1.5 ConEd Learning Hours
10:30 a.m.‐12:00 p.m.
Mass timber construction has become more prevalent in Ontario and across North America with the changes to the building code, and the availability of more local mass timber construction materials. Due to the nature of the mass timber materials, wetting during construction is a primary concern for material durability and aesthetics. Mass timber can wet relatively easily, but will take a long time to dry, especially if the mass timber is covered with insulation, roofing membranes, etc.
This session, using hygrothermal analysis and field measurements, examines the concerns for mass timber wetting, and provide both good and bad case studies from a variety of projects in North America. The presentation will also include a summary of a research program recently completed by RDH Building Science Labs to demonstrate the wetting and drying performance of various membranes used as temporary moisture protection on cross‐laminated timber (CLT) panels. It also briefly reviews a water management plan template that should be implemented for any mass timber project that will be exposed to the natural elements.
Learning Objectives
1. Identify the moisture‐related risks of construction with mass timber.
2. Evaluate whether CLT meets the necessary requirements for close‐in.
3. Compare the differences of various temporary moisture protection membranes.
4. Prepare a water management plan for mass timber construction projects.
Jonathan Smegal
Associate, Senior Building Science Consultant, RDH Building Science
Based in Waterloo, Jonathan Smegal is an associate and senior building science consultant at RDH, leading projects related to laboratory research, forensic analysis of building failures, litigation, hygrothermal modelling, and field monitoring of building enclosure performance. As a researcher, he is an author on multiple peer‐reviewed papers and has frequently shared his work through industry publications, webinars, and speaking events.