One of the US’s largest mass timber manufacturers, Timberlab—currently working on the new Portland International Airport—will open a new 250,000-square-foot cross-laminated timber (CLT) facility to supercharge mass timber adoption and make it “more affordable and widely usable.”
That is according to Timberlab President Chris Evans, who on Friday announced the construction of a new manufacturing plant in Oregon that, at its peak, will produce 100,000 cubic metres of CLT every year.
“Timberlab’s objective is to remove pinch points in the mass timber industry,” Mr Evans said, adding that “over the last four years, we have added two CNC facilities in Portland, Oregon (on the Pacific Coast), and Greenville, South Carolina (on the East Coast), focused on expanding the supply chain for mass timber.”
Over the past ten years, demand for mass timber products across the North American market has grown 40% every year, “with more suppliers entering the market, we anticipate that the cost of mass timber will drop adequately to compete with other building systems.”
“The increase in mass timber demand, coupled with our successes over the last seven years, is driving us to continue to expand the supply chain by adding our new CLT manufacturing facility in Oregon,” Mr Evans added.
The announcement comes after the Biden Administration in October pledged to establish a “Mass Timber Hub” in Portland, Oregon, in its bid “to use advanced material science to develop low-carbon housing solutions.”
Wood Central understands that Timberlab already collaborates with Oregon State University, which administers the Hub, the University of Oregon, and the Tall Wood Design Institute, which will construct the new facility close to the Hub partners, further deepening its partnerships.
“As early adopters of mass timber construction, we swiftly recognized the importance of managing the entire supply chain to ensure timely delivery, exceptional quality, and competitive pricing for our clients,” according to David Callis, CEO of Swinerton, one of the US largest builders, who established Timberlab 3 years ago.
“Our new CLT manufacturing facility and two existing fabrication facilities bring us significantly closer to our vision,” Mr Callis added, with “these facilities and our turnkey in-house design, procurement, and detailing services have positioned Timberlab, Swinerton, and the industry to make significant strides toward a sustainable built environment.”
Oregon is located in one of the world’s most robust timber baskets, with Douglas Fir, one of the dominant species, providing some of the most robust and durable fibres.
Already, the US Army is working with material scientists to develop new “advanced cross-laminated timber” technology using regional species to scale up mass timber use in housing projects, counterterrorism and force protection projects.
In 2022, the US Government backed an initiative to see the Port of Portland convert Terminal 2 of the under-construction Portland International Airport into a manufacturing hub for mass timber construction.
“We will be able to put more manufactured housing—up to 2,000 houses per year—into the market,” said Keith Leavitt, the Port of Portland’s Chief Trade and Equitable Development Officer at the time, adding that a private operator could sell mass timber pre-fabricated homes specifically for low and middle-income Americans.
