A Moment for Mass Timber

Gathering to discuss mass timber innovation in our ecosystem is equally rewarding and inspiring. Read on to learn more about the Coalition's impact from the conference and beyond.

*Spectators interact with the* *OSU SMART Forestry Robot* *as it roams the exhibit hall at the International Mass Timber Conference in Portland. Photo Credit: International Mass Timber Conference*

Kyle Sullivan-Astor, ODF Federal Forest Restoration Program Lead, addresses the International Mass Timber Conference Forestry Tour. The partnership between ODF and the Willamette National Forest advances forest restoration and increases raw material supply.

What's New in Mass Timber?

Port of Portland Hosts IMTC Tour of Terminal 2

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The Port of Portland hosted over 60 mass timber innovators for a tour of Terminal 2, the new mass timber manufacturing hub, and the 9-acre mass timber roof at the Portland Airport. In between tours, participants gathered at Port Headquarters to discuss the mass timber ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest with key players, including OMTC, local manufacturers, and tribal and government partners.When completed, the Terminal 2 space will directly support the community by creating family-wage jobs, workforce development, and the creation of affordable housing. The Port recently received $4 million from Congress to support the construction of the Terminal 2 campus. These funds specifically target projects that will aid in creating affordable housing across the state of Oregon. At the airport, the new main terminal features a mass timber roof sourced from trees within 300 miles. The new portion of the airport will be open for public use in August of this year.

‍New Resource for Local Jurisdictions to Accommodate Prefabricated Housing

The Department of Land Conservation and Development, has released a new resource for local governments seeking to modernize local code to support the use of prefabricated, modular, and manufactured housing types. The Prefabricated and Modular Housing Model Code and Audit Workbook includes resources to assist local governments in updating their development codes to achieve compliance with HB 4064 and facilitate development of prefabricated and modular housing.

The model code includes an Audit Workbook to help local government staff evaluate code-based local regulatory barriers to prefabricated/modular housing.

It also provides model code language that can be adopted into local codes to resolve these issues. The resource also addresses statutory framework requirements and identifies opportunities to utilize prefabricated housing through accessory dwelling units and cottage clusters.

For more information, visit here.

TallWood Research Demo Area at IMTC

*Director of TallWood Design Institute Iain Macdonald chats with Oregon Representative Suzanne Bonamici. Photo Credit: International Mass Timber Conference*

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A major highlight of the International Mass Timber Conference was the Research Demo area, hosted by the TallWood Design Institute. The Research Demo offered a live and in-person look at the mass timber research at TDI.

UO students unveiled a pavilion featuring their Waste Utilization Panel research. The structure was created from Freres MPP offcuts, glued together, and machined into the pavilion. UO also unveiled a prototype of the MPP house, which will be constructed at the TDI lab this summer. Participants looked at mass timber acoustics testing, curved wood design, and mass timber furniture design.

OSU students showcased exciting seismic research from a season of shake-table testing in San Diego. Additionally, the SMART Forestry team at OSU walked participants through their harvest simulator technology and modeled their robot and exoskeletons. Demonstrations also featured a CNC robot and live CLT shear block testing.

OMTC is powered by the applied research and innovation developed in Oregon's public universities. TDI's research demonstrations underscore the importance of industry-driven partnerships to help address our region's biggest challenges.

Mass Timber Rising Trailer

Click above to view the trailer for our video, Mass Timber Rising. The final version will tell the mass timber story and mission to grow the ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest. More to come soon!