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Mass Plywood Panel (MPP), developed by Freres Lumber in Oregon, is about to enter the market. This panel can have up to 216 layers, with panel sizes up to 12 ft x 48 ft and thicknesses ranging from 1 inch to 24 inches. It is strong enough to form walls, ceilings, and load-bearing structures. This will have a significant impact on off-site construction. Components, including door and window openings, can be prefabricated in the factory to the required dimensions. This accelerates construction schedules and reduces the need for highly skilled labor, ultimately reducing costs. These advantages are more pronounced in the United States than in Europe. CLT and LVL have steadily entered the market in recent years, and MPP is poised to be a rising star. MPP is notable for its large size and its use of a single sheet. While man-made panels tend to use small wood chips as their raw material, MPP relies on a single sheet. Freres Lumber, founded in 1920, has been a supplier of veneer for engineered wood for many years. They specialize in examining lumber products from a veneer perspective, believing that veneer, with its superior performance, ease of drying and structural quantification, and high log efficiency, is one of the most superior materials available for the next generation of engineered wood products. The company is located in the northwestern United States, where Douglas fir is abundant. Douglas fir has excellent properties, and while plywood made from it is more expensive than OSB, it offers a significantly higher quality product.
An installation at the Portland Art Museum shows the scale, thickness, and strength of the panels.
Preliminary test results in 2015 were positive, with acceptable test data showing comparable performance to CLT. A patent was filed in October, and construction of a production facility began in March 2017, with a $30 million investment. The challenges associated with larger panels have been resolved. Minda provided a hydraulic press that met the requirements. Unlike the production of thinner plywood, the press process requires heating, so Hexion's MF resin, which cures without heat, was used.
Pressure from cheap imports is a major challenge, with the United States becoming a dumping ground for panel products. Companies must improve the value of their products to survive. Visiting European CLT companies inspired and impressed them, but they realized that using veneer panels was a better idea. While CLT production requires cutting out imperfections in the wood, thinner, more ply-coated veneers distribute these imperfections throughout the board, resulting in uniform structural performance. Furthermore, compared to CLT, MPP is easier to precisely design to the required dimensions.
Another side view of the Portland Art Museum facility
Improving wood utilization and effectively utilizing small-diameter logs can help products compete with other wood products and demonstrate ecological benefits. The company can now effectively utilize wood with a diameter of less than 5 inches, producing 4-foot-wide plywood with minimal waste. The average log diameter for veneer used in its primary engineered wood products is 8.5 inches, with a minimum diameter of 4.75 inches. The company also utilizes a variety of thinnings and secondary forest wood.
The 2021 International Building Code may allow large-scale wood buildings to reach 18 stories, which will be new development opportunities. The company is preparing for this and believes that large-scale wood buildings will have a future.