To meet the interest of architects and developers for constructing efficient and sustainable wood structures and buildings, StructureCraft has built a new state-of-the-art facility in Abbotsford, British Columbia and is now the first North American manufacturer of DLT (Dowel Laminated Timber) –  the only all wood mass timber product.

The new facility sets a new standard in industrial building design with wood. Prefabricated wall and roof panels are designed with a variety of mass timber and engineered wood products, including DLT, LSL, NLT, and Glulam. To demonstrate the flexibility of mass wood in industrial buildings, StructureCraft designed the entire building as a demountable structure, providing flexibility to expand or move the facility entirely to a new location.

“Our team aimed to develop a signature structure and to expand what’s possible with wood from fast installation to cost effectiveness. The erection of the timber superstructure commenced on a Monday, and our crew had the entire building installed by that same Friday. In just one week, all four walls and a 40,000 square foot roof were up,” says Lucas Epp, head of engineering.

“We wanted to build an efficient and cost-effective building, and showcase the advantages of building with engineered wood for the industrial buildings of tomorrow.”

From the new 50,000 square foot facility, StructureCraft will continue to collaborate with its clients, pushing the limits in off-site prefabrication, timber engineer and mass timber construction.  As part of supporting the demand for efficient and sustainable structures, a completely automated production line using custom-designed machinery from Europe has been installed in the new timber facility to produce DLT. This production line is the largest capacity DLT line worldwide, and has launched a new cost-efficient mass timber product into the rapidly growing North America market.

Photo: Production equipment at Abbotsford facility