(How it) Works Wednesday: Timber Skyscrapers


(How it) Works Wednesday: Timber Skyscrapers

A few months ago, architects and builders completed Mjostarnet, an 18 story skyscraper in Brumunddal, Norway.

Such an event would not be remarkable, except that the entire structure is made of wood.




This miracle of engineering was made possible by a new way of working with wood materials. Up until this point, for its tendency towards inconsistent strength due to knots and other defects plus the structural weaknesses caused by the wood grain, plain timber wood had not been suitable for construction of tall buildings.

Cross-laminated timber gets its name because it is made of layered of wood panels glued together, with each layer’s grain running perpendicular to the grain of the neighboring layers. The bond formed by the glue is such that in the unfortunate case of structural failure, the wood itself would fail first. Further, engineers distribute the highest-strength timber in the places where the most stress is induced. With all this engineering, the strength of cross-laminated timber equals that of concrete and steel.

Further, glulam (which is created similarly, but with the wood layers’ grains running parallel to each other) can be molded into various fantastic shapes.


I’m excited about the benefits of this architectural and engineering innovation. These wood products are fire resistant, especially if given protective covering. They are much quieter to install, they are much easier to work with on the construction site (dehydrated wood is much lighter than iron, after all) they have much lesser environmental impact, and the source materials can be regrown unlike steel.

I’m excited to see what the future of skyscraper construction will be. It’s my hope that innovations like these will help our cities to create space for a growing population in a way that will enable us to be good stewards of Mother Earth.

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