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Wednesday, March 26, 2025
Opening the Market for Department of Defense/Department of State Applications
Oregon Ballroom 204Moderator:
Mass Timber in Secure Government Facilities: Research, Standards, and Applications
This seminar delves into the groundbreaking integration of mass timber into secure government and defense facilities. Participants will examine feasibility studies, advanced simulations, and rigorous physical testing conducted under initiatives by the U.S. Department of State, USDA, and the Army Corps of Engineers.
We’ll explore planned updates to standards like the Unified Facilities Criteria (UFC) that address force protection and progressive collapse requirements and the innovative legal frameworks enabling early contractor involvement in large-scale military projects.
Discover how mass timber meets stringent security standards while promoting sustainability, biophilic design, and a shift in government construction practices.
Topic: Introduction to Mass Timber for Secure Facilities
Whitney Warman, Studio Ma, and Christopher Chung, OBO, will provide an overview of the mass timber feasibility study goals and the motivations behind its inception. This section will emphasize the sustainability aspects that drive the integration of mass timber into government and defense projects.
Topic: Testing and Analysis of Mass Timber in Protective Design
Sharon Gallant, KPFF: Presents findings from FEBR (Forced Entry and Ballistic Resistance) analysis and testing.
Mark Weaver, K&C: Shares insights from blast testing and the results of a capstone mockup designed to demonstrate mass timber’s performance under high-impact scenarios.
Patrick Hopple, LERA: Discusses progressive collapse testing and its implications for enhancing the safety and resilience of mass timber structures.
Topic: Pathways for Implementation
Pete Stynoski, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), will present an overview of the construction bulletin that requires Army design teams to consider mass timber in all vertical construction projects. He will describe efforts to update force protection and progressive collapse guidance in coordination with the Protective Design Center as well as pathways for contractor involvement enabling early collaboration on large-scale military projects.
