Mass Timber Building Insurance

Mass Timber Insurance Resources

WoodWorks maintains a growing list of resources that demonstrate mass timber’s safety and durability, including the results of testing, research and ongoing monitoring.

Mass Timber Building Trends: 

• International Mass Timber Report – Roy Anderson, Emily Dawson, Lech Muszynski, et al.

Fire Performance:

• Inventory of Fire-Resistance Tested Mass Timber Assemblies & Penetrations – WoodWorks
• Compartment Fire Testing of a Two-Story Mass Timber Building: full report and summary videos – U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives/USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL)
• Tall mass timber-related fire test reports – Multiple sources via the American Wood Council (AWC)
• Fire Resistance of Structural Composite Lumber Products – White, R., USDA FPL
• Glulam Connection Fire Test Summary Report – Softwood Lumber Board, ARUP
• Calculating the Fire Resistance of Wood Members and Assemblies – AWC
• Fire Design of Mass Timber Members – McLain, R., Breneman, S., WoodWorks
• CLT Adhesive Tests in Support of Mass Timber Buildings – AWC
• Repair of Fire-Damaged Mass Timber – McLain, R., WoodWorks

Post Fire and Sprinkler Remediation:

• Post-Fire Restoration of Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) – Smartlam
• Solutions for Upper Mid-Rise and High-Rise Mass Timber Construction Rehabilitation of Mass Timber Following Fire and Sprinkler Activation​ – Ranger, L., FPInnovations
• Post-Fire Rehabilitation of CLT Summary Video – RISE Fire Research

Wind:

• Wind-Induced Vibrations in Timber Buildings – Parameter Study of Cross-Laminated Timber Residential Structures – Edskär, I., Lidelöw, H., Structural Engineering International
• Tall Timber Buildings – A Preliminary Study of Wind-Induced Vibrations of a 22-Storey Building – Johansson, M., Linderholt, A., Jamerö, K. Landel, P., 2016 World Conference on Timber Engineering
• Wind-induced vibrations of a multi-storey residential building in cross-laminated timber in the serviceability limit state – Kryh, M., Nilsson, M., Chalmers University of Technology
• Dynamic Performance of Tall Mass-Timber Buildings – Pangavhane, S.A., MagarPatil, H.R., Journal of Engineering Sciences
• Performance of Cross-Laminated Timber as a Residential Building Material Subject to Tornado Events – Stoner, M.W., Clemson University
• Wind and Earthquake Design Framework for Tall Wood-Concrete Hybrid System – Tesfamariam, S., Bezabeh, M., Skandalos, K., Martinez, E., Dires, S., Bitsuamlak G., Goda, K., University of British Columbia
• Development of a Ready-to-Assemble Tornado Shelter from Cross-Laminated Timber: Impact and Wind Pressure Testing – Falk, R.H., Bridwell, J.J., Williamson, T., Black, T., USDA FPL
• Risk-based wind design of tall mass-timber buildings – Bezabeh, M., Bitsuamiak, G.T., Tesfamariam, S., Canadian Society for Civil Engineers Annual Conference (2018)

Earthquake:

• Seismic Performance Factors for Cross-Laminated Timber Shear Wall Systems in the United States – van de Lindt, J.W., Amini, M.O., Rammer, D., Journal of Structural Engineering
• Full-Scale Shake Table Testing of Cross-Laminated Timber Rocking Shear Walls with Replaceable Components – Blomgren, H., Pei, S., Jin, Z., Powers, J., Journal of Structural Engineering
• Experimental Seismic Response of a Resilient 2-Story Mass-Timber Building with Post-Tensioned Rocking Walls – Pei, S., van de Lindt, J.W., Barbosa, A.R., Berman, J.W., Journal of Structural Engineering
• Feasibility Study of Mass-Timber Cores for the UBC Tall Wood Building – Connolly, T., Loss, C., Iqbal, A., Tannert, T., University of Northern British Columbia
• Solutions for Upper Mid-Rise and High-Rise Mass Timber Construction: Seismic Performance of Braced Mass Timber Frames – Year 1 – Chen, Z., Popovski, M., Symons, P.D., FPInnovations
• Expanding Wood Use Towards 2025: Seismic Performance of Braced Mass Timber Frames – Year 2 – Chen, Z., Popovski, M., FPInnovations
• Basis of Design – Performance-Based Design and Structural CD Drawings for Framework Office Building in Portland, OR – KPFF Consulting Engineers

Moisture Protection – Construction Phase:

• Moisture Risk Management Strategies for Mass Timber Buildings – RDH Building Science, Inc.
• Nail Laminated Timber: U.S. Design and Construction Guide – Fast + Epp Structural Engineers, Perkins & Will, RDH Building Science, Inc., Seagate Structures Ltd., Holmes Fire, GHL Consultants Ltd.
• On-Site Moisture Management of Wood Construction – Wang, J., FPInnovations
• Monitoring Moisture Performance of Cross-Laminated Timber Building Elements during Construction – Schmidt, E., Riggio, M., Oregon State University
• Structure moisture monitoring of an 8-story mass timber building in the Pacific Northwest – Steven Kordziel, Shiling Pei, Samuel V Glass, Samuel Zelinka, Paulo Cesar. Tabares-Velasco
• Hygrothermal characterization and modeling of cross-laminated timber in the building envelope – Steven Kordziel, Samuel V Glass, Charles R. Boardman, Robert A. Munson, Samuel L. Zelinka, Shiling Pei, Paulo Cesar. Tabares-Velasco
• Mass Timber Moisture Management for Construction – WoodWorks

Building Enclosure & Related Long-Term Moisture Topics:

• Mass Timber Building Enclosure Best Practice Design Guide – RDH Building Science, Inc.
• Exposed Wood Structure in Aquatic Centers and Pools – WoodWorks
• Long-Term Moisture Monitoring Results of an Eight-Story Mass Timber Building in the Pacific Northwest – Shiling Pei, Jake Stogdill, Samuel V Glass, Samuel Zelinka, Steven Kordziel, Paulo Cesar. Tabares-Velasco

Interviews with an Insurer:

• Builder’s Risk for Mass Timber: What Information Will Your Insurer Want to Know?
• How are Builder’s Risk Insurance Programs for Mass Timber Structured?
• How do Builder’s Risk Insurance Programs View Mass Timber Relative to Other Materials?

Other Mass Timber Resources:

• Mass Timber Insurance Playbook (UK)
• Canadian Wood Council Mass Timber Insurance Resources
• Insurance for Mass Timber Construction: Assessing Risk and Providing Answers
• Mass Timber Insurance Strategy – Roadmap: 2025-2030
• Mass Timber Insurance Strategy – Appendices
• Unlocking Mass Timber: Strategies for Risk and Insurance