A new residence hall on the University of Arkansas campus will serve as a testbed for researchers to study Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels.
Professors in the university’s Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design and the College of Engineering are collaborating to measure and analyze the moisture content of the panels used in the buildings. Adohi Hall is the nation’s first large-scale mass timber residence hall project, according to a university news release.
Construction on the residential areas of Adohi Hall was completed this summer. The hall consists of two five-story residential buildings connected by a third building that provides a common area. To monitor the effects of rain and humidity, sensors were placed in CLT panels in moisture-prone areas—bathrooms, kitchen and laundry areas, and near the exterior of the buildings.
The approximately 200,000 sf project with 708 beds was designed by Leers Weinzapfel Associates of Boston, Modus Studio of Fayetteville, Mackey Mitchell Architects of St. Louis and OLIN of Philadelphia. CLT panels were used in floors and ceilings. Columns and beams were made from glue-laminated pieces, which are bonded together with the wood grain of each layer running parallel rather than perpendicular, as CLT panels do.
Related Stories
Smart Buildings | Oct 30, 2014
Energy Department pledges $9 million for energy efficiency improvements on commercial buildings
The U.S. Dept. of Energy will spend $9 million to encourage investments in energy-saving technologies that can be tested and deployed in offices, shops, restaurants, hospitals, hotels and other types of commercial buildings.
| Oct 30, 2014
Steel Framing Industry Association’s certification program aims to ensure connector quality
The Steel Framing Industry Association has launched a certification program to ensure that cold-formed steel connectors meet quality guidelines, building codes, and ASTM standards.
| Oct 30, 2014
American Concrete Institute releases reorganized structural concrete code requirements
The reorganized document is organized from an engineer’s perspective. The requirements flow more intuitively and have fewer cross-references for improved logic and flow of information.
| Oct 30, 2014
USGBC pushes back LEED v4 deadline
Extending the deadline gives LEED users additional time to prepare for LEED v4, the latest version of LEED, which features increased rigor and multiple updates.
| Oct 24, 2014
Solar panels could be required on most new construction in San Francisco
A San Francisco city councilor will propose a new regulation that could soon mandate solar panels on most new construction in the city and on many existing apartment buildings.
| Oct 24, 2014
International WELL Building Institute launches green building standard
The International WELL Building Institute has launched the WELL Building Standard Version 1.0, which focuses on enhancing people’s health and well-being through the built environment.
| Oct 24, 2014
Seattle's Bullitt Center influencing codes and public policy on sustainability
The Bullitt Center in Seattle, which some say is the world's most efficient office building is not only influencing how other structures are built, it is contributing to revisions of codes and public policy.
| Oct 16, 2014
U.S. military concerned about climate change putting bases at risk from floods
Among the challenges the armed forces may face is rising sea levels that could put Navy docks and other installations under water in places like Norfolk, Va., Honolulu, and other coastal locations.
| Oct 16, 2014
Fannie Mae releases white paper on energy performance of multifamily buildings
The least energy efficient multifamily property may be spending $165,000 more in annual energy costs than a similar property operating the most efficiently, according to a new white paper released by Fannie Mae.
| Oct 16, 2014
Energy Department sets green building standards for federal agencies
LEED Silver may be used, and in some instances, the Green Globes program may be substituted, according to a new regulation by the U.S. Department of Energy.
