Uploaded July 2022 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
The invention of mass timber and engineered wood is spurring the next generation of sustainable and resilient skyscrapers. To improve the properties of wood and make it even stronger than steel and concrete, moisture resistant glues are added in between layers of wood to make engineered mass timber products.
Link to my Patreon page: patreon.com/Belinda_Carr
Sponsor: insulation4us.com
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:27 Examples
2:24 Mass timber
3:46 Media coverage
4:11 Advantages
6:32 Disadvantages
7:56 Sponsorship
8:37 Conclusion
In the search for more environmentally friendly skyscrapers, designers have turned to good old-fashioned wood.
- The Stadthaus in London, which was built in 2009, was one of the first high rises made of wood. It has 9 storeys and stands 99ft or 30m tall.
- Brock Commons in Canada, which was built in 2017, broke records as the tallest contemporary wood building. It has 18 storeys and stands 190ft or 58m tall.
- Mjostarnet in Norway, which was built in 2019, is now the tallest timber building in the world. It has 18 storeys and stands 280ft or 85m tall.
- As the timber skyscraper momentum grows, we’re starting to see some outlandish proposals including a mixed use tower in Tokyo, Japan that will contain retail, office, hotel and residential facilities.
- Another unconventional proposal is the Oakwood Timber Tower in London. This lightweight tower will have 80 storeys and stand 985ft or 300m tall.
The invention and mass production of steel and concrete made skyscrapers possible in the 1800s. They worked together to hold tall buildings upright and battle strong winds. Similarly, a very important human invention makes all these wood high rises and skyscrapers now possible: mass timber or engineered wood. Traditional lumber is strong against forces parallel to the wood's fiber growth but it is vulnerable to perpendicular forces. Wood also lacks steel’s tensile strength, which is the ability to withstand pulling or tensile forces. Wood also lack’s concrete’s compressive strength which is the ability to withstand compression or pushing forces.
To improve the properties of wood and make it even stronger than steel and concrete, moisture resistant glues are added in between layers of wood to make engineered mass timber products. Some examples are:
- Glulam or glued laminated timber which consists of several layers of wood with the grain running in one direction.
- Cross laminated timber or CLT consists of layers of wood in alternating directions.
- Laminated veneer lumber or LVL consists of thin layers of wood all stacked in the same direction.
Mass timber structural members ilke floor slabs and columns can be cheaper than steel and concrete, particularly in volatile markets, like we’re experiencing right now. The lower weight of mass timber also reduces the cost of other structural members and foundations. For example, during the construction of a mass timber project called The Ascent, in Milwaukee, 100 support piles had to be driven into the soil rather than 200 for a similar heavy concrete and steel building.
Even though we’re in the early stages of mass timber construction, structural engineers say that mass timber projects are approximately 25% faster to construct than similar concrete and steel projects. The Ascent tower, which we discussed, was built 4 months faster than expected. I’m not sold on the increased speed of construction, because prefabricated modular steel and concrete skyscrapers can be constructed in a matter of days.
Of course, mass timber isn’t a miracle material. It has some disadvantages that prevent its wide adoption. Concrete and steel are able to withstand acids, alkalis and other corrosive substances better than mass timber. Foundations, structural cores and piers are still made of concrete. This sort of mass timber hybrid construction isn’t a bad thing. By merging these materials, we can get the best of both worlds; stability and a lower carbon footprint.
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SOURCES:
youtube.com/watch?v=GHtdnY_gnmE
youtube.com/watch?v=y5tTpouZ3P0 H
youtube.com/watch?v=GvHx_NS9wWw DW
vimeo.com/214508927
youtube.com/watch?v=viDL2W0HcJw
youtube.com/watch?v=l6PQJxTkV6E
--------------------
Fluffy by Smith The Mister smiththemister.bandcamp.com
Smith The Mister bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT
Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/stm-fluffy
Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/OM9G3nyLT_w
---------------------
Disclaimer: This video was created for educational/informational purposes and qualifies as Fair Use. If you are the creator or own the footage featured in this video and have reservations please notify me via Youtube comments or email and I will accommodate you
#masstimber #lego #modular #modularconstruction #skyscraper #architecture #construction
The invention of mass timber and engineered wood is spurring the next generation of sustainable and resilient skyscrapers. To improve the properties of wood and make it even stronger than steel and concrete, moisture resistant glues are added in between layers of wood to make engineered mass timber products.
Link to my Patreon page: patreon.com/Belinda_Carr
Sponsor: insulation4us.com
Chapters
0:00 Introduction
1:27 Examples
2:24 Mass timber
3:46 Media coverage
4:11 Advantages
6:32 Disadvantages
7:56 Sponsorship
8:37 Conclusion
In the search for more environmentally friendly skyscrapers, designers have turned to good old-fashioned wood.
- The Stadthaus in London, which was built in 2009, was one of the first high rises made of wood. It has 9 storeys and stands 99ft or 30m tall.
- Brock Commons in Canada, which was built in 2017, broke records as the tallest contemporary wood building. It has 18 storeys and stands 190ft or 58m tall.
- Mjostarnet in Norway, which was built in 2019, is now the tallest timber building in the world. It has 18 storeys and stands 280ft or 85m tall.
- As the timber skyscraper momentum grows, we’re starting to see some outlandish proposals including a mixed use tower in Tokyo, Japan that will contain retail, office, hotel and residential facilities.
- Another unconventional proposal is the Oakwood Timber Tower in London. This lightweight tower will have 80 storeys and stand 985ft or 300m tall.
The invention and mass production of steel and concrete made skyscrapers possible in the 1800s. They worked together to hold tall buildings upright and battle strong winds. Similarly, a very important human invention makes all these wood high rises and skyscrapers now possible: mass timber or engineered wood. Traditional lumber is strong against forces parallel to the wood's fiber growth but it is vulnerable to perpendicular forces. Wood also lacks steel’s tensile strength, which is the ability to withstand pulling or tensile forces. Wood also lack’s concrete’s compressive strength which is the ability to withstand compression or pushing forces.
To improve the properties of wood and make it even stronger than steel and concrete, moisture resistant glues are added in between layers of wood to make engineered mass timber products. Some examples are:
- Glulam or glued laminated timber which consists of several layers of wood with the grain running in one direction.
- Cross laminated timber or CLT consists of layers of wood in alternating directions.
- Laminated veneer lumber or LVL consists of thin layers of wood all stacked in the same direction.
Mass timber structural members ilke floor slabs and columns can be cheaper than steel and concrete, particularly in volatile markets, like we’re experiencing right now. The lower weight of mass timber also reduces the cost of other structural members and foundations. For example, during the construction of a mass timber project called The Ascent, in Milwaukee, 100 support piles had to be driven into the soil rather than 200 for a similar heavy concrete and steel building.
Even though we’re in the early stages of mass timber construction, structural engineers say that mass timber projects are approximately 25% faster to construct than similar concrete and steel projects. The Ascent tower, which we discussed, was built 4 months faster than expected. I’m not sold on the increased speed of construction, because prefabricated modular steel and concrete skyscrapers can be constructed in a matter of days.
Of course, mass timber isn’t a miracle material. It has some disadvantages that prevent its wide adoption. Concrete and steel are able to withstand acids, alkalis and other corrosive substances better than mass timber. Foundations, structural cores and piers are still made of concrete. This sort of mass timber hybrid construction isn’t a bad thing. By merging these materials, we can get the best of both worlds; stability and a lower carbon footprint.
--------------------
SOURCES:
youtube.com/watch?v=GHtdnY_gnmE
youtube.com/watch?v=y5tTpouZ3P0 H
youtube.com/watch?v=GvHx_NS9wWw DW
vimeo.com/214508927
youtube.com/watch?v=viDL2W0HcJw
youtube.com/watch?v=l6PQJxTkV6E
--------------------
Fluffy by Smith The Mister smiththemister.bandcamp.com
Smith The Mister bit.ly/Smith-The-Mister-YT
Free Download / Stream: bit.ly/stm-fluffy
Music promoted by Audio Library youtu.be/OM9G3nyLT_w
---------------------
Disclaimer: This video was created for educational/informational purposes and qualifies as Fair Use. If you are the creator or own the footage featured in this video and have reservations please notify me via Youtube comments or email and I will accommodate you
#masstimber #lego #modular #modularconstruction #skyscraper #architecture #construction
