Timber Strong at Berkeley Information

Due to its renewability and lower manufacturing energy footprint compared to steel and concrete, wood is a leading sustainable building material. Since 2017, ASCE has partnered with the American Wood Council, APA - Engineered Wood Association, and Simpson Strong-Tie to pilot the Timber-Strong Design Build Competition. For the first time, a Timber Strong team is launching at Cal this year! Our team aims to act as a design-build firm responsible for planning and constructing a two-story wood light-framed building that is sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, and structurally durable. The team will deliver a building information model, prepare a project bid, produce construction documents, and analyze the structure’s carbon footprint. Further, competition “Build Day” brings together teams from other schools for a 90-minute build period in which builders assemble the structure within an 18' x 18' area as efficiently and safely as possible. Overall, the Timber Strong team at Cal plans to be a welcoming and all-inclusive club that exposes students to the responsibilities of Civil Engineers, Architects, and Construction Management roles all while in a friendly-competition environment.