CTBUH Canada: Tall Timber & the Future of Building

June 24, 2019
Bahen Centre, University of Toronto, 40 St. George St., Toronto, ON M5S 2E4

The Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH) Canada Future Leaders Committee is hosting a presentation on Tall Timber Buildings given by David Moses, founder of Moses Structural Engineers, and Alex Lukachko, principal at RDH Building Science.

Wood buildings have been limited to 6-stories under various building codes, but recent innovations in mass timber have created new possibilities for much taller wood buildings. Examples include a recently completed 18-story student residence on the UBC campus in Vancouver, U of T’s proposed Tall Wood Academic Tower, and the proposed Canada Earth Tower in Vancouver.

Products such as glued-laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) are large format pre-fabricated elements that are CNC-machined, and can be installed quickly on site. These and other innovative wood products are at the center of a transformation in the AEC industry where we expect higher quality, off-site fabrication along with faster and quieter site work with less construction waste. With taller wood buildings, construction moisture management and speed of the building enclosure are important aspects of design and construction. Many projects are currently exploring different panelized or prefabricated options to keep pace with construction of the primary mass timber structure.

Mass timber towers require close collaboration between project team members including structural and façade engineers. David and Alex will provide an overview of the shift in the construction industry with respect to tall timber structural design, durability, and building enclosure performance.