The Future of Wood in Mid-Rise Construction

When it comes to mid-rise development, architects have a code-compliant, cost-effective resource in wood. Over the years, wood-frame construction has shown strength, longevity and stability, and is widely considered economical, with low material costs, reduced construction time, and availability of resources and labor.¹⁴ Mass timber products including sawn stress-grade lumber, timber tongue and groove decking, glulam, and CLT offer an accelerated construction process and the increased strength to serve as structural systems for taller buildings. Developments in both wood-frame and mass timber are bringing mid-rise wood buildings to a new level of affordability and transforming our understanding of what is possible with wood construction. In some cases, it is necessary to use alternate solutions to meet the intent of the building code. Pursuing this route is well worth the effort—architects throughout North America have and will continue to use alternate solutions to save time and money, to debunk myths surrounding fire safety and, to set new standards in affordable green design.

Wood also plays a key role in reducing a project's environmental footprint. Wood products have less embodied energy, are responsible for lower air and water pollution, and have a lighter carbon footprint than other commonly used building materials.¹⁵ The wood materials in the University of British Columbia's Earth Sciences Building, for example, will sequester some 2,600 tons of CO₂ (which equate to 497 cars off the road for one year or energy to operate a home for 221 years). The University's CIRS project is a net positive building because of wood—the project sequesters about 600 tons of CO₂ (which equate to 115 cars off the road for one year or energy to operate a home for 51 years) in its wood structure which is more carbon than all the carbon emitted by the construction process, and all the carbon emitted in the manufacture of all the other materials in the building.¹⁶

As increasing numbers of wood mid-rise structures take shape throughout North America consistent with stringent building codes, the message is becoming clear. Affordable and energy-efficient with a unique ability to sequester carbon, not only is wood a viable, even preferable, option for buildings of six stories and above, it is creating a new paradigm in building construction.

ENDNOTES
1	https://mcgrawimages.buildingmedia.com/archrec/news/analytics/2012/ 1207-Multifamily-Construction-Forecast-2012.pdf
2	reTHINKWood
3	http://www.waughthistleton.com/project.php?name=murray&img=1
4	http://southerndesignandbuilding.org/item/95-mid-rise-light-wood- frame-construction-gains-momentum
5	http://wecbc.smallboxcms.com/database/rte/files/Tall%20Wood.pdf
6	http://clients.cyberimpact.ca/public/fe9f5b3d-15d0-4b26-916a- 1a10980d78a6/files/Solutions_WP_dec2011/Manuscript_SEAOC_ Las_Vegas.pdf
7	http://www.sips.org/community-center/
8	http://www.structuremag.org/article.aspx?articleID=1474
9	http://www.vancouversun.com/business/First+story+wood+ frame+housing+comes+market/7208943/story.html
10	http://woodworks.org/wp-content/uploads/Marselle.pdf
11	http://cirs.ubc.ca/building/building-manual/structural-systems
12	http://science.ubc.ca/about/esb
13	http://www.cwc.ca/documents/case_studies/Four%20demonstration%20 Case%20Study_May_30.pdf
14	http://southerndesignandbuilding.org/item/95-mid-rise-light-woodframe-construction-gains-momentum
15	reTHINKWood—MessagePlatform
16	http://cirs.ubc.ca/building/building-overview/building-description

naturally:wood is a comprehensive information resource that brings together the latest data about wood performance, green building, variety of wood products, manufacturers, and sustainable forest practices. Visit www.naturallywood.com for more info.