30 Years ago I was mucking about in a barn generally puzzled by a straw bale assembly being tested when I got a visit from Robert Platz Scanada consulting and he had brought a senior gentleman up from CMHC. CMHC had provided us the funding and everyone was happy, except me. This was all turning out to be much harder than I anticipated. The visitor engaged me with compliments and small talk and it was much like many other PR encounters until the conversation switched to
CLT‘s, an industry which he had helped create. It turns out that making CLT is very very wasteful and he thought that the work we were doing with waste fibres was a potentially good solution to their problems.
I thought about it for about three seconds and flatly refused. Bob was stunned. By all accounts that was about the most stupid professional decision I have ever made.
Except it wasn’t. Carbon is more than just wood and a resource that we can do whatever we want with. For the record It’s not about CLT or even straw bales...it’s about forestry on steroids where ancient 1000 years old forests got destroyed IN ONE HUMAN LIFETIME ! We are not the only special ones to consider and as far as anyone knows, our planet is our only known home and it is a mosaic of life beyond our comprehension. Yea we can, but if wisdom is a good guide then maybe...
mass timber AND I joists? Either, including studs, could hold up the house.
- is the CLT being used for its interior finish effects (beware fashion trends)
- is the wood in the CLT of too poor quality to use as double stud wall , truss wall. 2x4 advanced framing all of which is ample strong enough for modular or panelized construction.
- could the CLT be made from wood more flawed than is usable as studs
- speak more about the economics of selective logging. the Ministry of Forests seems intent on industrial logging to: allow current loggers to pay off their feller-butchers, feed mega mills, the highway standard logging access roads, burning of fibre left behind etc.
- beware the arguments for expansion of logging. How will non industrial logging be
- the CLT and other finishes, insulation etc. would need to be reconstructible and modularized for reuse
I do support the exploration of lower grade, lighter CLT for, as you have often proposed, for select structural applications.
I am often too enthusiastic! Life is too short to be cynical about everything. And they are cleaning up the forest and using wood that is too small to make decent 2x4s or 6s.
I would love for that to work. Still the timber would likely need to go to a supermill to be competitively cut. These mills are advanced with computer scanning and cuts to maximize cuts while still barely meeting structural and grading parameters. So dimension lumber is cut to just meet parameters with the huge increase in wanes, splits, knots and soon to be crooked studs. The lumber needs tobe “true” with parallel and full surfaces to be able to be glued. I do not know if cut wood for clt needs to be to the same structural capacity as large mill lumber.
A clt suitable for interior finish will likely be better than min needed for an uncertified panel
Also the panel plant may need to be co located with an efficient mill. But mills are now making there own certified panels.
Small highly local milling facilities would also produce much lumber too high a grade to “waste” in the panel but little mills might not be able to competitively market or get accredited grading. remember the need to use all good lumber for stick frame.
Another interesting article. One questions I've had about CLT is how can it be recycled? From what I know, the glues make it difficult and there aren't any clear answers from the industry. Are you aware of any solutions out there?
30 Years ago I was mucking about in a barn generally puzzled by a straw bale assembly being tested when I got a visit from Robert Platz Scanada consulting and he had brought a senior gentleman up from CMHC. CMHC had provided us the funding and everyone was happy, except me. This was all turning out to be much harder than I anticipated. The visitor engaged me with compliments and small talk and it was much like many other PR encounters until the conversation switched to
CLT‘s, an industry which he had helped create. It turns out that making CLT is very very wasteful and he thought that the work we were doing with waste fibres was a potentially good solution to their problems.
I thought about it for about three seconds and flatly refused. Bob was stunned. By all accounts that was about the most stupid professional decision I have ever made.
Except it wasn’t. Carbon is more than just wood and a resource that we can do whatever we want with. For the record It’s not about CLT or even straw bales...it’s about forestry on steroids where ancient 1000 years old forests got destroyed IN ONE HUMAN LIFETIME ! We are not the only special ones to consider and as far as anyone knows, our planet is our only known home and it is a mosaic of life beyond our comprehension. Yea we can, but if wisdom is a good guide then maybe...
mass timber AND I joists? Either, including studs, could hold up the house.
- is the CLT being used for its interior finish effects (beware fashion trends)
- is the wood in the CLT of too poor quality to use as double stud wall , truss wall. 2x4 advanced framing all of which is ample strong enough for modular or panelized construction.
- could the CLT be made from wood more flawed than is usable as studs
- speak more about the economics of selective logging. the Ministry of Forests seems intent on industrial logging to: allow current loggers to pay off their feller-butchers, feed mega mills, the highway standard logging access roads, burning of fibre left behind etc.
- beware the arguments for expansion of logging. How will non industrial logging be
- the CLT and other finishes, insulation etc. would need to be reconstructible and modularized for reuse
I do support the exploration of lower grade, lighter CLT for, as you have often proposed, for select structural applications.
Peter T
Loyd, have you become too enthusiastic?
I am often too enthusiastic! Life is too short to be cynical about everything. And they are cleaning up the forest and using wood that is too small to make decent 2x4s or 6s.
Omg you replied!
I would love for that to work. Still the timber would likely need to go to a supermill to be competitively cut. These mills are advanced with computer scanning and cuts to maximize cuts while still barely meeting structural and grading parameters. So dimension lumber is cut to just meet parameters with the huge increase in wanes, splits, knots and soon to be crooked studs. The lumber needs tobe “true” with parallel and full surfaces to be able to be glued. I do not know if cut wood for clt needs to be to the same structural capacity as large mill lumber.
A clt suitable for interior finish will likely be better than min needed for an uncertified panel
Also the panel plant may need to be co located with an efficient mill. But mills are now making there own certified panels.
Small highly local milling facilities would also produce much lumber too high a grade to “waste” in the panel but little mills might not be able to competitively market or get accredited grading. remember the need to use all good lumber for stick frame.
But enough from this recently retired architect.
Peter turje. Vancouver.
Another interesting article. One questions I've had about CLT is how can it be recycled? From what I know, the glues make it difficult and there aren't any clear answers from the industry. Are you aware of any solutions out there?