For this 246,007 sq. ft. distribution warehouse facility, a global real estate logistics company wanted to explore alternatives to traditional steel construction. With an aggressive goal to reach net zero emissions by 2040, the company was looking for a sustainable approach to the construction of industrial buildings.
The Sustainable Solution? Mass Timber
In exploring alternatives to the embodied carbon in steel, the team decided on a mass timber superstructure. The perimeter steel support framing was maintained utilizing innovative carbon-reducing SIN-Beam technology.
Element5 supplied sustainably sourced CLT (cross-laminated timber) for the roof panels, and glulam for beams and columns (replacing what traditionally would have been steel columns, joists, girders and a metal deck).
Mass Timber Superstructure Stats
- Project comprises 40ft high Glulam columns, 55ft and 60ft long Glulam beams, and 250,000 sq. ft. of 3-ply CLT.
- The mass timber used provides a 62% decrease in embodied carbon emissions as compared to a steel skeleton structure.
- The mass timber alone will reduce emissions by 1,163 metric tons.
- The SIN-Beam technology provides an added 63 metric ton carbon emission reduction.
- Overall construction techniques will reduce emissions by 1,480 metric tons – equivalent to the annual emissions of 186 homes.
- This project is North America’s first mass timber constructed warehouse!
Other Sustainability Features
A goal of the client was to learn best practices and to share these lessons learned globally across the company.
Further sustainability features include:
- Electric heat pumps for air conditioning
- Electric vehicle chargers
- Low emission paints and sealers
- Warm Mix Asphalt (WMA) throughout the paved surfaces
- Solar ready structure.
This benchmark-setting facility is targeting a LEED Silver certification.
