Construction Industry News
On July 20, 2022, CTBUH officials traveled to Milwaukee to declare the 25-story Ascent the world's tallest hybrid wood and concrete building. In two of the massive timber categories, the building was the tallest in the world. At 85.4 meters, Mjstrnet in Brumunddal, Norway, was certified by CTBUH in 2019, the previous tallest wooden building in the world. Ascent is now both the tallest wooden building and the tallest concrete-wood hybrid building in the world. The previous tallest concrete-wood hybrid building was the 84-meter-high HoHo Building in Vienna, Austria, which was completed in 2020.
Daniel Safarik, director of research and thought leadership, introduced a plaque that will be placed on the facade of the opulent residential building, which rises to a height of 86.6 meters (284 feet). In the CTBUH research project “Future Timber City: An Awareness and Educational Program for Future, Sustainable, Dense Cities,” funded by the USDA Forest Service and the Binational Softwood Lumber Council, the project serves as a pivotal case study.
"Ascent is a very exciting project," Safarik said. "It helps spark the conversation about how we're building more sustainable and healthier cities, especially in light of massive urbanization and the increasing impacts of climate change."
Tenants began moving into the project on July 15, and it was featured prominently in the "Timber Skyscraper" episode of the Engineering the Future documentary series in the months leading up to its completion (streaming on Amazon Prime). After the formal certification ceremony, Assistant Deputy Secretary Dan Hereth of the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) read a proclamation on behalf of Governor Tony Evers designating the third week of July in the U.S. state of Wisconsin as "Mass Timber Week." . To enable the construction of larger mass timber projects without compromising safety, the DSPS has been instrumental in pushing revisions to state building regulations.
This was a success story of the mass timber construction trials. While Ascent began construction in August 2020, it took nearly two years of research, testing, planning and collaboration with external stakeholders to get there. The process brought together experts from around the world and created a highwood model that could pave the way for future projects.
Compared to a similarly sized traditionally constructed concrete building, the use of solid wood for the structural system is expected to reduce construction time by approximately 25%. Because every beam, column and panel arrives on site, prepared for mounting and with precisely pre-drilled holes down to 1.5 millimeters (1/16-inch), Ascent was constructed using a "digital twin" model.
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