Tours

Portland building tour stops announced late summer, early fall 2021.

Mass Timber Technical Academy: Cutting Edge Research in Action

Join TallWood Design Institute (TDI) at their new, state-of-the-art A.A. “Red” Emmerson Advanced Wood Products Laboratory at Oregon State University to learn more about—and see firsthand—cutting edge mass timber research and workforce development. Participants will rotate through eight stations hosted by research personnel and industry partners focusing on mass timber research and fabrication/construction techniques. These stations will include:

• Fire Engineering
  Characterizing the fire performance of different mass timber systems and developing the science behind timber fire engineering practice are critical to the future of tall wood design and construction. An expert in the field, Dr. Erica Fischer of Oregon State University will showcase and discuss fire testing and fire engineering efforts, looking at various mass timber floor assemblies and connections.
• Structural Testing
  Structural and seismic research are critical to the development of engineering design values and working models for structural systems at the material, connection and full-system scales. Join TDI’s Structural Testing Coordinator, Byrne Miyamoto, to learn about our structural and seismic research program and facilities, and to see a live demonstration of a bending test.
• Computer Numerical Control (CNC) Fabrication
  Come see our Biesse Uniteam UT 9 beam and panel processing center in action, and learn about how new computer aided design and manufacturing technologies (CAD/CAM) are revolutionizing conventional design and construction practices in the mass timber arena.
• Robotic Fabrication
  Meet E.A.R.L., the Eight Axis Robotic Lumberjack. Industrial robots, such as E.A.R.L, are used in many manufacturing and fabrication applications that require repetitive, highly accurate and precise movements and manipulations. E.A.R.L’s capabilities, such as timber milling, will be demonstrated and discussed by TDI’s Technical Manager, Jörn Dettmer.
• Mass Timber Install Demo
  Part of the appeal of mass timber construction and all of that up-front work of synchronizing design, fabrication and construction teams, is the promise of rapid installation and efficient trade coordination. Station five will showcase a few mass timber connectors and connection systems and will demonstrate a live install with our overhead crane.
• Ponderosa Pine CLT: Performance, Standards and Modular Design
  Ponderosa pine has historically dominated the landscape of the east Cascades, Klamath, and Blue Mountains. These ecoregions face new management challenges as a result of climate change and a history of fire suppression, resulting in denser stands and higher fuel loads under increasing drought conditions. Dr. Mariapaola Riggio and Dr. Lech Muszynski will showcase and discuss research efforts focused on utilizing ponderosa pine for CLT and validating its performance, from the PRG320 standard through modular construction design applications.
• Acoustics
  While wood is a great material for resonating tones in musical instruments, it comes with its own challenges when designing for acoustic separation in multifamily homes, hospitals, and other building types that require peace and quiet. Join Dr. Mark Fretz of the University of Oregon’s Institute for Health in the Built Environment (IHBE) to learn about acoustics in timber structures, and to see a live demo of acoustic testing devices used to assess mass timber structures acoustic performance.

The Emmerson Lab’s 12,500 square-feet of structural testing space and 2,500 square-feet of advanced wood products manufacturing area immediately captures the eye with its massive reaction wall and strong floor system, and its use of cross laminated timber from D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations and the first ever structural use of mass plywood panels (MPP) from Freres Lumber. The strong wall/floor is one of the largest in the nation dedicated to timber engineering (60-by-80 foot strong floor area with a 25 foot tall reaction wall system) and enables testing of up to 3-story structures.