Monthly Update: February 2019

Canadian bioplastic company Advanced BioCarbon 3D (ABC3D) has developed wood-based bioplastic material that can be used in engineering applications and 3D printing. The material is made from resin that is extracted from waste wood cut down during wood collection by forestry companies and then added to the plastic to give it heat- and moisture-resistant properties.

The development of this wood-based product is part of ABC3D’s growing commitment to address climate change and other environmental concerns by developing products based on the sustainable use of renewable and biodegradable resources, such as wood.

Veterans of the softwood lumber industry are increasingly stressing the need for the industry to market itself better in order to attract top talent, noting that many outside of the industry do not realize the diversity of career opportunities the industry offers. Whether finding creative ways to get wood products to market, build out supply chains, or develop new technologies that increase wood’s remarkable sustainability and value propositions, there are ample opportunities for top talent to effect industry-altering innovation, find satisfaction, and enjoy a rewarding career.

CLT features prominently in a new 10,000-square-foot warehouse coming to the market in the Nalley Valley industrial area of Tacoma, Washington. The property owner chose CLT manufactured by British Columbia’s Structurlam Mass Timber Corp. for the building’s walls in order to make the project greener and more innovative than typical metal siding or concrete tilt construction. The warehouse will be available for occupancy in late February and is currently on the market for $2.9 million or for lease at $15,000 per month.

A major technology firm is expanding its corporate campus in Silicon Valley with a focus on creating a sustainable workspace community. The updated campus will house 2,000 employees across two existing, repurposed building that are being integrated with a new 645,000-square-foot office building constructed primarily of CLT. The new structure, which will also be customized to meet ambitious sustainability goals related to energy and water use and emissions, will become the largest mass timber building in North America upon completion.

While the project team, representing architects WRNS Studio and structural engineers Holmes Structures, selected CLT for its low carbon footprint and inviting aesthetics, it is also enjoying the expedited construction schedule that CLT makes possible. Mass timber supplier Structurlam designed custom panels that can be quickly dropped into place onsite. Meanwhile, the project’s composite CLT-concrete slab allows the CLT panels to span farther between beams and columns, creating more open and inviting interiors.

Global architecture firm Perkins + Will and Cambridge University’s Natural Material Innovation project have teamed up to advance their vision of a wood skyscraper. Perkins + Will is working to develop a master plan for an area in Chicago’s downtown just west of Grant Park. They used this opportunity to also identify a real-world site and conceptually develop a tall wood building, the 800-foot River Beech residential tower. The Cambridge team supports the project by testing the structure’s various parameters in the lab.

While River Beech remains purely conceptual, the team’s point is to prove that the idea can work. For Perkins + Will, wood’s weight, greater flexibility, and ease of use make it an attractive potential substitute for steel and concrete in tall buildings.

In his “FutureHouse” segment, Ask This Old House home technology expert Ross Trethewey recently featured a custom homebuilder in New Hampshire to learn more about automated home construction. The longtime successful builder has been investing in automated manufacturing and design technologies to bring more high-performance, energy-efficient, and affordable homes to more people. The segment walks through the firm’s impressive operations in its 110,000-square-foot production facility, from customizing home designs using a standardized kit of parts to digital carpentry, offsite fabrication, and eventual assembly, which takes just three to four days onsite. Engineered materials, including engineered wood, are preferred throughout the process as they allow for greater precision and efficiency.