By Novid Parsi, ProBuilder
Can mass timber and prefab housing construction be stronger together? Yes, they can, according to Todd Beyreuther, director of product at Mercer Mass Timber (MMT).
At its factories in Arkansas, British Columbia, and Washington, MMT—a subsidiary of Mercer International, a global producer of pulp and wood products—traditionally has produced cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glued-laminated timber (GLT) for beams and columns used in large commercial buildings.
While the commercial mass timber market continues to grow, MMT also increasingly is supplying mass timber for both detached and attached housing projects—including prefab panelized and volumetric modular construction.
“That’s where the mass timber industry is going,” Beyreuther says of MMT’s interest in housing. “It’s an important market that’s in need, but it’s also moving more and more toward prefabrication. Mass timber is inherently prefab, so it’s a natural progression.”
MMT is following that natural progression by creating mass timber products for prefab factories.
