Naturally beautiful and sustainable.

Mass timber is a construction type that is gaining attention and demand from owners, architects, contractors, and engineers due to a number of key drivers including:

  • Sustainable and renewable structures that feature the only carbon negative building material.
  • Design and construction technology that reduces costs and construction schedules.
  • Technical performance for safe and code compliant design of the tall, open concept, and architecturally pleasing spaces.

As with any new technology, there are real-world challenges that every design and construction team must face. For mass timber, these include design coordination, production lead times, supplier limitations, and constructability. We know and acknowledge these unique issues, and have the experience to plan accordingly and engage the greater design and construction teams to confirm that we develop the best solutions.

Structural and fire protection engineers bring advantages to the design team that are paramount to project success:

  • Our structural team understands mass timber performance and actively contributes to design optimization. Structural framing and grid layouts, selection of structural materials, and systems and constructability are critical to delivering a project vision on time, and on budget.
  • Our fire protection team knows the code inside and out allowing us to mitigate risks, capitalize on opportunities, and drive value. Our structural fire professionals have been on the leading edge of mass timber buildings for more than a decade, and we have a keen understanding of fire performance and fire safety.

The application of structural fire engineering can drive not just design ambitions, but also cost savings due to an engineered level of performance that pushes design beyond limitations.

Successfully using mass timber requires a highly technical, collaborative, and proactive team. Coffman is that team. We understand best practices, compliance, and safety. Our multidiscipline team of engineering professionals has the experience and technical knowledge, and a curiosity to seek out design challenges and collaborate to create the best outcomes.

Contact Coffman