Knock on Wood.

• Author: Takala, Jeanine
• Position: THE ENVIRONMENT - Wood as a sturdy and sustainable building material

At a time when engineers, designers, and builders must find solutions for a resource-constrained environment, new wood technology, materials, and science are accelerating efforts to enhance safety and structural performance. The International Building Code requires all building systems, regardless of materials used, to perform to the same level of health and safety standards. These codes long have recognized wood's performance capabilities and allow its use in a wide range of low- to mid-rise residential and nonresidential building types.

Wood is one of the oldest building materials known to mankind. Extensive research and documented experience have led to several proven strategies for ensuring wood buildings reach their full potential for longevity. Next-generation wood products, also known as mass timber, offer exceptional stability and strength, and have made wood a viable choice to steel or concrete in many building applications. Products such as nail-laminated timber (NLT), cross-laminated timber (CLT), and glue-laminated timber (glulam) also are enabling increased dimensional stability, strength, and design versatility to enhance project detailing.

'There are countless examples of timber structures around the world that are several hundreds of years old," says Eric McDonnell, associate at KPFF Consulting Engineers. "Here in the U.S., there are old heavy timber buildings 100+ years old that are being rehabilitated for creative uses. If protected and maintained properly, there is no reason mass timber buildings can't exhibit this same level of longevity and durability."

When proper fire protection systems are in place, conflagrations effectively can be controlled in wood buildings. Design and engineering analysis, along with supporting industry research, shows that wood not only meets stringent safety requirements, but often exceeds them. Mass timber, in particular, enables inherent flame resistance through its natural charring process. Steel conducts heat and loses strength even in lower-temperature fires. Additionally, new wood buildings conceal the steel bolts holding their beams together within the wood to form a protective layer over the steel.

"Fire engineering strategies must provide the code-required level of safety at each stage of the design process, from building construction to occupancy," notes Robert Gerard, senior fire...