flexiblefullpage -
billboard - default
interstitial1 - interstitial
catfish1 - bottom
Currently Reading

More mass timber beam and column options available in the U.S.

Codes and Standards

More mass timber beam and column options available in the U.S.

Freres Lumber unveils new line of structural elements suitable for high-rise buildings.


By Peter Fabris, Contributing Editor | May 14, 2020

Availability of manufactured mass timber elements that can be used in high-rise construction projects is increasing in the U.S.

The latest line of timber beams and columns was recently announced by Freres Lumber Co., Inc. of Lyons, Ore. The APA-certified products currently run up to 12 inches in length with a depth of 72 inches, but, the company says, could be produced up to 24 inches thick.

The product line is capable of being produced up to 60 feet in length, but Freres’ current press is limited to 48 feet. The company will seek certification for products in larger widths and depths in the coming months.

Freres’s Mass Plywood Panel (MPP) manufacturing process is patented, producing engineered wood products that use 20%-30% less wood than other mass timber products, according to a Freres’ news release.

Related Stories

| Mar 1, 2012

Regulators investigate structural failures during construction of two Ohio casinos

Regulators with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and the city of Cincinnati are investigatingthe collapse of the second floor of Cincinnati's Horseshoe Casino as workers were pouring concrete.

| Mar 1, 2012

Is your project too small for LEED? Consider other green standards

There are many other recognized national, state and local programs that offer a variety of best management practices and sustainable design, construction and operating strategies.

| Mar 1, 2012

California bill aims to cut costs for commercial building energy retrofits

A bill in the California Assembly would allow the state to pool together property owners’ energy-retrofit loans.

| Feb 29, 2012

Carvalho appointed Shawmut Safety Director

He has been a driving force behind multiple safety-orientated initiatives at Shawmut, including Safety Week, the creation of an online safety manual, and the implementation of a new safety reporting and tracking system. 

| Feb 23, 2012

Federal budget cuts put major building projects on hold

A plan to build the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas is among several major building projects in jeopardy after the Obama administration’s 2013 budget was unveiled. The budget would cut all construction spending for the facility.

| Feb 23, 2012

Federal agencies fixed on leasing LEED-certified space

The federal government is especially focused on renting LEED-certified spaces.

| Feb 23, 2012

Regulators investigating construction accident at World Trade Center

The New York Port Authority and the city’s fire and building departments are investigating an accident at the World Trade Center construction site in lower Manhattan after a crane dropped steel beams that fell about 40 stories onto the truck that delivered them.

| Feb 23, 2012

New Virginia statewide building code goes into effect March 1

After March 1, all building plans in Virginia must adhere to the 2009 code that was adopted a year ago.

| Feb 23, 2012

Privatizing flood insurance could lead to new code requirements

One thing that could pave the way toward private flood insurance would be NFIP reforms, like requiring new construction in flood-prone areas to be elevated.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category



Standards

Design guide offers details on rain loads and ponding on roofs

The American Institute of Steel Construction and the Steel Joist Institute recently released a comprehensive roof design guide addressing rain loads and ponding. Design Guide 40, Rain Loads and Ponding provides guidance for designing roof systems to avoid or resist water accumulation and any resulting instability.


halfpage1 -

Most Popular Content

  1. 2021 Giants 400 Report
  2. Top 150 Architecture Firms for 2019
  3. 13 projects that represent the future of affordable housing
  4. Sagrada Familia completion date pushed back due to coronavirus
  5. Top 160 Architecture Firms 2021