StructureCraft

Version 2.0 of the Nail-Laminated Timber Canadian Design and Construction Guide is now available!   The updated guide, originally published in 2017, continues to support excellence in nail-laminated timber (NLT) design and construction across Canada.   What’s new in version 2.0: -Building codes: Incorporating the latest revisions to the National Building Code of Canada (NBC). -Best practices: Including evolved techniques and knowledge. -Market feedback: Addressing insights and suggestions from industry professionals. -Tall timber construction provisions: Adding new guidelines for high-rise timber structures, known as Encapsulated Mass Timber Construction (EMTC). -Design and manufacturing standards: Updating to reflect the latest industry standards according to CSA O125 and CSA O86. -Guidance for NLT in walls: Providing more detailed recommendations for wall applications.   Co-edited by Rebecca Holt, M.Urb at hcma and Carla Dickof at Fast + Epp, with contributions from over 10 expert practitioners committed to advancing mass timber construction, this guide offers practical strategies and advice for the safe, efficient, and cost-effective use of NLT in roofs, floors, and walls. It supplements traditional wood design and construction practices with real-world examples and current industry insights.   Get your free copy: https://lnkd.in/gS_3kGnf Forestry Innovation Investment Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) Co-Editors: Rebecca Holt, M.Urb, hcma Carla Dickof, Fast + Epp Contributors: hcma Fast + Epp StructureCraft F3 Timber Technologies RDH Building Science GHL Consultants Ltd RWDI Naikoon The University of British Columbia Department of Wood Science Featured: Perkins&Will FPInnovations Canadian Wood Council Diamond Schmitt Leckie Studio Architecture + Design Inc. Bohlin Cywinski Jackson HDR Proscenium Architecture + Interiors Inc. PUBLIC Architecture Lubor Trubka Associates Architects Faction Projects Inc. James KM Cheng Architects  

📣 Our latest research has just been published with open access in Engineering Structures! Our paper titled "Experimental and numerical investigation of the cyclic behaviour of coupled balloon-type CLT shear walls with high-capacity base connections" is now available. The article can be accessed here on ScienceDirect: https://lnkd.in/gZQGVzFp This paper explores the potential of coupled balloon-type cross-laminated timber (CLT) shear walls as a high-capacity alternative to platform CLT shear walls. Through both experimental testing and numerical modeling, we demonstrated that these innovative wall systems could achieve significantly higher lateral strength and initial stiffness compared to platform CLT shear walls in the literature. We also developed and validated a finite element model in CLTWALL2D, which was used to conduct a parametric study of balloon-type CLT shear walls up to twelve storeys in height. A big thank you to my co-author Ben Moerman who did all the experimental testing work for this study, and of course to Minghao Li and Frank Lam for their expert supervision. I hope you find this research insightful and look forward to hearing your thoughts! UBC Faculty of Forestry StructureCraft #timber #masstimber #clt #shearwalls

World’s first timber-concrete composite #CLT stair with unsupported 21.3m (70ft) clearspan Made possible using parametric optimization, footfall analysis, and testing iterations that resulted in an optimal lamination thickness and bending radius. 🌎 @kfaero Centre for Excellence 📐 @structurecraft_ #masstimber #hybridtimber

Our timber-concrete composite CLT stair will be presented at IASS 2024 in Zurich, hosted at ETH Zurich August 26-30. Mark Skepasts will tell the story of how this world-first structural concept came to be, including initial scheme exploration, parametric optimization, footfall analysis, testing, and fabrication/installation constraints. The stair featured several unique conditions, such as an unsupported 21.3m (70ft) clearspan requiring a high degree of stiffness (only possible with a composite solution) and the testing iterations that resulted in an optimal lamination thickness and bending radius. See our in-progress photos below, and make sure to attend Mark's presentation on August 28th at 9:30am as part of IASS 2024!

Mark Porter will speak on "Incorporating timber into your structure – how to ensure success" alongside colleagues from Whitby Wood and Elliott Wood - register here: https://lnkd.in/gUmrQVxS

Twenty-six unique glulam frames span up to 70ft across the Fraser Mills Presentation Centre, forming a sweeping, dramatic roof surface. In highly collaborative workshops involving Beedie and Patkau Architects, StructureCraft spearheaded the creation of the structural vision for the project, while ensuring adherence to the overall budget. Our engineers proposed design solutions that aligned with the architect's design intent, the strict functionality requirements of a presentation centre, and a tight budget, presenting a creative challenge under a rapid design and construction schedule. The preconstruction team at StructureCraft was deeply involved from the beginning, offering real-time costing feedback on the various structural and architectural options considered throughout the design process. We also provided constructability input to ensure the mass timber superstructure was designed for manufacture and assembly, and seamlessly integrated with the concrete foundations. This integration was particularly challenging due to the high hold-down loads, a result of the unique use of cantilevered Glulam columns that provided lateral stability for the structure. #StructuralEngineering #Coquitlam #TimberDesign #MassTimber #Freeform

The new Central Service Center replacement in Washington County, Minnesota is strategically designed to support the growing needs of the Woodbury area, enhancing the delivery of county services with a focus on sustainability, accessibility, and community engagement. The $30M facility's design includes enhanced wayfinding and accessibility features, as well as close proximity to major transit hubs. The 31,000 sqft Center, designed by Alliiance, features an open, sustainable design that utilizes mass timber throughout. Glulam framing supports Dowel-Laminated Timber floor and roof panels, with beams spanning up to 54 feet over the central double-height atrium space. The use of mass timber not only supports Washington County, Minnesota’s sustainability goals but also reduces the need for additional interior finishes. StructureCraft is honored to deliver this project in partnership with Kraus-Anderson and Alliiance. Our scope includes engineering, supply and installation of the complete mass timber superstructure. #MassTimber #TimberDesign #CommunityDesign

Marine Gateway in Vancouver has reinvented the concept of transit-oriented development (TOD) to one that’s transit-integrated. While typical TODs are located around or near a central transit hub, Marine Gateway—North America’s first project of this scale—sets a new standard for building livable, mixed-use spaces by embedding the transit hub into the design of the community. The project’s success hinged on leveraging a planned stop on Metro Vancouver’s new Canada Line LRT system. For over a decade, we worked closely with PCI Developments, the City of Vancouver, TransLink, and local residents to unlock the site's transformational potential. Today, Marine Gateway exemplifies a carefully considered mix of uses, a high-quality public realm, and deep integration of multi-modal transportation options, making it not only the heart of a new community but also a global showcase of integrated urban planning and a model for future developments. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eF-JxGxw

Our 619 Ponce mass timber project is wrapping up in Atlanta, and Director Ryan Lobello, AIA CPHD recently joined the Mass Timber Group Summit to talk timber. These projects have the potential to greatly reduce the carbon footprint of the building industry, and we are excited to see how the technology develops. Thank you to Mass Timber Group and ULI Colorado for hosting, and to Leif Johnson of StructureCraft for co-presenting! Read more about 619 Ponce here: https://lnkd.in/e92FbFzN

A timber-concrete composite spiral stair spanning 70' between two floors of an airplane-shaped museum. For KF Aerospace's Centre for Excellence, our structural engineers proposed a unique design concept: could we connect the two levels of a museum space with a free-standing spiral CLT stair. This posed significant structural challenges; the spiral shape requires the CLT to both bend and warp, and creates forces in a combination of strong- and weak- axis bending as well as torsion. The structure is comprised of doubly curved CLT with a concrete topping throughout the full spiral. Addition of the concrete provides the required mass to control vibrations in the 70ft long free span. Creating composite action between the concrete and the CLT significantly increases the overall stiffness of the stair, removing the requirement for any support columns and maintaining a highly aesthetic structure that serves as a welcoming showcase for the Centre. #StructuralEngineering #ComputationalDesign #TimberDesign Photos: Shawn Talbot