Nail Laminated Timber (NLT)

@greg_kingsley  Hi Greg, Welcome!

Let me blast this out using my X account and see if we can get some response

Have you checked with Kevin and Wood Innovations folks? I imagine if someone is trying to do this, they would know something about it? or SLB....

@ling Thank you. I am already in the process of applying for a Wood Innovation Grant on the topic, and have followed up with your proposed resources.

@greg_kingsley Hello, Greg. I am not from the State, but the 51st state in the North. I have done some work on NLT and DLT, and maybe I can provide some insights or help.

I would be surprised if there isn't any other effort similar:) Good luck on your proposal @greg_kingsley

@jianhuizhou has a research focus on floor vibrations so he probably know more about Canada experience. 51st state? yeah, bring it on!

@jianhuizhou Do you have any published work that would be easy to share?

@greg_kingsley I have sent some documents to your email.

Greg.  Thanks for this post.  Recently, I was asked about using Colorado sourced Douglas Fir for glulam or CLT.  I kind of hit a wall when I looked into the topic b/c Doug Fir sourced form Colorado is "Douglas Fir - South" which has lower design values than Douglas Fir.  Is this the same challenge you allude to by wanting NLT to be a fit?  Have you talked to WWPA or PLIB to identify sawmills in Colorado and what species or species combinations they currently structurally grade?

Hans-Erik,

Thanks for reaching out!

The DF-south designation is one issue. There are others.

We have made considerable progress over the last two months getting local Colorado logged and milled lumber into CLT. There are three mills producing graded, kiln-dried lumber, and they are generally producing ESLP (Engelmann Spruce, Lodgepole Pine). The spruce falls within the SPF designation to the best of my knowledge. Vaagen Timbers has the capability of producing certified SPF CLT using Colorado lumber and is running test panels right now. Smartlam also has a layup that can incorporate Colorado lumber, and has been contacted regarding the Boulder BWCC project that Timberlab is involved in. It is my understanding that Mercer is also willing and able to produce CLT from Colorado lumber, but I have had less direct conversations with them.

My interest in NLT is to create a pathway to Colorado mass timber with the fewest and lowest possible barriers to entry, primarily for small projects with little appetite for cost premiums or complicated logistics. The challenge is primarily that all the mills manufacture only studs, 2x4 and 2x6, 12 feet long. I would also like to be able to use underutilized, low cost species (like Ponderosa Pine) from forest treatments. I am working actively on this now.

I would be happy to get on a call an discuss all the ins and outs in the new year.

@greg_kingsley Just curious, what would be the ideal dimensions for mill to produce to satisfy your vision of small NLT projects?

It would be great if you and @heblomgren can talk further. Feel free to take it off line if needed, or keep some updates public in this thread if the discussion can help others AND you 2 dont mind:)

@greg_kingsley Thank Greg.  SPF and SPF-south always needed to be separated into two different species combinations.  SPF is from Canada only (NLGA grade rules).  SPF-south pertains to USA (WCLB and WWPA and NELMA grade rules) and has different species in the combinations.  So CLT manufactures that can do SPFs certification in their product reports can work.     You can't get past step one if you don't have lumber that is structurally graded and 3rd part stamped in accordance with NLGR.  I've never seen a sawmill running Ponderosa Pine with structural grade stamp.  It may not exist currently.    So - engaging with sawmills is essential.  Happy to talk more on this topic.

Thanks, Hans-Erik. I had picked up on this distinction between my last post and this one, but am deeply appreciative of your advice. 

@ling Lumber can be milled up 20 ft, but it is not common now and usually requires a specialty mill. 8-12 ft is the most common range, maybe up to 16ft. So the key is to use local lumber to fabricate NLT FOR mass timber without finger-jointing or gluing how to deal with butt joints. @greg_kingsley

Thanks @jianhuizhou . Right, I can imagine there is a different investment if you want to start finger-jointing vs. just cut and plane.