Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1385297
J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 27 Engineered Wood Products R EN D ER I N G BY P ER K I N S & W I L L /CO U RT E SY K A L E S N I KO F F M A SS T I M B ER & LU M B ER "We are excited to be able to contribute to the professional mass tim- ber installation community through ongoing training of installers as well as the design community through the development of EWP systems specific to our evolving trade. It is a unique time for our niche industry as technology, research, and robotic production capacity are all growing rapidly. As profes- sional mass timber installers, we are privileged to be a part of building a new generation of amazing structures out of wood," says Beamish. Western Archrib, a leader in the design, manufacture, and custom fabri- cation of Glulam structural wood systems, has also been very busy of late as builders rethink how people use, occupy, and design spaces that allow for more biophilic elements to be used in buildings. The team has been involved in a number of mass timber projects including the Robert G. Kuhn Building in B.C., where a mass timber was selected to enhance well-being for building occupants, along with ensuring the construction sched- ule is on time. Showcasing wood in this building reinforces the need for a didactic approach to sustainability in education facilities. Another great example is the Malahat Skywalk – an accessible 600-metre treetop walk through forests leading to a spectacular gentle spiral ramp, tak- ing you up 32m to a lookout point. Frog Lake First Nation Jr./Sr. High School in Alberta is also another project the company has been working on which demon- strated its unique skills. The new school features mass timber Glulam beams, columns and curves throughout the structure. A Glulam and CLT canopy will highlight the entrance to the school once complete. Western Archrib's structural wood products are featured prominently in the design, which include Spruce Pine Glulam columns and beams, along with Douglas Fir Glulam curves. In some rather exciting news, Kalesnikoff recently announced new mass tim- ber projects at three Canadian educational institutions: Bayview Elementary in Vancouver, B.C., Humber College in Toronto, and the University of Victoria in B.C. "These are among the first major CLT projects that will be built with our local, high-quality mass timber products, and we are especially proud to support the development of our education infrastructure products and services," said Chris Kalesnikoff, COO of Kalesnikoff. "This is just the beginning of this next phase of our company as the use of mass timber in North America continues to expand." Partnering alongside Francl Architecture, structural engineers at Fast + Epp, Chandos Construction, and Kinsol Timber, Kitsilano's new Bayview Elementary school project will be just under 40,000 square feet. Kalesnikoff will provide certified sustainable spruce CLT and fir Glulam beams for this entirely mass timber building, utilizing CLT for walls as well as roof and floor plates. So far this year, Edmonton-based ACQBuilt has also witnessed significant growth and one reason is that it is the only company in North America that uses exclusively Laminated Strand Lumber (LSL) material for its wall framing. LSL has been gaining more traction over recent years due to its high strength, high stiffness, and dimensional stability. The manufacturing process of LSL also enables large members to be made from relatively small trees, providing effi- cient utilization of forest resources. "Our top plate for our walls is three-inch by five-and-a-half inch solid mate- rial and 40-feet long. We purchase the entire billet production and build 40-foot wall sections. The cost of materials has also gone up making it more expen- sive to use than LSL, because ACQBuilt is able to increase efficiencies by nesting more walls into a 40-foot-long multi-wall, which is a significantly better prod- uct," says Francisco Villarroel, project manager at ACQBuilt. ACQBuilt recently completed a 100,000-square-foot building in Hinton, Alberta, and was able to deliver in roughly 30,000-square-foot phases that took around two weeks at a time to construct. "Similar projects of this scale in remote areas would have otherwise taken just over a year to just frame. People are bet- ter understanding the advantage of what we do," says Villarroel. University of Victoria, Victoria, B.C. JUST RELEASED: Wood in Low-Rise Commercial Buildings – A case study wood-works.ca/bc Wood. Growing better buildings in BC. Technologically advanced engineered wood products and building systems, including mass timber, are being used in new building types and sizes, while increasing construction efficiency and reducing carbon impacts. Call Wood WORKS! BC today to find out how wood can benefit and enhance your next commercial project. @WoodWORKSBC_CWC www.wood-works.ca/bc 1 877 929 9663 September 2021 ANNUAL INDUSTRY FEATURE: Building Envelope Book your ad space now: | Dan Chapman 604.473.0316