Sources: Forest Business Network, Missoula, Mont.; CP staff
Organizers of the Mass Timber Conference, March 22-24 at the Portland (Ore.) Marriott Downtown Waterfront Hotel, have lined up 45-plus presenters from North America, Europe and Australia to address current opportunities and obstacles for cross-laminated timber (CLT), nail-laminated timber, glulam panels, and laminated veneer lumber.
A program focal point will be how engineered wood framing components—often consisting of lumber glued together to make large, solid floor and wall panels—are positioned to compete with concrete, masonry, and steel in mid- and high-rise buildings. The State of Oregon Building Codes Division approved the use of CLT last year, conference organizers note, “making Portland an ideal location to strategize how to increase the use of a newly rediscovered, environmentally friendly building product.”
“Mass timber is one of the biggest game-changers the forest products sector has seen in decades,” contends Craig Rawlings, president of Forest Business Network, conference co-producer. “Whenever a new engineered wood product came along in the past, it just replaced another wood product in the residential housing market. Mass timber, however, is gaining market share where wood hasn’t been used for years—the mid- to high-rise building market. The conference is a platform where we can bring together the best and brightest experts to discuss how to continue growing the emerging mass timber infrastructure in North America.”
An exhibit hall will showcase leading manufacturing companies, government agencies, associations, and universities, all working with mass timber. A detailed agenda, building tour information and exhibit hall floorplan is posted at MassTimberConference.com.