Recipient Point of Contact: Stefan Schneider
United States
Summary
CutMyTimber, a wood and mass timber fabricator since 2010, is seeking funding to research and develop a Modular Mass Timber Skeleton (MMTS) system with accompanying software. Mass timber includes innovative and structurally engineered wood products such as glue-laminated beams (GLB) and cross-laminated timber (CLT). Glulam beams consist of layers of dimensional lumber, bonded together with moisture-resistant adhesives. Pound for pound, this product is stronger than steel. Despite growing interest among builders and investors, developing a mass timber building currently involves too much time and uncertainty due to lack of knowledge and experience. Our team will draw from two decades worth of experience in successful mass timber projects to develop a system of standard and engineered connections that will be made available to the industry.
The project goals are to:
(1) research and optimize a standard, yet modular, skeleton system of glulam and connection hardware based on potential load scenarios, number of levels in the structure, grid distances, etc.
(2) produce an available design guide detailing standardized, engineered solutions
(3) review and obtain structural approval of all standard connection types by partnering with engineers and fire safety and code compliance experts
(4) develop and release the MMTS system in an intuitive and free-to-use software tool in partnership with software designers. This will be made available for early-stage design by the mass timber industry.
CutMyTimber expects the MMTS system will reduce the market barriers of risk, time, and cost of mass timber projects at all levels, including design, engineering, fabrication, and installation. In turn, we expect to stimulate and expand opportunities for the mass timber building market in the United States.