Cincinnati Public Radio's new headquarters marked its topping out as the first mass timber building in the city

CINCINNATI (Cincinnati Business Courier) - Doug Steimle, principal at Schaefer Inc., has long been known as “the wood guy.”

The nickname stemmed from Steimle’s expertise in the light-frame wood construction. But the benefits of using light-frame wood – cost-friendliness and the ability to fabricate off-site – are countered by problems constructing taller buildings.

Wood shrinks. And the taller you build with wood, the more it shrinks, Steimle said, creating a ripple effect of issues on a project.

In 2010, Steimle learned about mass timber. It boasts many of the same benefits as light-frame wood, while offering a simple solution: Mass timber can be pre-shrunk. It can be solid wood timber or engineered wood. It’s commonly used for wall, ceiling or roof panels.

Steimle said mass timber solves the issue of going tall with wood.

It’s taken some time for mass timber to take off in the region.

But now, two of the city of Cincinnati’s first mass timber buildings are underway. Steimle sees big possibilities for the material.

Read the full story from the Cincinnati Business Courier.