MSU researchers explore emerging market for mass timber in Michigan
A photo taken of the inside of MSU’s STEM Teaching and Learning Facility. Mass-timber beams and panels are integrated into and showcased throughout the building.
Mass timber, engineered wood known for its strength and sustainability, has been used inside and outside of Michigan more frequently over the past decade to build and design large buildings.
By: Jack Falinski, [email protected]
East Lansing, Mich. — To see the future of how buildings are constructed in both Michigan and the U.S., you don’t have to travel far from Michigan State University. In fact, visit its campus and check out the newly built STEM Teaching and Learning Facility.
Opened in 2021 on the corner of North Shaw Lane and Red Cedar Road next to Spartan Stadium, the building represents a new wave of construction that’s becoming more popular throughout the country.
Mass timber buildings can go up quickly and efficiently, and they typically have a lower carbon footprint than comparable large structurers built with traditional materials. As more buildings have gone up, more people have taken notice.
MSU researchers create models forecasting the supply and demand of mass timber in Michigan.
As of June 2023, 856 mass-timber buildings in the country were under construction or had been built, and 1,004 were in design, according to WoodWorks – Wood Products Council, a nonprofit providing free project support and education for the construction of wood buildings. In Michigan, seven buildings were under construction or had been built and at least 29 were in design.
Raju Pokharel, an assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Forestry, is studying ways Michigan can employ its vast number of forests to capitalize on the mass-timber boom.
“Mass timber” refers to a variety of engineered wood products comprising dimensional lumber layered together to form panels, columns and beams. Common styles include: glue-laminated timber, where pieces of wood are glued together and each layer follows the direction of the wood’s grain; dowel- or nail-laminated timber, where pieces of wood are held together by dowels or nails and follow the direction of their grain; and cross-laminated timber panels, where pieces of wood are glued together and alternate the direction of their grain at each layer by 90 degrees — like a Jenga tower.
In 2021, Pokharel worked with graduate students and started developing models to understand what the economic impact would be in the state if a facility were built to produce mass timber.
Developed in Europe during the 1980s, modern mass-timber products started to gain traction in the U.S. around 2010. In 2015, the interest in mass timber began to grow in Michigan.
“People in Michigan were building with it — MSU built the STEM facility with it,” Pokharel said. “Instead of hauling and getting mass timber from Canada, why can’t we start a processing facility in Michigan? Michigan has wood, but it’s struggling to sell and use it optimally.
“Using wood means more revenue for landowners, which means better management of forests. When there’s money, forests can be managed better not just for timber, but for other benefits like water quality and wildlife habitat.”
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Michigan State University AgBioResearch scientists discover dynamic solutions for food systems and the environment. More than 300 MSU faculty conduct leading-edge research on a variety of topics, from health and climate to agriculture and natural resources. Originally formed in 1888 as the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station, MSU AgBioResearch oversees numerous on-campus research facilities, as well as 15 outlying centers throughout Michigan. To learn more, visit agbioresearch.msu.edu.
