On the tail of last month’s announcement of the 2021 U.S. Wood Design Awards, the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Woodworks – Wood Product Council and the Think Wood communications campaign have launched the first Mass Timber Design Manual, an 80-plus-page interactive guide stuffed with details on the newest mass timber products and the latest information on a range of related topics, including tall wood construction and best design practices.
Among other things, the comprehensive and free-to-access manual—downloadable at the Think Wood website—includes Woodworks-published technical papers and Think Wood continuing education articles along with insightful Q&As with relevant experts, in-depth project case studies, and technical guides. As detailed in an announcement touting the manual release’s, resources/tools include:
- Insurance for Mass Timber Construction
- Cost and Design Optimization
- Mass Timber Fire Design
- Acoustic and Vibration Design
- Tall Wood Buildings in the 2021 IBC®
- Calculating Carbon Footprints
- Impact of WoodUse on North American Forests
- Occupant Well-being and Biophilic Design
Per Jennifer Cover, CEO and president of WoodWorks, the manual will exist as a “living document” and be updated annually with “our team’s market-proven solutions for architecture, engineering, and construction management.”
“Mass timber inspires innovation. More and more, developers and designers are turning to mass timber to build everything from multifamily projects and commercial offices to signature public buildings and tall wood towers,” said Ryan Flom, chief marketing officer of the Oregon-headquartered Softwood Lumber Board, which provided funding for the Mass Timber Design Manual. “The market is advancing rapidly, and the Mass Timber Design Manual is designed to keep pace with it, providing timely and comprehensive information to support the design and build pros behind the next wave of mass timber buildings.”