Planning early is critical for achieving mass timber’s benefits
About this episode
Robert Norton discusses the importance of early planning and collaboration in utilizing mass timber for building design and construction.
Considering using mass timber for the first time? IMEG’s Robert Norton provides key considerations in this episode of The Future Built Smarter. A senior structural engineer working out of IMEG’s San Francisco office, Robert has more than a decade of experience designing with mass timber. He says the material is more than a trend—it transforms how a building is experienced. “Being in a wood building makes you much more comfortable. The wood provides a lot of warmth and it feels homier.” Mass timber also changes how a building is designed and constructed, he adds. “It becomes part of the architecture.” Unlike steel or concrete buildings, where beams are often hidden behind ceilings, mass timber showcases every structural component. “Everything you do as an engineer is on display. All the connections, all the columns, the beams, the floor systems—they’re visible for people to either enjoy or not enjoy, depending on how well of a job you do.” This emphasis on exposure means early collaboration is critical. “We really want to be as integrated as possible with the architect and engineers, so when we do get drawings from the fabricator for the mass timber panels, it's definitely ready…
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