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Auburn University to host first international cross-laminated timber conference in the southern U.S.

By March 8, 2022May 24th, 2022No Comments

The Auburn University College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, in partnership with several other academic colleges and administrative offices, will host the first cross-laminated timber, or CLT, international conference ever to be held in the southern United States next month at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center.

The three-day event titled ‘The Sustainable Future of CLT in the South: Grow. Design. Build.’ to be held April 27 – 29, will feature renowned experts in forestry, building sciences, engineering and architecture and design who will share the latest CLT research, trends and developments in the South.

CLT is a prefabricated wood panel made from wood stacked and glued crosswise in alternating directions to create pressed layers. This unique engineering gives the panel exceptional strength and strong fire protection while remaining lighter and creating less waste during installation than conventional alternatives, such as concrete and steel.

It is considered a sustainable material that is safe and cost-effective for commercial construction while offering structural simplicity and design versatility.

Because of its relative structural strength, appearance, ability to sequester carbon, and numerous other benefits, the growing use of CLT in the South benefits developers, contractors, architects, engineers, foresters and landowners.

Following a design and theme centered on the CLT supply chain, plenary and concurrent sessions will explore diverse topics, including current and future implications for forest management, the wood products sector, mass timber markets and economies. Presenters will also discuss the importance of certified, sustainable wood materials and products in the green building industry and the structural design, construction, performance and operation of CLT buildings.

The conference will feature experts from Auburn and Clemson University, the University of Miami, Mississippi State University, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, or SFI, the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials, or CORRIM, WoodWorks, TimberLab, Inc., SmartLam North America, Cooper Carry Architects and RDH Building Science.

“After the keynote presentations and panel discussion, concurrent sessions will address the unique needs of multiple audiences, including designers, builders, contractors, academia, landowners, producers and suppliers,” said conference planner Adam Maggard, who is an assistant professor and extension specialist in the College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

“This is an amazing opportunity for a variety of stakeholders to come together to network, learn about and share the latest advancements within the CLT and sustainable wood products industries. This synergy makes this conference a truly one-of-a-kind premier event,” said Maggard.

Two concurrent sessions will focus on forestry, mills, manufacturing and markets and architecture, building construction and engineering. Both sessions will also include presentations on sustainability related to each sessions’ theme.

Additionally, participants may choose from one of two tours that showcase CLT manufacturing and construction in Alabama. The first tour will visit the SmartLam North America CLT manufacturing plant in Dothan, the first of its kind in the region. At this facility, participants will learn how CLT is engineered and prefabricated to a building project’s exact specifications and requirements.

Attendees who choose the second tour will visit Auburn’s recently completed 41,500 square foot Advanced Structural Engineering Lab to learn about CLT structural testing research. Partially designed using CLT, this laboratory features a 4,700-cubic-foot geotechnical test chamber and a wind testing facility.

Following the lab, the tour will continue to the Hey Day Market located at the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center at Auburn University. The 9,000 square foot building houses a dining hall and business center and was constructed using CLT and glue-laminated timber, or GLT.

In addition to the various CLT building projects underway at Auburn University, the College of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences actively works to increase awareness of the many benefits of CLT and to promote its use for construction in Alabama and beyond through its innovative research and outreach initiatives.

“Given the widespread economic impact of CLT in the state and region, we feel it is important that Auburn should host this conference with its partners in the College of Architecture, Design, and Construction, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, and the Offices of Sustainability and Planning, Design and Construction,” said Maggard.

Accommodations will be available at The Hotel at Auburn University and Dixon Conference Center. For more information about registration, sponsorship and exhibit opportunities, visit https://cfwe.auburn.edu/au-clt-conference/.

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