New form of lumber makes debut at Oregon Zoo elephant habitat

PORTLAND, Ore. — In a state famous for its timber industry, a new form of lumber is making its debut at an Oregon Zoo construction project. A visitor center at the Oregon Zoo’s under-construction Elephant Lands habitat is believed to be the first in Oregon to use cross-laminated timber. Made from planks of wood cross-hatched together into large sheets, the strength of cross-laminated timber offers flexibility in design not achievable with standard wood construction. The design of the Elephant Plaza building features a cross-laminated timber roof. The strength of the material and its use in the design allowed for the elimination of 20 percent of the steel beams originally needed to support...