Jensen Hughes technical experts have been involved with mass timber development since 2015. Our experts served on university mass timber studio panels and participated in the early adoption of mass timber into the Oregon State Code. Our team consulted on the construction of the Oregon State University Forestry Center and Wood Laboratory dedicated to the research and application of mass timber. Since then we have led multiple presentations and panels on mass timber construction and code requirements at the AIA, SFPE, Woodworks, the Tall Wood Design Institute, and other accredited organizations.

Although states such as Oregon pushed the boundary with early adoption into local code regulations, the testing and review of fire exposure conditions and sprinklering by the International Code Council’s (ICC) made this material accepted into the general international building code. After evaluation by the ICC Ad Hoc Committee on Tall Wood Buildings, mass timber provisions were accepted and presented to the design and construction community in the 2015 International Building Code.

Our involvement has helped design and construction partners navigate the new code requirements in governing tall wood buildings, including alternate methods and materials requests to increase the exposed surface area of mass timber panels in Type IV-B buildings. We have also collaborated with designers in selecting and defending joint protection and edge protection details. Our team continues to be dedicated to supporting this and other sustainable building materials and methods in adoptions and allowances into current and future building code standards.