The Hybrid Timber Floor System (HTFS) Project led by EllisDon and Dialog has received more than $550,000 in combined funding from the Green Construction through Wood (GCWood) Program and the Investments in Forest Industry Transformation (IFIT).
EllisDon and Dialog’s patent-pending system is an innovative approach to the existing concept of hybridizing structural materials. The Hybrid Timber Floor System, a mixture of different materials such as concrete and steel combined with mass timber, offers a reduction in carbon and an increase in building design possibilities.
As a composite of post-tensioned concrete, CLT and a structurally engaged topping, it also allows mass timber–based floor systems to be used in non-residential long-span construction that had previously been limited to traditional building materials.
According to EllisDon and Dialog’s study, the HTFS means mass timber can be used to meet the clear spans often desired in the commercial and institutional sectors while delivering exposed finishes. This ability means greener construction options, meaningful use of local natural resources and benefits to the bioeconomy.
“HTFS is a game changer over traditional hybrid wood construction. It allows for the possibility of using CLT in buildings of any type, height and size at a competitive cost,” said Craig Applegath, Dialog partner.
The EllisDon and Dialog study is currently underway at EllisDon’s modular fabrication facility, located in Stoney Creek, Ontario; the facility is an industrial building of more than 27,000 square meters that is fully fit for prefabricated volumetric modules and panelized building components. The project will be completed later this year, with ongoing full-scale and long-term testing planned post-study.
“The hybrid panel presents a unique value proposition allowing for carbon sustainability, the ability for offsite prefabrication and long-span exposed ceilings desired by many commercial tenants. Thanks to the support of the Government of Canada, we are making exceptional progress to move toward a net[1]zero future by implementing sustainable construction materials in new and exciting applications,” said Mark Gaglione director, building and material sciences, EllisDon.
