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As the new director of forest products at the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Timm Locke鈥檚 job is to promote the use of wood for commercial building. He鈥檚 especially interested in promoting one specific product: cross-laminated timber, or CLT.

Increasing the amount of CLT produced in Oregon would help revitalize the state鈥檚 timber industry, according to Locke. But the hurdles in the way of his mission are many: there is only one certified CLT manufacturer in the country, building codes often restrict its use and more testing of the product is needed.

Although it鈥檚 stronger than glulam, which has been used since the 1980s, CLT is in short supply, Locke said. In order to use the product for structural applications, it must be certified by the APA Engineered Wood Association. But Riddle Laminators in Riddle, Oregon, is the only CLT manufacturer in the United States with that certification

As a result, the cost for CLT has been high while demand has been low, Locke said. That may soon change, though.

This past spring, the Oregon Legislature authorized Business Oregon, the state鈥檚 economic development agency, to promote the manufacture of CLT throughout southwest Washington and Oregon.

Business Oregon is accomplishing the directive by assessing the region鈥檚 current timber resources, identifying possible future manufacturers of assess timber resources, identify possible new manufacturers of CLT, quantifying the economic benefits of producing the product and assessing market barriers.

Even if more manufacturers of CLT do pop up across the country, the building codes in Portland and other cities in the region have height restrictions for buildings using CLT. Locke hopes he can sway cities to change those codes by convincing architects and developers to join his cause.

鈥淥nce we鈥檝e shown (cross-laminated timber) is a viable construction method, the code officials will get on board with it,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hen that happens, there will be a marketplace for products, and banks will loan money to manufacturers.鈥�

Oregon State University also wants to demonstrate that CLT is a viable construction material. The university plans to build a new center to test wood products for use in commercial construction. Developed in cooperation with the University of Oregon, the center will promote long-term research on all engineered wood products, including CLT.

Michael Collins, director of marketing for the College of Forestry at OSU in Corvallis, said the center鈥檚 research could have wide-ranging effects.

鈥淲e will be helping rural economies, and we鈥檒l have taller wood buildings,鈥� he said.

The center also might conduct research that could put to rest a common concern that has led to height restrictions in city codes 鈥� the worry CLT is more likely to catch fire than other building materials, Locke said.

Despite the hurdles he faces, Locke is boosted by the fact that those who have used CLT are, for the most part, giving it rave reviews.

Aaron Blake, principal at Portland-based design-build firm Reworks Inc., said he is using CLT as floor decking in the four-story office building on Northeast Albina Street.

鈥淲e love it and we鈥檝e been working with the supplier in Riddle,鈥� Blake said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e analyzed it structurally and it performs very well in structural analysis.鈥�

Grace Jeffreys, a planner with the city of Portland, said she hopes more commercial projects like Blake鈥檚 will feature CLT in the future.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a great product and excited to seeing they鈥檙e using it and I look forward to seeing more of it in the future,鈥� Jeffreys said.