Mass Timber Construction Podcast

KATERRA has an ambitious goal to transform the way we build. KATERRA's mass timber facility is a significant part of the transformation, yet over the last few years a transformation has occurred. Now KATERRA enters a new phase of working with industry in a different way and standing with partners to support a true collaboration and assist others to drive a better way to build. 

In this episode I speak with Sarah Smith who has the fantastic job of making mass timber mainstream across the US. We  talk about 'plugging into the supply chain' and how the mass timber transformation is as much about progressive R&D as it is about finding and developing new markets. Sarah speaks about a number of projects and provides some important updates about the advances in KATERRA's evolution. 

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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Happy International Day of Forests, yes March 21st is the UN proclaimed International Day of Forests. The International Mass Timber Conference is just around the corner and it's time to get your tickets. The American Trucking Association is to lease Washington DC's first mass timber building. Google announce $1b commitment to the first mass timber projects at Sunnyvale, citing that the restart of construction in a post-COVID world as one of the primary drivers. We talk about an update on the worlds largest hybrid timber building proposed and we take a brief look at whats coming up this week. 

Enjoy International Day of Forests, and enjoy the latests episode! Until, next time have a great week. 

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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In this episode I talk with Amy Heilig from Dlubal. For more than 30 years, the German-Czech company Dlubal Software has developed engineering programs for FEA, structural analysis, and design. More than 10,000 companies and 86,000 satisfied users in 95 countries use the Dlubal Software programs every day. 

We talk about the progression of mass timber within the RFEM software and get a real sense of the role BIM plays in integration between file types, the advances in codes and how to construct your own CLT panels, or use the preloaded supplier information for structural design and analysis. In introduce a new module for wind Simulation called RWIND. The simulation software is a program for CFD simulation of wind flow around buildings or any other objects (digital wind tunnel) and generating wind loads, i.e. forces acting on these objects. The program can be used as a stand-alone application or as a complement to RFEM and RSTAB programs for static and dynamic analysis.

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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In this weeks update, Russia opens its first CLT plant to produce 50,000m3 p.a., whilst Stora Enso Wood Products has launched its new digital hub: the Wood House Effect. New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) announces that Professor Robert Hairstans has joined as Founding Director of its Centre for Advanced Timber Technology (CATT). Michael Green Architecture has just completed two buildings for the College of Forestry at Oregon State University; the new George W. Peavy Forest Science Center (Peavy Hall) and the A.A. "Red" Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory. The construction of the 'Impulso Verde' building  in Lugo that is characterized for its high energy efficiency the first bioclimatic and eco-sustainable neighborhood in Spain. David Barber from Arup in conjunction with CERIB and Imperial College have just completed the first in a series of large compartment fire tests. That's a wrap for this week!

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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Insurance is such an important part of any construction project; from building phase through to completion insurance provides a level of comfort in the protection of an asset. In this episode we talk with Marcus Saunders and Jake Concannon  from Gallagher a global insurance broker who are creating awareness and education about mass timber through the insurance sector.  Gallagher is a full-service insurance broker and risk management advisor working together with businesses of all shapes and sizes. The keys to the approach are, understanding  testing and performance of systems, early engagement in the design phase to support understanding of the building process which allows for the calibration of premiums and to mitigate prejudice. 

We discuss insurance as a passports for buildings, and look at the recent success that Arthur J. Gallagher insurance has had working with AXA XL and insurance for mass timber in North America.  We explore some of the barriers, and how to overcome them, in particular the approach government and regulators take in assessing mass timber, and explore a registration of buildings around the world to assess the risk of the buildings at a global level to make more informed decisions about premiums.  

We also discuss the formation of  Global 20 (G20) of countries to participate in an international collaboration for insurance and construction as an inter-dependant objective group reviewing the risks in construction and providing authoritative information to insurance providers. Jake talks about his association with Gary Kaplan and the progress on AXA XL insurance project and the release of a market-appropriate  insurance product. Marcus explains his passion for timber and timber construction and what drives his passion for he sector. 

A very important episode of the mass timber construction podcast, please enjoy the conversation with Marcus and Jake, as they seek to support industry and invite you to work with them in transforming the insurance sector in garnering greater acceptance of mass timber as mainstream. 

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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In this weeks Mass Timber Construction news, we look at the recently released report on five compartment fire testing scenarios you can find out more here www.ri.se.  In other news, Tokyo is set to receive a tall mass timber building the construction company Takenaka Corporation have obtained approval to erect a 70-meter-high wooden building in the Japanese capital. The new head office for Vancouver structural engineering firm, Fast + Epp, is being recognised by the Canadian Wood Council for its innovation and ingenuity in wood design and building. Andrew Lawrence to speak at TimberCon, a virtual event on March 18th and 19th. KLH UK’s new website launched earlier this week. The site is mobile device friendly and is full of info about our KLH CLT and associated projects. Check out the website at www.klhuk.com

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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They are one of the largest timber processing equipment providers in the world,  and Sam Rowe talks with me about the future of Hundegger equipment and series of 'Industry' machines. We also discuss the future of digital fabrication and the way Hundegger are positioning themselves to play a bigger role in the sense of 'digital fabrication'. Sam also provides some grapevine news outlining some important news, he told me not to tell you so have a listen and hear what he had to say. 

Please enjoy my conversation with a true gentlemen of the industry, Sam Rowe. 

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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Rotho Blaas' Build the [Im]Possible  competition is in full swing with over 40 entries from many countries across the world. Good luck to the project teams and we look forward to hearing more about the progression of the competition over time. Microsoft and Skanska have developed a new tool aiming to fix the C02 problem, and it’s already helping companies like Microsoft and construction giant Skanska to make huge reductions in the embodied carbon of new building projects. BIG have launched the Toyota 'Woven City' the worlds first incubator city using mass timber.  PEFC launched an event "Tomorrow's Timber" tree.es/timbertalkreg to register. Think Wood have released responses to a US-based survey and indicates a continuance of the issues from 2020 into the next year. Have a great week. 

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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Antony Wood has been Executive Director of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat since 2006, responsible for the day-to-day running of the Council and steering in conjunction with the Board of Trustees, of which he is an ex-officio member. Based at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Antony is also a Research Professor in the College of Architecture at IIT, and a visiting professor of tall buildings at Tongji University Shanghai.  A UK architect by training, his field of speciality is the design, and in particular the sustainable design, of tall buildings. 

We talk to Antony about the way tall timber buildings are transforming the urban habitat, and how a very large research project is encouraging the uptake of mass timber construction. Antony also shares his vision for what a mass timber city might look like and how you can contribute to the significant body of work being undertaken. Enjoy the conversation!

Contact: [email protected]  
Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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Vestas are using timber to build wind turbines, claiming that compared to more traditional forms of construction using concrete and steel, timber is a more sustainable product. In Holland, the Dutch Mountains is a new project featuring a "U-shaped" twin tower system that forms a unique structure in the Dutch skyline. The "Off-site Wood" app for Autodesk has been launched.  Rotho Blaas have a new platform called "My Project" with a 'Thermal Module' to support the design of buildings, to mitigate risk of mould and condensation.  In Sweden we hear about the municipal and arts building, the timber project includes a not only a brilliant looking design, however a function and future proofing building. DIALOG super tower "the beacon of hope" at 105 storeys the HTT (Hybrid Timber Tower) aims to lead the world in building with timber.  We continue our hunt for Bill Gates to get him to come on the podcast. 

Production by Deeelicious Beats 
Music "Game Play" by Quality Quest
Podcast is a Mass Timber Construction Journal Production 
www.masstimberconstruction.com 

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