Knock on Wood

How Mass Timber Is Building a Sustainable Future

BY HEATHER HAMILTON-POST

Moscow, Idaho, is known for the magnificent rolling hills of the Palouse and the University of Idaho. U of I, the Gem State’s first and only educational institution for 71 years, continues to prove itself as a quiet pioneer of innovation. Nestled next to the Kibbie Dome, a concrete stadium with a barrel-arched roof, the Idaho Central Credit Union Arena is scheduled to open this fall. Aside from its stunning architecture, mimicking the surrounding hills, the huge structure is remarkable for what is inside–4,000 seats in a building made almost entirely of wood.

Using long-span mass timber, the arena utilizes mostly regional cross-laminated timber, dowel-laminated timber, flulam, plywood, and cedar siding. It is as strong as steel, and requires less energy to build. “Very simply put, we’re replacing concrete construction with wood construction,” says Paul Fast, founder of Fast+Epp. He explains that there are other materials in the infrastructure, but mass timber predominates. And, while the idea of building with wood doesn’t necessarily sound revolutionary, it is.

“Timber is definitely a powerful climate change mitigation strategy because it reduces the emissions from manufacturing of construction materials. It also leads to a substantial amount of carbon stored in buildings and in our future cities,” says Dr. Galina Churkina, Senior Scientist at Potsdam Institute for Climate Research. This premise, she explains, also relies upon our ability to harvest and manage forests in a sustainable way.

In addition to being more sustainable, mass timber proponents note that construction is quieter, without concrete trucks and pumps. Even with current escalating timber costs, wood remains competitive since concrete and steel prices are more subject to supply and demand pricing.

Fast explains that there are approximately ten mass timber projects per state happening right now, a significant increase over previous years. “I like to call it a mass timber wave in North America,” he says.

This wave includes large-scale projects like new Walmart office buildings on the 350-acre complex in Bentonville, Arkansas. Idaho is also pushing forward. Governor Brad Little recently signed H143, requiring the state building code to include 2021 tall mass timber building code provisions by January 1, 2022, setting safety standards and allowing expanded construction use.

Climate change is exacerbating wildfires, which escalates mass timber safety concerns. “However, we’re not talking about building with sticks or stick frame construction,” says Fast. “We’re talking about thick pieces of wood that behave much differently in a fire.” Other barriers to mass timber construction include outdated building codes and a general market and architect reluctance to employ techniques not yet accepted in the general marketplace.

Yet people are coming around, explains Lucus Epp, head of engineering at StructureCraft, the company managing the fabrication of the ICCU Arena. “There are at least four different kinds of engineered wood product manufacturers, including two Idaho glue manufacturers involved in the project. It’s really cool to start seeing manufacturers come together and produce the wood and material for these larger-scale products,” he says.

On the horizon, Americans can expect to see increasingly unique projects utilizing mass timber construction, especially given the housing shortage. But why wait? Take a road trip to Moscow and watch a U of I game under a roof of local innovation.