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Large-format plywood (MPP) developed by Freres Lumber in Oregon, USA, is about to hit the market. This type of board can have up to 216 layers, with panel sizes ranging from 12 ft x 48 ft and thicknesses from 1 in to 24 in. Its strength is sufficient for constructing walls, ceilings, and load-bearing components. It 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. Its advantages, such as faster project completion and reduced need for highly skilled workers, contribute to cost reduction, which is more pronounced in the US than in Europe. While CLT and LVL have steadily entered the market in recent years, MPP is poised to become another rising star. A significant characteristic of MPP is its large size, and another is its use of veneer. While engineered wood products tend to use small wood chips as raw materials, MPP opts for veneer. Founded in 1920, Freres Lumber has long supplied veneers for engineered timber. They excel at evaluating timber products from a veneer perspective, believing that veneers offer superior performance, ease of drying, structural quantification, and high log utilization, making them one of the best materials available for next-generation engineered timber products. The company is located in the American Northwest, a region rich in Douglas fir. While Douglas fir plywood produced from it is more expensive than OSB (osmotic veneer), the resulting products are of a much higher quality.
A facility at the Portland Museum of Art displays the dimensions, thickness, and strength of the panels.
Initial test results in 2015 were positive, with acceptable data and performance comparable to CLT. A patent application was filed in October, and construction of the production facility began in March 2017, with an investment of $30 million. Issues arising from the increased scale of the production line have been resolved. Minda provided a hydraulic press that met the requirements. Unlike producing thinner plywood, the pressing process is difficult to heat; therefore, Hexion's heat-free MF resin was used for curing.
Pressure from cheap imports was a major challenge, with the US becoming a dumping ground for panel products. Companies had to increase product value to survive. Visits to CLT (Chemical Laminate) companies in Europe were inspiring and impressive, but they realized that veneer was a better idea. Making CLT requires cutting away defects in the wood, while thinner, multi-layered veneers distribute defects throughout, resulting in a more uniform structural performance. Furthermore, compared to CLT, MPP (Medium-density veneer) is easier to accurately provide the dimensions required for design specifications.
Another view of the Portland Museum of Art facilities
Improving timber utilization and efficiently using small-diameter logs are crucial for products to compete with other wood products and demonstrate ecological benefits. The company now effectively utilizes timber with a diameter of less than 5 inches to produce 4-foot-wide plywood with minimal waste. The average diameter of the logs used for veneer production of its main engineered wood products is 8.5 inches, with a minimum diameter of 4.75 inches. The company also utilizes various thinned and secondary forest timber.
The 2021 international building code may allow large timber buildings to reach 18 stories, which will be a new development opportunity. The company is preparing for this and believes that large timber buildings will have a future.