It might seem perverse to be concerned about how to
construct new buildings when the Republic is falling down around our ears, but
the world moves on, even if millions of Americans refuse to move with it.
Back in 2014 I looked at the possibilities in building
buildings of wood—cheaper, greener, and quicker rather than steel. The technology, if proven, might open up new
markets for the green products of the Illinois countryside.
Crain’s
Chicago Business recently wrote of work going on in that promising field in
Chicago. Working with the University of Cambridge in England, structural
engineers from the Chicago office of Thornton Tomasetti are studying the limits
of available, locally sourced timber materials in the construction of a
high-rise they’ve dubbed the River Beech Tower. Architects have imagined two
80-story honeycombed towers set on the Chicago River made of pre-made sections
off-loaded from barges and assembled on-site. Two stories will be built next
summer to study how best to join the structure’s modules.
As I noted in my column, no American manufacturer produces the
cross-laminated timber components needed for such projects. Central
Illinois would be perfect spot for such a plant, being near major building
markets and served by an excellent transport system.
This article appears in Aug 24-30, 2017.
