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...

While admiring a Mass Timber building rising nearby, I wanted to find out if CMs can benefit from this business. Katerra apparently thinks so, first becoming a CM and later a CLT manufacturer. So far, the supply of CLT is limited – the Katerra plant is 2500 miles from this Virginia jobsite...

Learning from our current landscape and the stress the pandemic has forced on our infrastructure, it has become abundantly clear that society must put a greater emphasis on the task of strengthening our buildings, both residential and commercial, to create safe and structurally strong...

Hurricane season is in full swing, and we’ve had a record number of named storms to date. With each one, Mother Nature has taken the opportunity to remind us of her awesome power and teach us how we can improve our built environment in preparation for the next. One of the lessons...

As former students, we all know the importance of having a study guide. A great study guide pulls together all the pertinent information from various sources to help you focus on the topic at hand. In the world of mass timber construction, complex codes and standards need to be well understood...

Many of us have been spending extra time at home the past few months, bringing new meaning to May as Building Safety Month. This year’s theme was aptly chosen and is “Safer Buildings, Safer Communities, Safer World.” Ensuring that local building codes are up-to-date with the...

Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned professional, there’s always more to learn, especially as construction practices continue to evolve. That’s why our colleagues at Virginia Tech are pleased to be able to offer continuing education each spring. In addition, for many course...

From four stories up, I realized how far wood components have come. I was atop 170,000 sq. ft. of trusses, viewing the Minneapolis Basilica, and couldn’t help thinking back 47 years to my first jobsite visit. [See PDF or View in Full Issue for photos.] Back then, floor trusses were brand...

The City of Denver is the latest in a growing number of cities, states, and municipalities to recognize the possibilities of tall mass timber construction. Following states such as Oregon, Utah, and Washington, the City of Denver voted in late December to adopt the 2019 Denver Building Code,...

The American Wood Council (AWC) is prepared for an active 2020, but first, we look back at the challenges and resulting accomplishments over the course of 2019. Last year was marked by successes in the building codes development process, establishing lines of communications with the fire...