Timber Construction Projects
Summary
TLDRThe Ascent building in Milwaukee is a groundbreaking project in the U.S., utilizing mass timber, a material that is surprisingly fire-resistant and sustainable. With 19 of its 25 floors constructed from massive timber beams, it will be the world's tallest timber structure. While mass timber offers environmental benefits by reducing carbon emissions compared to steel and concrete, concerns about deforestation and sustainability remain. Despite these challenges, the project represents a significant innovation in architecture and construction, attracting global interest and setting a precedent for future developments.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The Ascent building is a unique project in the United States, being the tallest structure of its kind built mostly out of wood.
- 🔥 Mass timber is a new technology that is surprisingly fire-resistant, allowing for the construction of larger and taller wood buildings.
- 🏗️ The first six floors of the Ascent building are built from traditional steel and concrete, while the 19 upper floors are constructed from mass timber.
- 💡 The idea to build the Ascent out of timber was driven by the aesthetic and environmental benefits of exposed wood in buildings.
- 🌍 Mass timber is gaining popularity in the United States, with 576 mass timber buildings built or under construction as of the script's date.
- 🌳 The sustainability aspect of mass timber is appealing, as it can lower a building's global warming potential compared to concrete and steel.
- 🚫 However, there are concerns about the environmental impact of increased demand for wood and the potential loss of forests as carbon sinks.
- 🏢 The Ascent building had to undergo extensive fire testing and meet strict building codes, proving its safety as a tall mass timber structure.
- 📏 Pre-construction work for mass timber buildings is extensive, requiring precise digital modeling and manufacturing to tight tolerances.
- 💰 The construction process using mass timber is faster and requires fewer workers, leading to potential savings on construction costs.
- 🏢 The Ascent building is already seeing significant interest, with nearly 10 percent of the units rented before the usual leasing period.
Q & A
What makes the construction of the Ascent building unique in the United States?
-The Ascent building is unique because it is being constructed mostly out of wood, using a new technology called mass timber, which is a significant departure from the traditional use of steel and concrete in high-rise construction.
Why was there a need for innovation in the Ascent project?
-Innovation was necessary in the Ascent project due to the use of mass timber, which required new approaches in fire testing, design, engineering, and approval processes, as it had not been done on such a scale before in the United States.
What is mass timber and how does it differ from traditional wood construction?
-Mass timber is a construction material made from large panels or beams of wood that are layered and glued together. It is more fire-resistant than traditional wood and can be used to construct larger and taller buildings than conventional wood framing.
Why did Tim Gaukman choose to build the Ascent with timber?
-Tim Gaukman chose to build with timber because of the aesthetic and environmental benefits. Exposed wood in buildings is visually appealing and provides a pleasant atmosphere. Additionally, mass timber is a sustainable building material.
How does mass timber compare to steel and concrete in terms of strength and load-bearing capacity?
-Mass timber is strong and can carry massive loads, but it is not quite as strong as steel and concrete on an inch-for-inch basis. This means it may not be suitable for wide open floor plans without supporting columns.
What are some of the environmental benefits of using mass timber in construction?
-Mass timber is considered more environmentally friendly because it can help reduce embodied carbon emissions associated with steel and concrete production. Trees, used in mass timber, act as carbon sinks, absorbing and storing carbon dioxide.
What concerns do environmental groups have regarding the increased use of mass timber?
-Environmental groups are concerned that an increased demand for wood could lead to deforestation, loss of wildlife habitats, and reduced natural carbon sinks. They worry about the sustainability of mass timber if it leads to over-logging.
What challenges did architect Jason Korb face in designing the Ascent building?
-Jason Korb faced challenges such as learning about mass timber construction, getting the city of Milwaukee to approve his plans, and proving the safety of the 25-story mass timber building, especially in terms of fire resistance.
How did the Ascent team address concerns about fire safety in a mass timber building?
-The Ascent team conducted extensive fire testing in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service. They discovered that mass timber chars rather than burns, with the charring layer acting as insulation to protect the rest of the wood.
What is the current state of mass timber construction in the United States compared to Europe?
-Mass timber construction is more common in Europe, especially in Scandinavia, where there are taller buildings, including an 18-story tower in Norway. In the U.S., the tallest mass timber buildings are between 7 and 10 stories, partly due to slower adoption of building codes.
What are some of the construction benefits of using mass timber compared to traditional materials?
-Mass timber construction offers benefits such as faster assembly, less labor requirement, and a cleaner, less strenuous work environment. It also allows for more precise pre-fabrication and can lead to cost savings in construction.
Outlines
🌲 Innovative Wood High-Rise: Ascent Building
The Ascent Building, a project by New Land Enterprises, is a pioneering structure in the United States due to its primary construction material: wood. Unlike traditional steel and concrete buildings, the Ascent utilizes mass timber, a fire-resistant technology that allows for taller wooden structures. Tim Gaukman, the managing director, chose wood for its aesthetic and environmental benefits. The first six floors are of conventional materials, but the upper 19 floors are built with mass timber beams and columns. This method is gaining popularity in the U.S., with 576 mass timber buildings built or under construction. The environmental advantages of mass timber include its sustainability and lower embodied carbon compared to steel and concrete. However, concerns exist about the potential impact on forests and the sustainability of increased wood demand. The Ascent's architect, Jason Korb, ensured the wood was sourced from sustainable forests, addressing some environmental concerns.
🔨 Challenges and Construction of the Ascent Building
The Ascent Building's construction faced regulatory and technical challenges due to its innovative use of mass timber. American building codes were slow to adapt, with architect Jason Korb investing over two years in proving the safety of the 25-story building, particularly its fire resistance. Extensive fire testing in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service demonstrated mass timber's ability to char and insulate, preventing structural failure. Pre-construction required a detailed digital model for precision cutting, which was then manufactured to tight tolerances. The construction process was faster and required fewer workers compared to traditional methods, leading to cost savings. However, the cost of the wood was initially higher. The building's exposed wood is treated and protected, and the project has already seen significant interest and leasing success, indicating a promising future for mass timber construction in the U.S.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Mass Timber
💡Sustainability
💡Innovation
💡Fire Resistance
💡Cross-Laminated Timber
💡Embodied Carbon
💡Architectural Engineering
💡Building Codes
💡Pre-Construction Planning
💡Construction Efficiency
💡Exposure to Wood
Highlights
The Ascent building is being constructed primarily from wood, a unique and unprecedented project in the United States.
Tim Gaukman, managing director of New Land Enterprises, is behind the innovative idea of building with timber.
Mass timber, a new technology, allows for the construction of larger and taller wood buildings due to its fire-resistant properties.
Upon completion, the 25-story Ascent building will be the tallest mass timber structure in the world.
The aesthetic and environmental benefits of exposed wood in buildings were the driving factors for choosing timber.
The first six floors and essential infrastructures are built with traditional steel and concrete.
David Core is studying the structural properties of mass timber, comparing it to traditional timber and plywood.
Cross-laminated timber is stronger due to its layered and glued construction, akin to 'plywood on steroids'.
Mass timber is not ideal for wide open spaces without supporting columns due to its relative strength compared to steel and concrete.
Mass timber construction has grown significantly in the U.S., with 576 buildings built or under construction.
Sustainability is a key attribute of mass timber, as it can lower a building's global warming potential compared to concrete and steel.
Environmental concerns exist regarding increased demand for wood and the potential impact on forests as carbon sinks.
Kieran Kennedy from the Sierra Club expresses concerns about the sustainability of mass timber construction.
Architect Jason Korb faced challenges in designing a mass timber building, including approval from the city of Milwaukee.
Extensive fire testing was conducted with the U.S. Forest Service to ensure the safety of the Ascent building.
Pre-construction work for mass timber buildings is extensive, requiring precise digital models and manufacturing coordination.
Construction with mass timber is quicker and requires fewer workers, leading to potential cost savings.
The cost of mass timber is currently higher than concrete but may decrease as the U.S. supply grows.
Walmart is building its new corporate campus with mass timber, indicating a growing trend in the U.S.
Tim Gauckman predicts that the U.S. will become a leader in mass timber production, assembly, and use.
Transcripts
usually built out of steel and concrete
but this one it's being built mostly out
of wood how unique is this project here
in the united states oh it's it's it's
unprecedented from an approval
standpoint from a fire testing
standpoint from a design and engineering
standpoint there was so much innovation
in this project tim gaukman is the
managing director of new land
enterprises the development company
behind ascent building it out of timber
was his idea
constructing with wood isn't new we've
been doing it for eons but this uses a
new technology called massive timber or
mass timber for short mass timber which
is surprisingly fire resistant has made
it possible to construct wood buildings
that are larger and taller than ever
before in fact when the 25 floor ascent
building is completed next summer it
will be the tallest structure of its
kind in the world what made you say
i want to build a high-rise out of
timber once you go into a building that
has exposed wood
you understand right away it's beautiful
and you feel great in it it is fast it
is precise it is light it is clean the
first six floors which will house a
parking garage and pool are built from
steel and concrete so are the elevator
shaft stairwell and foundation but the
19 upper floors are constructed from
gigantic mass timber beams columns and
boards this is relatively new especially
in the united states it's more common in
some parts of europe especially
scandinavia david core is a civil
engineer and director of architectural
engineering and design studies at
northwestern university he's currently
studying the structural properties of
mass timber so when we're talking about
mass timber or tall timber what's new
here this would be a two by four this is
sort of a familiar piece of timber if
you tear down the walls of your house
you would find small pieces of wood like
that behind the walls and that's what
carries all the load in your in your
house so this is an example of mass
timber it's important for people to
understand that this is a very small
part of something that would be very
large so there'll be a single layer on
the bottom and then a layer of glue and
then another layer layer of glue it's
like kind of like making a cake
out of wood where the glue is the
frosting this material is called
cross-laminated timber because each
layer is glued crosswise which makes the
material stronger so it's kind of like
plywood on steroids that's exactly right
it's structural scale plywood plywood on
steroids these huge slabs can carry
massive loads but inch for inch timber's
not quite as strong as steel and
concrete core says so it's not great for
wide open floor plans with no supporting
columns and there won't be a wood
skyscraper as tall as the empire state
building anytime soon mass timber was
first pioneered in austria in the 90s
and is gaining popularity in the united
states in 2013 the u.s had 26 mass
timber buildings today there are 576
built or under construction and several
hundred more are in the works there's a
lot of appealing attributes to mass
timber one of them is the sustainability
aspect so
one of the downsides of concrete and
steel is they have a lot of what's known
as embodied carbon meaning production of
steel and cement is very polluting
contributing somewhere around 15 percent
of global carbon dioxide emissions on
the other hand trees are what's known as
a carbon sink they suck in carbon and
lock it in and studies have shown
replacing steel and concrete with timber
can lower a building's global warming
potential but cutting down too many
trees can contribute to global warming
and some environmental groups are wary
of an increased demand for wood there's
still a lot of questions and the jury is
still out on whether or not it can be
achieved sustainably kieran kennedy
directs people in nature policy for the
sierra club she worries that a logging
boom could lead to the loss of a
critical tool for fighting climate
change because once they're cut down
trees stop actively sucking in carbon
and lose a portion of the carbon they
stored the question
that we and other folks are
wondering is is there enough
forested area to both be able to sustain
mass building and protect our forest
or our forests better left intact
as a natural carbon sink she also notes
our forests are important wildlife
habitats and natural buffers against
flooding and erosion so kennedy and some
other environmentalists are hesitant to
embrace mass timber just yet
this is european white spruce so this is
sustainably farmed jason korb is the
architect of the ascent building he says
the team was careful to source their
wood from sustainably managed forests
had you ever designed a timber building
before never once we went big
what was that process like
i think we knew about five percent of
what we needed to know when we started
in march of 2018
and i liken it to going to graduate
school for two years part of what korb
had to figure out was how to get the
city of milwaukee to approve his plans
the tallest mass timber buildings right
now are in europe including the very
tallest an 18-story tower in norway but
the tallest buildings in the u.s are
between 7 and 10 stories in part because
american building codes have been slow
to catch up architect jason korb spent
more than two years proving his 25-story
building would be safe
including answering the question often
on people's minds how will the structure
hold up in a fire the ascent team worked
with the u.s forest service to do
extensive fire testing the first of
their kind ever conducted
nine wood columns were burned in a
furnace for three hours straight at
temperatures reaching more than two
thousand degrees mass timber doesn't
burn it's very different from your
standard 2x4
it chars that charring layer actually
acts as insulation protecting the rest
of the wood the ascent columns charred
and held up the columns were designed a
few inches wider to allow for this
fireproofing layer it was just one of
the many new things architect jason korb
had to do the amount of pre-construction
work that needs to be done in a tall
timber building
is pretty much like nothing we've ever
seen especially in a residential
building that's because in traditional
construction all the holes for things
like plumbing wiring and ductwork are
drilled in the steel or formed in the
concrete as the building is going up but
in timber all of that is cut beforehand
so corbin his team had to create a
precise digital model the building was
modeled down to the last screw those
files are then fed to the manufacturer
and they are laser drilled to a
tolerance of about three millimeters
corp says at the time it cost less to
import the wood from austria than if he
bought from a north american supplier
so the 3 700 precisely cut pieces were
shipped to milwaukee where the
construction team is now putting them
all together and we're currently
installing the columns from level 19 to
20. chris johansen is the project
manager for cd smith the construction
company building ascent heads up heads
up each enormous column is hoisted by a
crane
special glue is pumped into the hole
then the column is carefully put into
place
there's not
one column there's not one beam one
floor panel that is interchangeable so
we have detailed plans
a lot of color coding
and a lot of communication to ensure
that we're installing things in the
right place all the wood is treated with
a waterproof coating and the building's
glass facade will protect the timber
structure inside where about 50 percent
of the wood will remain exposed
any wood outside is protected by
sheeting a water resistant sealant and
insulation
assembling the structure is
comparatively quick at least four months
faster than if this was all steel and
concrete and chris johansson needs less
labor for this part about a quarter of
the workers he says the work is also
much less strenuous and dirty one of the
guys told me that his wife is
questioning if he's going to work
because he's not coming home covered in
concrete
fewer workers and a faster job mean big
savings on construction costs but the
wood itself isn't cheap architect jason
korb estimates it's about 10 percent
more than what you'd pay for concrete in
milwaukee but that price might start
coming down as the supply in the u.s
grows the canada-based company structure
lamb opened its first u.s plant this
summer in arkansas a few hours from
walmart's headquarters that's because
walmart is building its new corporate
campus out of you guessed it mass timber
2.4 million square feet of office space
it's not just my hope but my prediction
is that it's a matter of time until the
united states overtakes the rest of the
world in production in assembly
and in the use of buildings like this
from the avalanche of interest tim
gauckman says he's gotten an ascent he
could be right he's already rented
nearly 10 percent of the units normally
he wouldn't have even started leasing
yet
ascent is slated to open next july
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