Mass Timber Moisture Monitoring and Simulation: A Marine Climate Case Study

Mass timber is an emerging structural technology with both environmental and architectural benefits. Aggressive moisture protection of mass timber products is generally recommended during installation but can result in significant cost and coordination challenges for builders. Field measurement of wetting and drying of mass timber on built projects is limited in North America.

This presentation will share moisture data taken during a wet winter in the Pacific Northwest during the construction of a six-story, multi-family, Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) building. We will present a comparison of our field data to corresponding hygrothermal analysis, as well as our Moisture Protection Plan and Moisture Mitigation Plan.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understanding the background of CLT and how it is currently used;

2. Understanding the analysis of moisture content readings correlated to weather conditions from this case study;

3. Understanding the significance of our findings; and

4. Learning how to strategize mass timber project assembly in wet climates for best value and outcomes.