Over the past 10 years, there has been growing interest in tall buildings constructed from mass timber materials as a means to achieve greater urban density with more sustainable construction. Worldwide, there are now dozens of buildings with more than seven stories of timber construction.
In the U.S., the 2021 International Building Code (IBC) includes three new construction types—Type IV-A, IV-B and IV-C—that allow the use of mass timber or noncombustible materials in buildings up to 18, 12 and nine stories (respectively). These construction types are based on the previous Heavy Timber construction type (Type IV, changed to IV-HT in the 2021 IBC) but with additional requirements regarding fire-resistance ratings and use of noncombustible protection.
Mass timber projects designed under the 2018 or earlier versions of the code are generally constrained by prescriptive building height limits of five to six stories depending on the occupancy group. The term “tall timber” is associated with buildings that exceed the limits of previous codes for number of stories, height and in some cases area.
If you’re interested in pursuing a tall timber project in the U.S., see below for commonly asked questions and resources. WoodWorks also provides free technical support to developers and design/construction teams. For assistance, contact the WoodWorks Regional Director local to you or email help@woodworks.org.