Ask any member of the Auburn Mass Timber Collaborative (AMTC) what they think of the university’s newest tool, and you’ll hear nothing but enthusiasm. 

“I was very excited when I heard we were getting a cross-laminated timber (CLT) press,” said Brian Via, the Regions Professor of forest products. “Getting this press opens up new avenues for grants and funding and allows us to research mass timber on a much larger scale.”  

Mass timber is a rapidly growing technology used in the design and construction fields, and the AMTC is becoming a leader in mass timber research, teaching and outreach in the Southeast. Now that the team has acquired a tool to manufacture its own CLT, faculty can do more research without having to leave campus or depend on outside partners.