A new residence hall on the University of Arkansas campus will serve as a testbed for researchers to study Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels.
Professors in the university’s Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and the College of Engineering are collaborating to measure and analyze the moisture content of the panels used in the buildings. Adohi Hall is the nation’s first large-scale mass timber residence hall project, according to a university news release.
Construction on the residential areas of Adohi Hall was completed this summer. The hall consists of two five-story residential buildings connected by a third building that provides a common area. To monitor the effects of rain and humidity, sensors were placed in CLT panels in moisture-prone areas—bathrooms, kitchen and laundry areas, and near the exterior of the buildings.
The approximately 200,000 sf project with 708 beds was designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates of Boston, Modus Studio of Fayetteville, Mackey Mitchell Architects of St. Louis and OLIN of Philadelphia. CLT panels were used in floors and ceilings. Columns and beams were made from glue-laminated pieces, which are bonded together with the wood grain of each layer running parallel rather than perpendicular, as CLT panels do.
Related Stories
| Oct 20, 2011
LEED 2012 to require real-time energy, water use reporting
The LEED 2012 rating system, set to launch in November 2012, will contain features to make sure buildings function as intended, and improve over time.
| Oct 20, 2011
New York City moving to speedier, online design reviews
New York City is moving towards a development design review process that will let officials and developers review blueprints for new projects online in a virtual conference room rather than in person.
| Oct 20, 2011
Michigan bill would let private firms operate as a city’s building department
Michigan House Bill 5011 would change state’s building code to allow private companies to operate as a municipality's building department.
| Oct 20, 2011
Alabama’s strict immigration law drives away construction workers
Alabama's strict new immigration law is driving many construction workers and roofers from the state.
| Oct 20, 2011
Fed bill would allow school rehab funding via historic tax credits
Virginia Sens. Jim Webb (D) and Mark Warner (D) introduced a bill this month to rehab aging schools across the country through the use of historic tax credits.
| Oct 20, 2011
Process leads to new design values for southern pine and other visually graded dimension lumber
A summary of the process used to develop new design values will clarify many of the questions received by the SFPA.
| Oct 19, 2011
Another drop for Architecture Billings Index
Positive conditions seen last month were more of an aberration.
| Oct 18, 2011
Dow Building Solutions invests in two research facilities to deliver data to building and construction industry
State-of-the-art monitoring system allows researchers to collect, analyze and process the performance of wall systems.
| Oct 14, 2011
ACI partners with CRSI to launch new adhesive anchor certification program
Adhesive anchor installer certification required in new ACI 318-11.
| Oct 13, 2011
New Building Materials Label Focuses On Sustainability
Architectural products company Construction Specialities and design firm Perkins + Will have created a label for building materials to shed light on product content.
