A new facility dedicated to researching and testing mass timber in commercial buildings is now open at Oregon State University. Designed by Michael Green Architects, who are renowned for mass timber building, the 17,500 square foot “Red” Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory is part of the new Oregon Forest Science Complex. The grand opening featured live demonstrations of state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment, such as a milling robot used to carve mass timber beams and panels.
Made itself from mass timber panels and large span timber structural elements, the laboratory is part of a current trend towards mass timber construction, in large part due to its green credentials. Figures provided by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute for example show wood construction produces 26% less greenhouse gases to make CLT compared to steel, and 50% less than making concrete. And Oregon State itself has recently adopted new building codes to allow for wood-framed buildings up to 18 stories in height.
The lab will serve as the new headquarters for the TallWood Design Institute, a partnership between the OSU’s College of Forestry, College of Engineering and the University of Oregon’s College of Design. It will accommodate 20 to 30 professors studying the physical building, fire performance and environmental impact of timber products.
According to the TallWood Institute, the laboratory houses two distinct technical functions:
• A structural testing bay, complete with a 25' tall, 4' thick reaction wall capable of testing structures up to three stories high, and a 60' X 80' strong floor (one of the largest strong wall/floor systems related to wood and timber research in the U.S.)
• An advanced wood products manufacturing bay, curently being outfitted with state-of-the-art fabrication equipment, including a CLT press, a 5-axis CNC, and a high-accuracy robot mounted on a linear track system. The CNC panel processing center will be capable of working with large panels, straight beams and curved beams.
These functions allow the laboratory to pursue the development and prototyping of new products and building systems and serve as a hand-on space for the development of digital design and advanced fabrication skills that are so critical for the new generation of designers and builders.
