Mass Ply products (MPP) are massive, large scale, structural composite lumber based panel designed as an alternative to concrete and steel, and Cross Laminated Timbers (CLT).
CLT Products have been used in Europe for decades as a substitute for concrete construction and have been used in multi-story construction in the United Sates, with many building code jurisdictions allowing high-rise construction up to 18 stories! To ensure the safety of mass timber structures, mass timber panels in the United States must meet more stringent certification requirements regarding fire performance, quality control, and structural performance than similar European products.
Freres developed MPP to maximize the natural strength of the wood, while adding dimensional stability. It can be cut precisely to customers’ specifications using Computer Numeric Control (CNC) technologies.
Mass Ply products are patented, veneer-based, engineered wood products that provide superior performance characteristics over mass timber products such as CLT, Glulam beams, and solid sawn lumber. The building block of each Mass Ply Product is Freres Structural Composite Lumber (SCL), which consists of multiple layers of density-graded Douglas Fir veneers. These veneers are glued and pressed in a variety of combinations and orientations, and finally joined together to create 1” layers (called lamellas).
The versatility and consistency of our SCL lamellas provide the ability to create engineered mass timber products in a wide array of applications such as wide-format panels, beam and column applications, and just about any industrial application utilizing heavy timbers. Each of these product lines – Mass Ply Panels, Mass Ply Lams, and Mass Ply Industrial are certified by the APA- The Engineered Wood Association.
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The construction of multi-story, mass timber buildings is rapidly increasing for a variety of reasons.
We love wood, and building with wood has significant benefits over concrete and steel. Our Mass ply products have raised the bar for mass timber construction and can out-perform lumber-based mass timber in many ways.