On Nov. 6 and 7, WoodWorks – Wood Products Council will host a National Symposium, Toward Taller Wood Buildings, in Chicago. Intended to give attendees a practical perspective on North America’s evolution toward taller wood buildings, the symposium will focus on how designers are already increasing density at lower cost by designing taller mid-rise buildings under the International Building Code (IBC), taking their projects from four stories to six, as well as structural and architectural design considerations for wood buildings eight stories and higher.
· Case study presentations will feature tall wood buildings, including projects 10-14 stories that are operational or under construction in various parts of the world.
· Research sessions will include current information related to the feasibility and performance (e.g., seismic, fire) of tall wood buildings in the U.S.
· Structural design sessions will cover mass timber design solutions such as cross laminated timber floor design and innovative connections.
· A keynote presentation, Why We Should Build Wooden Skyscrapers, will be given by architect Michael Green of MGA, a leading advocate for meeting climate change objectives with taller wood buildings.
Information provided at the symposium be of particular interest to design professionals considering participation in the U.S. Tall Wood Building Prize Competition announced Friday by the White House Rural Council and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in cooperation with the Softwood Lumber Board and Binational Softwood Lumber Council. The USDA will host a question and answer session related to the competition during the symposium’s on-site registration period on November 5, from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
The competition is being held to showcase the architectural and commercial viability of advanced wood products in tall building construction in order to support employment opportunities in rural communities, maintain the health and resiliency of the nation’s forests, and advance sustainability in the built environment.
Symposium Details:
Title: Toward Taller Wood Buildings
Where: Chicago
When: November 5-7, 2014
November 5 – 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Registration reception and U.S. Tall Wood Building Prize Competition Q&A Session
§ November 6 – 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. – Program
§ November 7 – 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. – Program
Credits: 12.0 AIA/CES LUs (HSW) or PDH credits
Cost: $125