Materials - Freres Engineered Wood

Wood vs. Concrete & Steel

The environmental benefits of selecting wood products for your construction project over concrete and steel are substantial. Wood not only requires less energy to produce, but as a result it generates less carbon than other structural materials. In fact, trees are among the most advanced carbon-sequestering vehicles on earth, retaining carbon not only after harvest but through the life of the wood product.

Studies show the volume of wood harvested each year accounts for only 20% of new annual growth. While concrete and steel are finite resources, wood is recyclable, reusable, and reclaimable.

Comparing Mass Ply to Lumber-Based Products

Living up to the reputation of industry leader in sustainable practices, Freres developed a new and innovative class of engineered wood products: Mass Ply.

Assembled by combining extremely thin layers of wood veneers, Mass Ply is a major contributor to the mass timber movement. It is produced primarily from small-diameter trees to mitigate overstocked forests in the Northwest, uses 20-30% less wood than cross-laminated timber (CLT), and is as strong as — or stronger than — other structural composite lumber (SCL) products. As a result, Mass Ply products are forging new ground in mid-to-high rise construction, replacing steel and concrete in buildings up to 18 stories tall.

What Are Mass Ply Products — CLT (left), Mass Ply (right)

Cost-Effective

Mass Ply panels are faster to install, use 20-30% less wood than CLT, and allow you to obtain all your structural elements from a single supplier, reducing volume and cost.

Eco-Conscious

Mass Ply products require less energy to produce and emit less carbon than other structural materials, using timber that can be harvested in more environmentally friendly ways.

Strong & Versatile

Mass Ply has superior strength, high seismic integrity and fire resistance, and has been used for everything from single family homes to commercial buildings and bridges.

Please see our Life Cycle Assessment and Environmental Product Declaration for a detailed examination of the environmental impacts of Mass Ply products, and learn more about why these assessments are important on our blog.

Mass Ply products are forging new ground in mid-to-high rise construction, replacing steel and concrete in buildings up to 18 stories tall.

Resins

All resins used to produce our engineered products contain formaldehyde, a Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) that occurs naturally in the environment and breaks down quickly. Although some are concerned about health issues related to formaldehyde in building materials, studies have shown that resins in our products do not contribute significantly to formaldehyde emitted naturally from the wood.