Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Commerce awarded a $41 million grant to the Oregon Mass Timber Coalition to spur the development of mass timber for use on affordable housing projects in the state. The federal dollars will also fund research into the acoustic and fire-resilience properties of mass timber at the University of Oregon and Oregon State University, which, along with the Port of Portland and several state agencies, are part of the coalition.

Mass timber refers to wood products that are stacked on top of each other and pressed together to form panels or beams for use on large industrial and commercial buildings. The Portland International Airport’s renovated main terminal features a nine-acre-long roof made of cross-laminated mass timber beams and panels. Mass timber is gaining in popularity in the construction industry because it is seen as being a more sustainable material than steel or concrete and can be engineered to be just as strong. But questions remain about the cost of mass timber, its long term sustainability and applications in different environments. Joining us now is George Berghorn, an assistant professor of construction management at Michigan State University, and the research director for Mass Timber@MSU.