WoodWorks and Think Wood Publish New Mass Timber Design Manual

Per recent information from The Softwood Lumber Board (SLB), WoodWorks-Wood Products Council and Think Wood have released their first Mass Timber Design Manual. The 80-page publication is a free interactive resource offering a comprehensive collection of the most up-to-date information on topics from mass timber products and design best practices to taller wood construction and sustainability.

Mass timber is a new category of wood product that can transform how America builds, supporting a low carbon future for the built environment. It is increasingly a must-know for architects, engineers, and construction industry professionals.

"Mass timber inspires innovation. More and more, developers and designers are turning to mass timber to build everything from multifamily projects and commercial offices to signature public buildings and tall wood towers," said Ryan Flom, chief marketing officer of the Softwood Lumber Board. "The market is advancing rapidly, and the Mass Timber Design Manual is designed to keep pace with it, providing timely and comprehensive information to support the design and build pros behind the next wave of mass timber buildings."

The Mass Timber Design Manual includes WoodWorks technical papers, Think Wood continuing education articles, project case studies, expert Q&As, technical guides and other helpful tools, including:

• Insurance for Mass Timber Construction
• Cost and Design Optimization
• Mass Timber Fire Design
• Acoustic and Vibration Design
• Tall Wood Buildings in the 2021 IBC®
• Calculating Carbon Footprints
• Impact of Wood Use on North American Forests
• Occupant Well-being and Biophilic Design

Users can view each individual resource or download the master folder for all files in one handy location.

"With the structural, aesthetic and low carbon advantages of building with mass timber, understanding its design and construction is quickly becoming essential knowledge for building professionals," said WoodWorks President and CEO, Jennifer Cover. "WoodWorks is aware of 462 mass timber buildings that are complete or under construction across the U.S., and we've provided technical support on 303 of them, at no cost to the project teams. We're also supporting nearly 600 that are in design. As a living document, this manual will be updated annually with our team's market-proven solutions for architecture, engineering, and construction management."

The new Mass Timber Design Manual can be downloaded here.