Detailerat Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation in Penticton, BC
Hi, my name is Kiana Rowlands and I currently on my second work term at Structurlam Mass Timber Corporation as a detailer. During this work term I have been developing my 3D modelling and 2D drawing skills through Cadwork. As a detailer, I read and interpret structural and architectural drawings to 3D model the pieces needed for the fabrication of the scope of a project (Glulam, CLT, steel, or hardware). More recently, I have been working on a mock-up for a larger project which is still in the design stage, so I have been able to learn how the design of steel connections is influenced by the ability to erect each piece. During both of my co-op terms with Structurlam, I have been able to use my Excel/VBA skills to create or modify code for new processes; more specifically, this work term I have been able to work on the production data engine, which is the file that is used to run the plant in Conway, Arkansas. As a co-op student, I have been able to learn and develop new skills that I wouldn’t have otherwise. Co-op has also helped me learn what type of job/career path that I would like to follow.
Envisioning the next generation of tall wood building design, manufacturing and construction
A mass timber building in Finland showcases laminated veneer lumber (LVL) structural composite lumber made out of dried and graded wood veneer.
Formerly the stuff of dreams, tall wood buildings have arrived on the scene as a more sustainable alternative to concrete and steel construction. At 18-storeys, UBC’s Brock Commons mass timber student residence – made possible by a site-specific building code – became the world’s tallest wooden building in 2016. In 2020, the Government of BC’s Tall Wood Initiative allowed for the construction of 12-storey mass timber buildings across the province.
Environmentally, wood building construction is said to have key climate mitigating advantages. It’s estimated to have 20% less carbon dioxide (CO2) intensity in tons of emissions per dollar of output compared with fabricated metal products, 25% less CO2 intensity than cement and 50% less than iron or steel, according to a 2020 study led by researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The burgeoning tall wood building field has opened up a multitude of new avenues for research and innovation, sparking the launch of the Sustainable Timber Built Environment (STBE) cluster at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship in 2022.
“STBE is a multidisciplinary social and applied sciences hub that supports teaching and research on holistic approaches to the manufacturing, design and construction of sustainable high-performance timber building systems,” notes cluster member and UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Prof. in Wood Building Design and Construction, Frank Lam (BASc’82, MASc’85, PhD’92).
The UBC Earth Sciences Building shown here features glue-laminated timber (glulam) as well as cross-laminated timber (CLT), which consists of alternating layers of kiln-dried lumber glued together to form plate elements.
Currently comprised of a team of five UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship faculty members in the Department of Wood Science, the cluster is gearing up to attain great heights with mass timber and tall wood building technology.
“In the past, we processed material in one way, mostly focused on low-cost utilization,” notes Asst. Prof. Cristiano Loss, a STBE member and Assoc. Chair in Wood Building Design and Construction. “Now we want to create taller and stronger buildings, so we need to use wood from different types of trees and create and optimize new products and processes.
Another key to advancing the sector will be automation integration, adds Cristiano. Artificial Intelligence, machine learning tools and robotics could be used to aid in optimizing tall wood building design, construction and safety, as well as the manufacture of new engineered wood products. Advances in this field require training members of the up-and-coming workforce who will lead the charge in the coming years.
Laminated strand lumber (LSL) floor plates – made from a composite of flaked wood strands – along with glulam beams and columns form floor elements in the UBC Earth Sciences Building.
“In the near term, STBE will develop a stream in the undergraduate Wood Products Processing program on timber building systems, and set up course-based micro-certificates serving practicing professionals as well as new graduates,” notes Frank. “In the longer term, more involved graduate programs will be considered.”
Frank and Cristiano were recently been joined by STBE cluster members, Assoc. Prof. Minghao Li (PhD’09), Asst. Prof. Haibo Feng (MASc’13, Phd’21) and Asst. Prof. Felix Wiesner. Cluster members will lead several new tall wood building courses, as well as a new lab space to be housed in UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Centre for Advanced Wood Processing.
Shown here under construction, UBC’s Brock Commons Tallwood House student residence features CLT and glulam columns.
“Their expertise is most critical to the development and expansion of mass timber elements for larger and taller timber buildings,” says Frank. “It also nicely complements existing expertise at UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship and UBC Civil Engineering.”
STBE cluster members
Prof. Frank Lam BASc’82, MASc’85, PhD’92 Wood building performance and modeling
As senior chair in wood building design and construction, Frank’s main research interests include developing fundamental knowledge on the performance of solid sawn timber, wood-based composites and engineered wood systems, including testing and developing approaches to enhance the performance, strength and reliability of wood products. His work aims to address issues relevant to the forest products industries in the fields of timber engineering and wood-based composite mechanics to improve the utilization of structural wood products.
Cristiano’s research aims to develop high-performance, wood-based systems and structures, as well as related performance-based optimum design procedures for engineers to provide them with cost-effective and safer buildings that can withstand extreme events. His work focuses on integrating new engineered wood products, structural elements and prefabricated hybrid composite systems into a coherent framework of innovative methods of design and construction for the next generation of buildings and sustainable urban development.
Cristiano is the instructor for the Hybrid Timber Construction micro-certificate starting Fall 2023. Register today.
The main thrust of Minghao’s research is to develop robust structural solutions for timber buildings via experimental, analytical and numerical techniques. He has extensively researched high-performance engineered timber products and innovative connection systems, mass timber and timber hybrid structures. He is particularly interested in the design of resilient timber buildings.
Minghao is the instructor for the Tall Wood Structures micro-certificate starting Fall 2023. Register today.
Felix is an expert in fire safety engineering, with a focus on the fire performance of timber buildings and infrastructure. He has extensive experience in large-scale compartment fire tests to assess the fire dynamics in engineered timber buildings and their structural response. His research also considers the role of fire safety within the context of durability and service life of wood products.
Felix is the instructor for the Fire Safety for Timber Buildings micro-certificate starting Fall 2023. Register today.
With a focus on green building, building information modeling, life cycle assessment and building energy and carbon performance, Haibo is particularly interested in using sustainable technologies to promote zero-carbon timber-frame buildings. He also has extensive local and global experience in sustainable building design and construction management.
Haibo is the instructor for the Zero Carbon Building Solutions micro-certificate starting Fall 2023. Register today.
This article was originally published in the Spring 2023 issue of Branchlines Magazine. View the full issue here.
Mr. W. Gerry Burch is turning 100 in August 2023. In celebration of his distinguished career and lifelong commitment to forestry, we invite you to make a donation to the Gerry Burch Forestry Scholarship. The scholarship recognizes outstanding undergraduate students on track to become future forestry leaders and innovators, much like Gerry, whose contributions to the profession as a Registered Professional Forester and generous volunteerism with the Faculty have left a lasting mark.
About Gerry
Gerry is Canada’s oldest and most highly regarded forester. Born in Cranbrook, BC, in 1923, Gerry attended UBC Forestry & Environmental Stewardship in the 1940s, where he was an active student leader. Graduating with a Bachelor of Applied Science, majoring in Forest Engineering, in 1948, Gerry went on to receive his Registered Professional Forester designation and pioneer significant improvements in sustainable forestry practices, especially during his 41-year service with BC Forest Products Ltd. as a Chief Forester.
A dedicated philanthropist, Gerry has maintained strong ties to the UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship — establishing scholarships, leading fundraising efforts and sharing his wealth of knowledge. In 1994, Gerry helped found the Faculty Alumni Fundraising Committee, and acted as its Vice-Chair. Gerry also Co-Chaired the Growing for the Future Campaign that supported the Forest Sciences Centre, where the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship is housed today.
In recognition of Gerry’s longstanding dedication and tireless efforts in support of the forests and people of British Columbia, the Gerry Burch Working Forest located on the southern slope of Lake Cowichan on Vancouver Island now bears his name. Gerry has been, and continues to be, a leader in all things related to BC’s forests — our province’s most treasured resource.
Join us in celebrating Gerry’s century of life and dedication to forestry by contributing to the Gerry Burch Forestry Scholarship. Your support will help show our collective appreciation of Gerry’s remarkable career and volunteerism while also empowering UBC undergraduate students to realize their dream to become the next generation of forestry leaders like Gerry.
About the Gerry Burch Forestry Scholarship
The Gerry Burch Forestry Scholarship is aimed at empowering exceptional students pursuing studies in forestry-related disciplines. By providing financial support, the scholarship eases the burden of educational expenses, allowing recipients to focus on their academic pursuits and career aspirations.
When you donate to the Gerry Burch Forestry Scholarship, you contribute to building a sustainable future for our forests and the communities that depend on them. Your generosity directly supports deserving students who hold the potential to make significant contributions to forestry research, conservation, and management.
How to Contribute
Giving back to the forestry community has never been easier. Your tax-deductible donation to the Gerry Burch Forestry Scholarship fund can be made securely through the UBC Giving website. Every contribution, regardless of size, plays a vital role in shaping the future of forestry.
When I tell people I’ve recently started a new role as lecturer and coordinator for UBC’s Master of International Forestry (MIF) program, one of the first questions I get is, “what exactly is international forestry”?
There are a number of issues that have brought forests and forestry squarely into the international realm, all of which I find incredibly interesting and engaging, and have led me to devote my career to this area of study. Whether it be migratory species that depend on forest habitat in multiple countries as part of their journey, or the integral role that forests play in regulating the earth’s climate, there is no doubt that international cooperation is required in order to adequately address these issues.
In addition, the companies involved in the forestry industry, as well as in sectors like agriculture that compete for land use, move easily around the world, along with flows of investment capital. Global patterns of consumption and associated supply chains also know no bounds, and have huge repercussions for forests.
In response, in the past few decades, a complex patchwork of international and regional agreements and institutions have been developed to try to address forestry as an international issue. There has never been so much attention paid to forests at this level, and yet, the world’s forests are in trouble. We are facing simultaneous and compounding crises of rapid biodiversity loss and climate change, and millions of forest-dependent people remain in poverty. We know that the factors that are driving these crises are complex, global, and multi-faceted. We know that if managed correctly, forests offer hope and solutions to these problems.
The nexus between international agreements and domestic law and policy is increasingly recognized as key to their effectiveness, and yet implementation remains a weakness. While countries are often willing to sign on to lofty international goals, they may be reluctant to give up autonomy over policy making, or forgo politically popular development opportunities. So it is essential that we understand this part of the system.
Some forest-related issues are being dealt with by many, if not most countries in the world. So “international forestry” is also about countries collaborating on issues that are of common concern. We can compare approaches between jurisdictions, share expertise and lessons learned, and build capacity. Development programs may be designed to improve forest management, or reduce the impact of other sectors, like agriculture and mining.
The world desperately needs more people that are capable of understanding and engaging with these complex issues, which defy conventional academic silos, and this is where the Master of International Forestry program comes in. The MIF program has curated a selection of courses and experiential learning opportunities designed to prepare students to meet these challenges. Having spent more than twenty years working in this field, including for the UN, the Government of British Columbia, and several non-governmental NGOs, I’ve developed a good idea of what the associated job landscape looks like, and what students need to succeed, and I’ll be bringing this to the classroom, as well as identifying internship opportunities.
UBC is well situated to deliver this program. Canada, and BC in particular, provides a microcosm in which we can examine many issues of international concern, including the paradigm shift towards forest management that prioritizes ecosystem health, climate resilience, and biodiversity values, and the increasingly important role that Indigenous peoples play within all of this.
UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia
Within an hour’s drive of Vancouver, we can see examples of Indigenous-led and community-based forest management, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, and transboundary conservation initiatives in action. The campus is surrounded by mature second-growth forest, and one of the world’s most important salmon-bearing estuaries. All of this is located within the traditional, unceded territory of the Musqueam people, who maintain an active and vibrant presence.
The issues that fit under the umbrella of “international forestry” are complex and many, and present endless opportunities for students to learn, become involved, and create professional networks. I’m excited to welcome the new MIF 2023 cohort, and to meet the many alumni that have gone on to do great things in this field.
The new IBioS Collaboratory is an innovation incubator that brings together researchers from multiple disciplines.
Biological diversity in Canada is facing pressures unseen for millennia. According to the Canadian Species Index, between 1970 and 2016, vertebrates known and monitored by the federal government decreased by 4%. Within this category, monitored fish and mammal species declined by an average of 21% and 42%, respectively. These represent only a fraction of species loss in the Canadian wilderness.
At its inception in June 2003, the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) listed 233 species at risk. As of December 31, 2021, that number has jumped to 640 species at risk, according to the 2021 SARA Annual Report to Parliament.
Asst. Prof. Alex Moore
Biodiversity loss is not only a concern for species in decline, it inflicts collateral damage to many other species within habitats and ecosystems. For example, declines in salmon populations reduce a food source for many predators and human communities. This, in turn, decreases the availability of nutrients that benefit trees and other plant and animal life deposited via predator feces.
Addressing the decline in biodiversity involves conducting research into novel conservation approaches, as well as taking science-based actions to preserve biodiversity in the coming years.
The Interdisciplinary Biodiversity Solutions (IBioS) Collaboratory is a cross-disciplinary, UBC consortium formed to address the challenges facing biodiversity loss. It aims to devise innovative solutions that draw on bright minds from various faculties, departments and disciplines across UBC, including the Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship. Its approach combines research and training to co-develop world-class studies, co-advise students, produce policy-relevant solutions and engage with communities, all levels of government and other academic institutions to protect biodiversity for future generations.
“The big picture goal for IBioS is to have meaningful impact related to the conservation of biodiversity,” says IBioS member and Asst. Prof. Alex Moore who is cross-appointed to UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences and the Department of Botany in the Faculty of Science. “IBioS recognizes the need to leverage different knowledge systems to achieve meaningful change in this area.”
Launched in 2020, IBioS members’ UBC cross-appointments range from Geography to the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs, Forestry, Botany, Zoology and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability, to name a few.
“We are all committed to working together, starting with building rapport and community before co-launching research projects,” explains Asst. Prof. Juliet Lu, an IBioS member cross-appointed to UBC Faculty of Forestry & Environmental Stewardship Department of Forest Resources Management and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs in the Faculty of Arts. Juliet’s research background includes political ecology with a focus on the implications of China’s investments in resources.
Asst. Prof. Juliet Lu
By sharing insights from their specializations, group members enrich each other’s knowledge base, filling in blanks and deepening perspectives and understanding, says Juliet.
Before attending the 2022 Convention on Biological Diversity co-hosted by China and Montreal, Juliet spoke with IBioS members to get more background information that could help her maximize her experience. “Many IBioS members have conducted long-term research on the subject, so I went to them to get their perspectives, and then shared some of the knowledge that I’d gained from the Convention with groups members afterwards.”
“We need to recognize the value of the unique skills and experiences of each person and their discipline within the unit,” Alex adds. “Even though my background is largely in the natural sciences, my value is not more or less than anyone else’s who maybe comes from a social sciences or humanities background.”
In the coming years, IBioS will begin the important work of pursuing impact- and solutions-oriented research on how to protect species that are not only important for ecosystem health, but for human health and wellbeing.
The group expects to produce traditional academic outputs, “but, most importantly, it will aim to move the biodiversity conservation needle forward,” Alex notes. “IBioS collaborators are looking for novel approaches that will have a meaningful impact in real-world settings to prevent further species and habitat loss.”
This article was originally published in the Spring 2023 issue of Branchlines Magazine. View the full issue here.
I am interested in how urban forests and other greenspaces foster human wellbeing and social-ecological resilience to climate change. I also study how ecosystem health and people-nature relationships can be strengthened through local urban greening actions and city-level transformations. Overall, the research coming from my team at the Resilient and Innovative Societies and Ecosystems (RISE) lab aims to support equitable nature-based solutions that can contribute to more resilient and healthier futures. At UBC, I also coordinate the UFRH (Hub), a collective that brings together six research labs committed to interdisciplinary research on urban forests.
In most of my research projects, I apply interdisciplinary approaches by combining methods from quantitative modelling, remote sensing, and spatial analysis with participatory visioning, action-research, and arts-based qualitative assessment. I value the integration of different forms of knowledge, and actively promote the incorporation of local traditional knowledge in my projects. To present, I have collaborated with Indigenous groups, local communities and associations, national and municipal governments, non-governmental organizations, and several research institutes in more than 20 countries across the world.
I completed my PhD at Oxford University as part of the Ecosystems Lab at the Environmental Change Institute after working for eight years with the Stockholm Environment Institute and three agencies of the United Nations. At the UBC Urban Forestry program, I have been instructor of UFOR 220 Urban Forest Inventory and Assessment, UFOR 200 Urban Forest and Wellbeing, and UFOR 402 Urban Forest Governance.
Quality Control/Process Assistantat West Fraser in Blue Ridge, AB
For my first summer Co-op term, I have been working with the quality control department for both the sawmill and planner. Some of my responsibilities include: adjusting saw cuts, measuring lumber, lumber grading, and data analysis. I found certain aspects of the position interesting and gained many hands-on experience and a sense of the business side of the industry. To me, Co-op is the perfect opportunity to try out different job positions, finding out what I am passionate about and what I enjoy doing.
Student Research Assistantat Natural Resources Canada in Victoria, BC
This co-op term I have been doing bark beetle reaserch for the Canadian Forest Service based out of the Pacific Forestry Centre in Victoria BC. I have been assisting with multiple research projects on mountain pine beetle and spruce beetle looking at their biology, ecololgy and population managment. A highlight of my summer has been doing field work and travelling all over the province to set up a large-scale mountain pine beetle trapping study. It has been great experience learning about the importance of forest health for forest management and getting to apply what I’ve learned in my forestry classes.
NSO Internat British Columbia Conservation Foundation; Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program in Langley, BC
I am continuing work at the Northern Spotted Owl Breeding Program (NSOBP), a project under the British Columbia Conservation Foundation. The NSOBP is dedicated to preventing the extirpation of northern spotted owls from Canada by captive breeding and release into protected areas. During the breeding season, I learned the meticulous process of hand raising the newly hatched chicks. This entails 24/7 monitoring of chick health and behavior, prepping food, feeding, heath exams, processing fecals, and lots of cleaning. I assisted with the return of chicks back to the nest and watched video recordings to observe their welfare and acceptable parental behaviours from the adult owls. Currently, I am helping with the potential release of viable owls into the wild. I have been trained to test the owls readiness for release by feeding live prey, and aiding in health checks and weighing. As well, I am contributing to the construction/maintenance of owl aviaries, for example, weed whacking to create space and sealing wooden roost boxes. Co-op allowed me to reflect on my experiences and I feel it has been very interesting to go through the processes of the breeding season, meet the people involved, and see the effort it takes to increase the chances of survival for these owls.
Watershed Enhancement Team Leaderat Dillon Consulting Ltd in Richmond, BC
I am working as Watershed Enhancement Team leader for Dillon Consulting in the Salmon Habitat Restoration Program with the City of Surrey. My primary objective is restoring salmon habitat by removing invasives, planting natives, and conducting instream work. This job has taught me many transferable skills such as project management. It has also allowed me to grow as a leader by hiring, training, and supervising highschool crew members. While my primary responsibilities entail extensive fieldwork, I also actively participate in community outreach initiatives, write comprehensive reports, and help out at salmon hatcheries.
