Discover the game-changing efficiencies of vertical mechanical fastening systems in mass timber construction—a revelation straight from the latest study in the Mass Timber Construction Journal. We're peeling back the layers of this innovative research, giving you exclusive insights into how these systems stack up against traditional concrete, promising a potential revolution in building practices. And if sustainability in architecture piques your interest, you'll be thrilled to hear about the Norwegian Consulting Agency Oslo Tor's latest project. Their new office building embodies an eco-conscious future with a timber-centric design and a modular five by five meter grid system that's turning heads.
This episode is a treasure trove of hope and progress, capturing the spirit of COP28's commitments to a greener building industry. We're spotlighting the chorus of countries, including the United States and Australia, raising their voices for the increased use of timber in construction as a response to the global sustainability crisis. It's not just a roundup of the latest news; it's a celebration of forward-thinking strides in the mass timber realm that could shape our environmental footprint for generations to come. So, tune in for a bite-sized update that's packed with enough inspiration to energize your passion for sustainable construction all year long.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are live. This is the moment you all have been waiting for. It's time for the global sensation, the one, the only, the all-disputed Anyway Podcast in the World the past Timber Construction Podcast, and now here's what's right around your house. Good morning, good afternoon all, good evening wherever you're in the world today. Welcome to the Mass Timber Construction Podcast. I hope you had a great 2023 Christmas, holiday season or period, wherever you are in the world, whether you're in the Northern Hemisphere or it's snowing, or whether you're in the South and it's sunny and summery. I hope that whatever you did was full of joy, family, friends and laughter and good cheer.
Paul:
Let's have a look at what's making news around the world this week in Mass Timber Construction Land, the last week of 2023. The big news coming out this week in the academic world is the Mass Timber Construction Journal just published its last paper for 2023. And you can go and read all about how trades are efficiencies using vertical mechanical fastening systems into Mass Timber Construction buildings as compared to concrete systems, and there is a full quantitative analysis that's done, providing significant improvements in terms of efficiency for people who use fasteners into a Mass Timber Super Structure system as opposed to more traditional types of materials such as concrete and steel. So the paper is available. So if you go to the Mass Timber Construction Journalcom website and you'll be able to read the latest papers and the paper is there for you to review. It's also posted on our social media feed. You can download it from directly from our social media feed and, as always, we thank every author who submits a manuscript to us. And if you've got a manuscript and you want to put it somewhere into an open, free to publish, free to access journal, please do consider the Mass Timber Construction Journal.
Paul:
Norwegian Consulting Agency Oslo Tor, which I believe also translates into Oslo Timber, has completed a new office building design with timber structure which has been designed for easy disassembly and reuse in the future. There is full plans available on their five by five meter grid system using Mass Timber Construction for a five story 3000 square meter office space rooted in environmental consciousness, adaptability and innovation, said a spokesperson for the studio. The grid structure which aims to reduce the buildings embodied carbon and allows for components to be easily reused. This is a timber centric approach which large saw dowel timber being used as dowel laminator materials form structural elements. Timber nails are used instead of screws, and the fixings for the wood and the insulation are used in the walls. So if you want to go and have a look at this amazing conceptualization for this demountable materials bank of a building, please head to our Mass Timber Construction Journal, linked in feed, and you'll be able to see all the details there and more news.
Paul:
Good news is coming out of COP28, with the American Wood Council issuing their statement, through the president and CEO, jackson Morrill, that the COP28 and 17 other countries, which includes the United States and Australia, are pushing to use more timber, including mass timber, in construction, and so the American Wood Council applaud the US government's leadership in endorsing the stated commitment to the development and implementation of policies and practices that reduce the carbon footprint for the built environment through the greater use of sustainably sourced wood and wood products. It is great to see all of this coming out of COP28 and since COP26, when I have been harping on and saying it was the monumental moment in time that carbon became the unit of measure of sustainability and countries who were sitting on the fence had to actually dip their toe in and say this is the target I think I'm going to go for. We know not all countries went down that pathway, but it's great to see, two years on, that now what's actually been realized is not only that this is this environmental carbon emergency, but we're seeing that mass timber could be a plausible solution for getting us out of a position. So congratulations to everybody involved in the US government, along with the Australian government and every one of the other 17 countries who signed up for using more timber in construction to resolve the world's sustainability crisis. And that's it, folks. That's all we have for this week. It is a very, very short week. It's a holiday season, so everybody is away.
Paul:
I don't anticipate us getting too much news, probably until the middle of January, when things really do pick up again. We'd like to say, from all of us here at the mass timber construction journal, international Association for mass timber construction, the podcast, the journal, the social media feed and any other activity that we're involved in, a massive thank you to all the followers, to everyone that supported us throughout the year. We hope that you have a fantastic New Year's celebration wherever you are in the world, and we hope that 2024 is better than 2023. And we look forward to bringing you all the news from around the world. For another year. It'll be our seventh year and fourth year in the podcast, and we look forward to catching up with you on the other side. Good morning, good afternoon or good evening, wherever you are in the world. Today, this is Paul Kramer signing off on the mass timber construction podcast for the last time in 2023. Thank you.