canadian supplier Structurlam Mass Timber recently manufactured a CLT project for Hutton Offices. June/July 2020
2020-06-19 10:26 AM