Is The Wood In Mass Timber Projects Pressure Treated?

Is the Wood in Mass Timber Projects Pressure Treated?

Nov 18, 2020Mass Timber, Mass Timber Projects0 comments

The short answer to the question in the title is no. The wood used in mass timber projects is not pressure treated. In this blog article, we will talk about what pressure-treated wood is and why it is not used in mass timber projects.

Wood has been a valuable building material for thousands of years, but in some situations, it is prone to decay. Historically, this has limited its use in various applications. Places that are prone to moisture, that encourage the growth of fungi or bacteria are challenging for wood products. To battle the limitations of natural wood, pressure-treated lumber was discovered.

What is pressure-treated wood?

The pressure treatment of wood is a type of preservative process. In simple terms, different chemical compounds that will help wood resist fungal growth, insect infestation, and overall decay are applied to wood products inside a vessel under pressure. The pressure encourages the wood to absorb the chemicals.

Years ago, arsenic was one of the chemicals used to preserve wood, but that has been abolished because of its toxicity.

Why don’t we use pressure-treated wood in mass timber projects?

The wood used in mass timber projects is engineered wood. That means that the wood has already undergone different processes to make the wood stronger, so the use of pressure-treated wood is not needed. Furthermore, the addition of chemicals during the process of “pressure treatment” would interfere with the processes used to create the engineered wood products.

Engineered wood products used in mass timber construction are cross-laminated timber (CLT), glue-laminated timber (glulam), down-laminated timber (DLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), parallel strand lumber (PSL), and nail laminated timber (NLT).

We will discuss these engineered wood products in greater detail in an upcoming blog article.

Seagate Mass Timber is leading the revolution in “Big Wood” being used in all areas of construction. Seagate has offices in British Columbia, Canada and the US in Washington state.

If you have any questions about this article or would like to talk to us about your construction project, please call us at (604) 529-7685.

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MATT ARSENAULT

GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT

Matt brings over 20 years of experience in the construction industry running complex Commercial, Civil, and Residential projects on site. Matt started in the field as a carpenter and grew into the role of General Superintendent. He is responsible for the complete over sight of all on-site construction activities and the construction field teams for the entire project. He establishes strong working relationships with all members of the project team, including client and owner representatives, consultants, and subcontractors to ensure project success from start to finish. Matt’s role encompasses overseeing quality control and quality assurance, on-site safety compliance, deficiency reviews, project scheduling and on-site cost control and efficiency to meet the project goals. ×

RALPH AUSTIN

FOUNDER

Ralph Austin formed Seagate in 2001 when prefabricated framing was just in the experimental stages in Canada. Seagate quickly adopted it on every project and has since become the leader in install. Ralph is now a globally-sought-after speaker and consultant in the industry. Ralph’s career has spanned more than 40 years in construction. Starting as a framer, he quickly became interested in estimation and project management, before leading the construction of the world’s tallest hybrid wood structure. ×

JESSE WILLS

GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT

Jesse is an accomplished construction leader with a proven track record for providing reliable technical expertise. He is driven to develop and implement strategies which improve performance and efficiency, finding smart solutions for difficult tasks within Seagate and across our projects. Working his way up through roles as a Carpenter and Lead Hand to Superintendent and Construction Manager, Jesse has excelled working in complicated construction environments. His work history involves extensive experience in transportation, luxury resort facilities, and residential projects. He takes pride in being a reliable leader who focusses on continuous growth for himself and his team. ×

Andrew Chen

CHIEF ESTIMATOR

Andrew Chen joined the Seagate team in 2020 as an Estimator. His responsibilities include quantity takeoffs, writing proposals for budgets, tenders, and design assist for mass timber and light framing projects of any size. Andrew has a solid understanding of architectural and structural design and is proficient in both manual and AutoCAD drafting. Andrew’s professionalism and industriousness, combined with excellent technical abilities, make him an indispensable addition to the Seagate team. × [email protected]

SCOTT COMFORT

PRESIDENT

Scott brings 30 years of working experience in construction and a strong mix of both industry and formal education to Seagate. Having worked for large general contractors in increasingly senior roles and independently as a business owner, Scott is uniquely positioned to help guide Seagate in a construction industry poised for the growth of mass timber. Scott strongly believes in servant-minded leadership, building relationships, and helping our personnel constantly develop their capabilities and careers. Scott's responsibilities encompass all aspects of Seagate mass timber operations, including the growth of a strong company culture and identity, the promotion of a safe, inclusive, and healthy work environment for all of our workers, mentoring and professional growth across all levels of the company, business development, quality standards, and managing our internal processes as they relate to advances in technology and systems within the mass timber field. × Share This

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