Hybrid building systems, which combine the strength of steel with the low-carbon profile of timber, are fast gaining traction in North America’s mid- and high-rise construction market. Last week, the Canadian Wood Council (CWC) and the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction (CISC) formalised a strategic partnership designed to fast-track the adoption of these innovative solutions coast to coast.
By combining the steel frame with the cost-efficient speed of prefabricated wood, hybrid floors and frames can significantly reduce their embodied carbon footprint compared to conventional methods that use only concrete or steel. Developers and municipalities are drawn to these systems for their ability to deliver taller, more complex buildings that meet rigorous sustainability targets without sacrificing performance or safety. And to turn theory into practice, CWC and CISC have launched a joint Technical Steering Committee, which, backed by pooled funding, will produce code-compliant manuals, host industry workshops, and publish real-world case studies.
“By working together, we aim to provide the industry with the tools it needs to deliver innovative, cost-effective and sustainable building solutions,” said Robert Jonkman, Vice-President of Engineering at the Canadian Wood Council. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to advancing construction practices that tackle today’s affordability and performance challenges head-on,” according to Logan Callele, Director of Engineering at the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction.
Last year, Wood Central revealed that steel-timber hybrid high-rises can (nearly) match traditional steel-and-concrete building systems for price, with Nick Mielstone, Vice President of Projects and Construction for Mercer Mass Timber, pushing to slide CLT floor decks and shear framed into steel-framed buildings. According to Milestone, timber-and-steel hybrid systems are symbiotic: “You can have a steel frame with CLT floors or some CLT shear walls, or you can mix it up with glulam beams and columns with structural steel purely because of the tolerances.”
- To learn why developers are increasingly looking to steel and timber hybrid buildings, click here for Wood Central’s exclusive interview with Nick Milestone, the Vice President of Projects and Construction for Mercer Mass Timber – the United States’ largest supplier of mass timber for buildings – last year.
