The term “MMC” may be heard more and more regularly these days, but what does it mean? Simply described, modern methods of construction centers around off-site construction practices, some of which may be innovative, allowing for mass production in a factory setting. As a...

Trusses of the future will be flat, or nearly flat, based on The New American Homes (TNAH) that have been shown annually at the International Builders Show (IBS). Though the elegant designs of these homes may seem atypical, they have to abide by the same factors that affect every house being...

The best news for 2022 will be on the job front, and I plan on keeping mine, working these pages. Please stayed tuned as we uncover much more about our unique niche in the off-site construction industry, including developments on the following, evolving topics: Robotics: How will the two...

Over the last decade — in outlets reaching from construction industry journals to the Boston Globe and the Economist; from CNN and Fast Company to Popular Mechanics; to Nautilus and TED talks — we’ve been hearing increasingly about mass timber and related phenomena:...

Do CMs have a role in Cross Laminated Timber Structures? I returned to the Apex Plaza (described on these pages in April 2021, The Last Word on CLT – Cross Laminated Timber) to find out. On my prior trip, I marveled at the beauty of the fully exposed beams, columns, and CLT floor panels....

I-joists dominate the joist market due to their high material efficiency and low manufacturing cost. However, this product has disadvantages, including difficulty in HVAC installations and the possibility of bottom chord support only. Therefore, the market would pay a considerable premium for a...

In December 2019, Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation, the leading mass timber manufacturer in North America, announced the expansion of its operations into the United States, with a plant in Conway, Arkansas, set to open in mid-2021. The Canadian-based company, in which Walmart has made an...

The building construction industry faces several challenges created by traditional building methods. One of the bigger challenges is that each trade is largely siloed from the other trades on a project, which can lead to schedule conflicts and communication gaps. MiTek sees the Design, Make,...

As climate patterns continue to shift, an increasing number of communities around the globe are not only experiencing extreme weather events with increased frequency, duration, and intensity, but also some are experiencing these hazards for the first time in their histories. As a first line of...

The more I read and learn about 3D printing and its potential utilization, the more amazed I am with human ingenuity. The fact that we can create something virtually, combine it with raw materials and create anything we want from it is simply fascinating. It got me thinking about what this could...