International Beams says its upcoming CLT plant will be the biggest in U.S.
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Photo By University of Maine

DOTHAN, Ala. – On June 20, we reported that Florida-based International Beams, a manufacturer of high quality, pre-fabricated i-joist beams, was converting a General Electric 227,000-square-foot into a highly specialized manufacturing facility.

But we didn’t yet know what they were going to make. Now we do.

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International Beams says the plant will be the biggest cross-laminated timber manufacturing facility in the U.S. when it opens in early 2018. The $19.6 million expansion will create 60 jobs at the plant right away, and create other jobs in local timber, sawmill, and trucking. Two hundred jobs will be created altogether.

International Beams says the CLT panels produced in Dothan will be sold mainly in the U.S. market. The company will use southern pine lumber to construct the panels. 

D.R. Johnson, another manufacturer of cross-laminated timber, says the system for constructing CLT involves assembling prefabricated parts, speeding construction, and paring labor costs. Planks of timber are glued and orientated at 90 degrees to each other and are then cross-laid in layers. Those pieces are then shipped to construction sites and can be assembled by just a few workers - even for large buildings.

ARTICLE

Manufacturer of LVL I-joists opens first U.S. factory

International Beams, a manufacturer of high-quality LVL I-joists with two plants in Canada, adds a 227,000-sq.ft. U.S. factory.


Advocates of CLT say it can be used to construct buildings of equal strength and fire-resistance as those made of steel and concrete. It has also fueled the passions of architects and environmentalists, who believe it to be a much greener method for housing the world's growing population. 

Due to its benefits for carbon capture and reduced CO2 emissions in construction, CLT has sparked interest worldwide. Proposals for new projects include a 100-story tower in London, a 40-story building in Stockholm, and a residential complex in Vancouver.  The U.S. is even on board, with a 12-story CLT highrise in the works in Portland.

The Framework building, the first timber high-rise in the U.S., is set to open Winter 2018.

At its other plants, International Beams produces solid-sawn I-joists - strong, lightweight, "I" shaped engineered wood structural members that meet demanding performance standards. I-joists are comprised of top and bottom flanges, says the APA, which resist bending and provide outstanding shear resistance. The flange material is typically laminated veneer lumber (LVL) or solid sawn lumber, and the web is made with plywood or OSB. The robust combination of structural characteristics results in a versatile, economical framing member that is easy to install in residential and light commercial projects.

Find out more about International Beams here.

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About the author
Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at [email protected].