January 31, 2023
Recent advances in wood technology have introduced a new generation of mass timber products that are strong, durable, and inherently fire-resistant. These engineered wood systems — including glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) — continue to attract architects, builders, and industry partners across North America.
The appeal is straightforward: mass timber combines structural performance with efficiency, sustainability, and architectural warmth — making it well suited for commercial, institutional, and residential construction.
Wood’s natural flexibility and toughness make it a resilient building material, capable of delivering centuries of service life. Timber can absorb and release moisture from the air and is resistant to many of the conditions and chemicals that degrade steel and concrete. When paired with thoughtful design and routine maintenance, mass timber buildings can perform exceptionally well over time.
Fire performance is often misunderstood. A 2019 study published in Wood and Fiber Science showed that a CLT structure withstood more than 90 minutes of fire exposure before losing structural integrity. In contrast, a conventional single-storey light wood-frame building collapsed after just 17 minutes.
This performance comes from how mass timber behaves in a fire. When exposed to flames, the surface forms a predictable char layer. That char insulates and protects the structural core, slowing combustion and maintaining load-bearing capacity. This characteristic provides valuable additional time for occupant evacuation and emergency response.
Mass timber also performs exceptionally well in seismic conditions. In 2007, a team of Japanese and Italian researchers tested a seven-storey CLT building on a shake table. The structure successfully withstood seismic forces equivalent to the 1995 Kobe earthquake.
Because mass timber elements are lightweight, flexible, and strong, they experience lower inertial forces during earthquakes compared to similarly sized steel or concrete structures — a major advantage in seismic regions.
When planning your next project, material durability and resilience matter. Choosing mass timber adds strength, safety, and long-term reliability. At the same time, wood’s natural character contributes warmth and visual comfort that few materials can match.
Cornerstone Timberframes designs and fabricates mass timber structures built to perform — and to last for generations.
Interested in using mass timber for your next project? Contact Cornerstone Timberframes by phone at 204-377-5000 or email info@cstf.ca.
Photo by Nordic Structures.
