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Ottawa Wood Conference draws professional specifiers attention towards building with sustainable wood.

The 2018 Ottawa Wood Conference held at the Shaw Centre in downtown Ottawa drew over 200+ architects, engineers, building officials and other members of the design community. The Ottawa conference is fast becoming the premiere event for wood education.

At this years event there was several exhibitors that were showcasing wood products that could result in lowering the carbon footprint when it comes to building multi-story wood structures while also making a good cost comparison to building with steel or concrete. Several break out sessions were held with guest speakers from around the world. Sessions included topics on “Structural Design of Mass Timber Framing Systems” presented by Tanya Luthi, a Senior Associate at Fast + Epp and “Midrise Cost Comparison: Steel, Concrete and Wood” presented by Patrick Crabbe, Project Coordinator, Atlantic Wood Works.

Thermally modified wood caught the eye of the attendees at this years show. The woods cell structure is changed through heat, steam and lack of oxygen controlled through an autoclave that controls the atmospheric pressure. The woods cell structure is changed in the process of thermal modification which in turn allows less water to be absorbed into the wood. The process is completely green and once completed the wood becomes more stable and very resistant to mold which in turns makes the wood highly resistant to rot and decay. It also carries a Class B fire rating based on ASTM E84-16 for surface burning characteristics of building materials.

CFPWoods located in Guelph, Ontario distributes a variety of thermally modified wood products made from both Ash and Pine species. The company sells through strategic dealer locations both in Canada and the United States. The Ottawa area is serviced by Lanark Cedar which has showroom locations both in Ottawa and Carlton Place. The company offers material along with install and prefinishing services for thermally modified wood in both decking and siding.

Building with wood has dramatically changed in today’s construction landscape. The concept of traditional stick framing and wood sheathing is still very prevalent but a host of new and innovative building materials provide new approaches and building design solutions that rival even the most traditional materials such steel and concrete. Thermally Modified Wood will exist and thrive in this new marketplace. We like to say “Natural Wood, UnNatural Performance”. Let us show you how it’s changing today’s construction landscape.

Thermally modified wood used in mid-rise construction

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