Smith, R E; Griffin, G; Rice, T and Hagehofer-Daniell, B (2018) Mass timber: Evaluating construction performance. Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 14(1-2), pp. 127-138. ISSN 1745-2007
Abstract
This research investigates the added value or negative impact of mass timber construction (MTC) when compared with traditional site built construction. The project documented mass timber case studies and collected cost and schedule data for each built case from three stakeholders - architect, general contractor, and mass timber fabricator. This data were compared with site built cost and schedule performance data provided by cost estimation firm Cummings Corp. for building types of similar size. The study found that mass timber improves project cost when compared with traditional site built construction. In addition to the quantitative comparison, a survey protocol of qualitative opportunities and challenges associated with MTC was solicited from project stakeholders. This resulted in an analysis of frequent lessons learned and best practices for mass timber project delivery for to be taken into consideration by stakeholders.This research investigates the added value or negative impact of mass timber construction (MTC) when compared with traditional site built construction. The project documented mass timber case studies and collected cost and schedule data for each built case from three stakeholders - architect, general contractor, and mass timber fabricator. This data were compared with site built cost and schedule performance data provided by cost estimation firm Cummings Corp. for building types of similar size. The study found that mass timber improves project cost when compared with traditional site built construction. In addition to the quantitative comparison, a survey protocol of qualitative opportunities and challenges associated with MTC was solicited from project stakeholders. This resulted in an analysis of frequent lessons learned and best practices for mass timber project delivery for to be taken into consideration by stakeholders.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | construction performance; mass timber; lessons learned; case studies; construction; architectural engineering; delivery scheduling; timber; construction sites; added value; delivery contracts; timber construction; construction costs |
| Index terms: | case study, architect, construction performance, survey, added value, cost estimating, schedule performance, delivery contract, delivery scheduling, construction site, lessons learned, best practice, project cost, construction cost, general contractor, project stakeholder, timber construction, project delivery, mass timber, architectural engineering |
| Subjects: | contractual arrangements, work location, economic analysis, professional development, building materials, project controls, project delivery, design practice, data collection methods, economics, practitioner, business, financial and cost management, profession, sociology, performance assessment |
| Topics: | Business Strategy, Research Practice, Site Management, Roles and Professions, Procurement, Stakeholder Management, Construction Materials, Cost Management, Information Management, Time Control, Design Practice |
| Descriptive scope: | 4 PCEA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here