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

| Jan 26, 2012

Industry challenges Connecticut's suit over defective construction work

The dispute arose over multimillion-dollar leaks at the University of Connecticut's law library.

| Jan 26, 2012

Earthquake 'fuse' could save buildings during temblors

The idea is to use an earthquake "fuse" that can prevent the tiny fractures and warps that make structures unsafe after a quake and very expensive to repair.

| Jan 26, 2012

HPD open materials standard for green building materials gains momentum

GreenWizard, provider of a cloud-based product management and project collaboration software, is the latest industry participant to sign on

| Jan 26, 2012

Siemens launches smoke detection knowledge center

New knowledge center web site demonstrates efficacy of smoke detection. 

| Jan 18, 2012

Chile's seismic code upgrades credited with saving lives in 2010 quake

Since 1960, when Chile suffered a 9.5 magnitude quake, the largest ever recorded; the country has steadily improved building codes to protect lives and property.

| Jan 18, 2012

Report analyzes residential hurricane codes in 18 states

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released a new report analyzing residential building codes in 18 hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast.

| Jan 18, 2012

Death in Chicago high-rise apartment fire blamed on fire code

The death of a Chicago woman who stepped off her elevator into a blazing inferno last week has underscored the need for fire sensors in elevators.

| Jan 18, 2012

California approves open cell spray foam for energy efficiency standards

The California Energy Commission (CEC) now recognizes open-cell spray foam as an accepted insulation in its 2008 Building Energy Efficiency Standards.

| Jan 5, 2012

Building to LEED standards now an 'easy call' from cost standpoint

Once seen as a cost burden, building to LEED standards is now an "easy call," according to Dan Probst, chairman of energy and sustainability for real estate management and development firm Jones Lang LaSalle.

| Jan 5, 2012

Minnesota's GreenStep Cities program aids communities in winning grants

GreenStep Cities, a Minnesota initiative, was designed to provide greater recognition to the state's communities for achievements in meeting sustainability standards and goals.

boombox1 - default
boombox2 -
native1 -

More In Category




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