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Andersen Construction announced this week that it has completed the first vertical use of cross-laminated timber in the state.

The 24-foot-high CLT panels, averaging eight feet in width, were manufactured by D.R. Johnson in Riddle, according to Brad Barcroft, Andersen’s senior project manager for work at Western Oregon University’s Richard Woodcock Education Center in Monmouth.

Earlier this year, CLT was used horizontally for a roof at the new Elephant Lands exhibit at the Oregon Zoo. Barcroft said Equilibrium Engineers worked on the zoo project as well as the one at WOU, where 23 load-bearing CLT panels were used instead of concrete beams in the education center’s stairwells.

The stairwells are located on each side of the two-story, 57,000-square-foot building that will house 13 classrooms, 86 offices, three computer labs and conference space. Construction is expected to finish in June 2016.

Barcroft said placing each CLT panel was similar to setting vertical precast concrete, but with the advantage of faster completion. Plus, minor adjustments can be made on-site with a saw, which would be impossible with concrete.

鈥淭ypically, we would have used concrete or steel,鈥� Barcroft said. 鈥淭here are lots of different things we could have used, but this is new technology.鈥�

Oregon officials have been pushing for the use of CLT, made from sustainably-grown young trees, as a way to boost the state’s timber industry. CLT was a point of discussion for Gov. Kate Brown and others at the 2015 Oregon BEST FEST last month.

Barcroft said he’s glad to be part of the new trend.

鈥淚 was pretty excited to be part of dealing with new technology and doing something that could be meaningful to the economy of Oregon down the road,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat was kind of cool.鈥�