Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts addresses attendees at the 2024 Auburn University CLT Conference, ‘The Sustainable Future of CLT in the South: Grow. Design. Build.”
Left to Right: CFWE Harry E. Murphy Associate Professor and Extension Specialist Adam Maggard, Auburn University President Chris Roberts, The Honorable Jeff Sessions, and the CFWE Emmett F. Thompson Dean Janaki Alavalapati.
The Auburn University College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment, in partnership with several other academic colleges, recently hosted a second cross-laminated timber (CLT) conference 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.” was held Oct. 7-9, drawing participants and experts from across the country and as far away as Finland who converged to share the latest CLT and mass timber construction research, trends and developments.
“With nearly 200 forest landowners, business leaders, architects, engineers, builders, and students attending, this conference provided great synergy and opportunities for learning and discussion as participants discovered
pathways to grow this emerging industry,” said Adam Maggard, lead conference planner and Alabama Extension specialist and the Harry E. Murphy Associate Profession in the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment.
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.
With an abundance of southern pine found in the region, CLT is positioned to be a growth industry in the southern U.S., benefiting the forest industry and the region’s economy.
Auburn University President Christopher B. Roberts and U.S. Attorney General and Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions provided the conference’s opening remarks, highlighting the importance of the timber industry and the university’s land-grant mission to advance mass timber as a new market for the region’s diverse industry stakeholders.
Expanding on the role of academia to lead innovation in mass timber production, design, engineering and construction, expert panelists highlighted advancements led by the Carnegie-rated R1 institutions: Auburn University, Clemson University, University of Arkansas and University of Oregon. Richard Vlosky, director of the Louisiana Forest Products Development Center at Louisiana State University, served as moderator for the discussion that explored the role of academia in building partnerships and alliances, securing funding opportunities, and delivering applied research to industry.
A group of forest economics professionals converse during a reception at the 2024 Auburn University CLT conference.
Additionally, a panel discussion featuring representatives of WoodWorks, SmartLam North America, and state and local economic development agencies from Auburn, Dothan and Montgomery, Ala., provided insights about the economic development initiatives undertaken to create new markets and opportunities for forest landowners and mass timber-related businesses within Alabama and the region.
Following the panel discussions, plenary and concurrent sessions explored a range of topics, including wood quality needs, silviculture, wood products, risk management and insurability of mass timber projects. Speakers included experts from Jamestown, L.P., AXA XL, Auburn University, ResourceWise, KPFF and the TallWood Design Institute.
Speakers from leading architectural and engineering firms, including Modly, EQUILIBRIUM, Anectdote/Turner and HDR discussed the structural design, construction, performance and operation of CLT buildings and the economics and carbon accounting of mass timber projects.
Click here to learn more about the conference’s speakers.
The conference also included a poster and display session where current research and mass timber projects from around the region and country were presented and discussed.
A group of CLT conference attendees touring the Kreher Preserve and Nature Center Environmental Education Building produced from cross-laminated timber. The tour was led by Tom Chung, Leers Weinzapfel Associates; Professor of Practice, Auburn College of Architecture, Design & Construction.
On the final day of the conference, participants toured the Auburn University Kreher Preserve and Nature’s newly constructed CLT building in addition to stops at the Auburn Advanced Structural Engineering Lab (ASEL), the Forest Products Development Center and the College of Architecture, Design and Construction College of Architecture, Design & Construction Robins and Morton Construction Field Lab.
“As a land-grant institution, this conference exemplifies the university’s mission to grow employment opportunities, design new pathways for economic development and build networks across the supply chain armed with the expertise and knowledge to advance industry for the benefit of citizens within Alabama and beyond,” said Janaki Alavalapati, the Emmett F. Thompson Dean of the College of Forestry, Wildlife and Environment.
The CLT conference is the second hosted by Auburn University and was presented in collaboration with the College of Architecture, Design and Construction and the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering as part of Auburn’s Mass Timber Collaborative, a multidisciplinary initiative created to advance research, education and outreach in mass timber design and construction.
To view photos and video from the conference, visit Flickr.com.
