How do I buy MASSLAM?

Great to hear you’re interested in our MASSLAM system. To discuss your project with a MASSLAM specialist, contact us here.

Sustainable timber is the building material of the 21st century. Glue laminated timber is the preferred choice for mass timber construction for the following reasons: It has low embodied energy in production It stores carbon within wood fibre It is renewable, sustainable It has one of the best performing Life Cycle Assessments (LCA’s) of all building materials; and It has a fantastic Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) which subsequently helps to achieve Green Star points The construction sector is said to be responsible for 18.1% of Australia’s carbon emissions. When this type of wood is used to replace building materials of high embodied energy, such as concrete and steel, it can help beat Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions targets. This choice of timber is also lighter in weight, which translates to cost, solution and time benefits. Every cubic metre of our glulam is better than carbon neutral with approximately 320 kg of stored carbon as opposed to a negative embodied energy output in alternate products. Timber can be cut, drilled, docked or worked easily on site and can be installed by regular trades. What’s more, timber is aesthetically appealing and creates a more inviting and relaxing workplace. A structure with expressed timber elements is both a point of difference and a competitive advantage.

Glulam or cross laminated timber?

Glulam, GLH or GLT offer advantages over Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) in many applications yet compliments CLT in others. Together, they make a great team. A glue laminated timber beam and post ‘grid’ offers open plan design options for applications such as offices and commercial buildings. In these scenarios, laminated hardwood beams and posts are used as supporting grids that incorporate cassettes, CLT or glulam floors. The open plan design of a grid system allows partition walls to be constructed and/or removed when required and, best of all, is cheaper to construct because it has less volume of timber. This can be a desirable alternative to the static ‘honeycomb’ system most employed in CLT systems where large, cross-laminated timber panels become load-bearing walls and are fixed in position to make a closed-plan design. Our laminated timber beams and posts are constructed using Australian hardwood or softwood. This adds to a building’s beauty and strength. The hardwoods have linear, quarter-sawn grain for stability, no knots, and are naturally blonde in colour to deliver a stunning appearance. They can be painted or stained to match your design requirements, or they can simply be used as strong, structural members, hidden behind plasterboard if you choose to only take advantage of their strength.

Is mass timber sustainable?

‘MASSLAM’ is created using regrowth hardwood and plantation pine from third party audited, certified sustainable resources. A detailed pack of sustainability information can be viewed here.

How strong is MASSLAM?

The ‘MASSLAM’ POST & BEAM range of glulam members have some of the strongest strength characteristics of all ‘mass-timber’ options worldwide. They are made using the sustainably harvested, Australian timbers – Victorian ash, Mountain Grey Gum and Radiata Pine Victorian ash has one of the best strength to weight ratios of all known timbers. When glue laminated, these members exceed strength characteristics of GL45 (using the equivalent of EN14080:2013 – Timber structures. Glued laminated timber and glued solid timber). Otherwise known as GL18s (as according to AS1720.1:2010 – Timber Structures). The strength to weight ratio of timber exceeds concrete and steel. When comparing beams of a similar strength, a glulam member is four-fifths the weight of steel and one-sixth the weight of concrete. The strength rating of each timber species is determined by its known strength properties, fibrous makeup and by limiting the number of inherent strength weakening characteristics such as gum vein and/or gum pockets. The glue laminating process of ‘MASSLAM’ counterbalances these characteristics and strengthens its performance, thus reducing the ‘bell curve’ in destructive tests.

Mass Timber | Glulam Hardwood Beams

Sustainability

Timber is one of the few building materials with the ability to create a closed loop, circular economy.

The very existence of sustainable timber production helps reverse anthropogenic climate change. No other commercially available building material boasts the renewable characteristics of timber.

Timber is The Ultimate Renewable and MASSLAM is third party certified for sustainability by PEFC

Cost Savings

According to detailed studies by WoodSolutions, commercial structures built with mass timber offer cost savings over concrete and steel. Speak to your MASSLAM specialist for the detailed report.

Speed

Consistently installing faster than traditional construction, recent mass timber case studies comparing multiple projects in Australia have shown up to 30% faster construction times.

Much of this can be attributed to early services rough-in and assembly. This speed and efficiency comes from the fact that mass timber is lighter, easier, safer to handle and install than concrete and steel.

Speed of construction is a substantial consideration in cost assessment due to time related expenses such as crane and other plant hire; wages for on-site workforce; insurances premiums; permits and certifications.

The reduced program offered by timber structures can also enable time critical projects to be realised. This can be a crucial consideration for many projects, including schools and student accommodation buildings, for which funding periods can be set and term dates fixed.

Safety

The constructability of mass-timber builders are safer in general. Tier 1 builders are reported as stating many projects show no Lost Time Injuries. Part of the reason for this is the elimination of on-site risks with prefabrication.

Prefabricating or pre-attaching connectors in an automated assembly off-site before delivery reduces the need for working at heights as well as the time required to assemble. Smaller and easier hand tools are utilised, as are smaller crews.

Additionally, there is less need for welding or hot works, easier anchoring of safety harnesses, the ability to pre assemble safety barriers and eliminate live-edges before craning.

Accuracy

With the ability to efficiently and automatically process up to 1,300 x 450mm end sections, MASSLAM does not need to be block laminated.

Block laminating requires two halves (or more) to be CNC profiled and then joined together – often creating misalignment of profiles and negating the millimetre accuracy of the CNC or four-side planer.

ASH’s process eliminates this risk. Given some MASSLAM products are ~40% stronger than international mass-timber, there’s no need to design with members thicker than 450mm or to block laminate. Comparatively, concrete and steel tolerances can be +/-15mm.

The benefits of accuracy in MASSLAM are far and wide but can be critical for air tightness, installation, energy efficiency, constructability and overall building performance.

Lighter

MASSLAM is 18% the weight of concrete and 80% the weight of steel for the same structural requirement. This means there is less need for expensive foundations.

It also means more material can reach site with fewer deliveries. Lifting is quicker and can be done with smaller cranes. Less noise, dust, vibrations and truck movements result in less disruption of neighbourhoods and existing activities or tenants.

A different way of building, a different way of designing

Prefabrication and off-site assembly will increase speed and quality of a build but requires a complete change in thinking.

Design teams are required to put in more work up front so that the desired prefabrication and assembly efficiencies can be realised. Buildings cannot be partially designed before fabrication – prefabrication of each element is governed by the digital 3D design model.

The building must be considered 100% complete before processing. There can be no change of design once manufacturing has commenced. An example of the benefits of DfMA is shown below.

The process begins with your plans where ASH offer a basic ‘reverse engineered’ guide of various products to narrow in on the best outcome for the clients’ needs.

Once the MASSLAM products and system are selected, the engineering team create a digital 3D model detailing all of the chosen components with intricate details including connection types, sizes, screws, CNC requirements and the exact locations of every detail.

Potential issues with the plans can be addressed during this detailed 3D model by the engineering team – rather than being fixed on site by an expensive labour force or holding up the critical path. Once the client signs off on the 3D model the project is considered ‘effectively built’ and cannot be altered.

This information feeds the MASSLAM automated production and CNC line where coatings, attaching of connectors and labelling of each member ensures superior on-site installation efficiencies. ASH can even deliver in order of lifting sequence (subject to prior approval).

Engage with your MASSLAM specialist early

Get in early. Do not design too far down the path before talking with your MASSLAM specialist. MASSLAM is available in uniquely high strength materials that can offer:

Smaller columns with increased usable floor spacelarger grids with fewer columns per floor
Alignment with basement parking (eliminating expensive transfer slabs) – ie – 9x9m, 9x12m or 12x12m
Shallower beams for additional floor to ceiling heights
Longer spans without lowering ceiling height
Additional joint strength for smaller and more competitive connectors
Less overall weight resulting in reduced foundations
In some cases, additional levels
Better fire performance

All construction materials require unique consideration of their strength and weakness in order to maximise cost-efficiency.

MASSLAM can be the most cost-effective of all systems but this may not be the case if you design for concrete or imported mass timber and hope to compare price.

It is for these reasons why it is imperative to get your MASSLAM specialist in early.

See Design and Construction chain below.

Step 1:

Completed Design used to create shop drawings.

Building is considered ‘complete’ from a design perspective.