University of Toronto Timber Day connects research, industry and education in mass timber innovation
On August 17, 2026, University of Toronto’s Timber Day brought together 45 professionals and researchers from manufacturing, engineering, construction, architecture, forestry and academia.
Organized by Professor Aryan R. Rad and his team of graduate researchers in the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering (CivMin), the event combined expert presentations with tours of U of T’s Structural Testing Facilities (STF), including its latest robotic fabrication facilities.
Advancing digital timber construction
CivMin Professor Rezaei Rad presented an overview of state-of-the-art design and digital fabrication techniques for mass timber engineering and construction. His presentation highlighted current research at U of T spanning computational modelling, database and software development, digitally fabricated timber connections and full-scale structural testing. Together, these activities demonstrate how digital fabrication can support innovation across multiple scales, from individual connections to complete structural systems.
Performance under extreme loading
Professor Ghasan Doudak, Vice-Dean of Engineering at the University of Ottawa and Chair of CSA O86, delivered an engaging guest lecture on the performance of timber buildings subjected to extreme loading. His presentation introduced attendees to leading research and development concerning the response of timber structures to extreme loading events and the implications for resilient structural design.
Bioeconomy and sustainable materials
Professor Rasoul Yousefpour, from the U of T Daniels Faculty of Architecture, introduced the Bioeconomy and Sustainable Materials Institute, a new initiative at U of T dedicated to the sustainable management of natural resources. The institute seeks to help establish viable economic pathways for sustainable bio-based practices, products and services.
Education and market development
Dr. Blériot Feujofack presented the Canadian Wood Council’s current education and outreach initiatives. These programs serve industry professionals, academics, students and others interested in advancing the use of mass timber across architecture, engineering and construction.
Tim Buhler and Steven Street, representing the Canadian Wood Council and WoodWorks Ontario, discussed the continued development of the Canadian mass timber market. Their presentation also examined the roles of provincial and federal initiatives in supporting the broader adoption of mass timber construction.
Industry experience from Nordic Structures
David Hanna and Brock O’Donnell of Nordic Structures shared the company’s extensive experience in mass timber design, manufacturing and construction. As a vertically integrated forest-products company focused on wood-fibre optimization, Nordic produces engineered wood products including I-joists, glued-laminated timber beams and cross-laminated timber panels.
The presentation featured recent projects through which Nordic Structures provided integrated design-assist, material fabrication, specialized connection solutions and installation services for mass timber developments across North America.
Tour of the Structural Testing Facilities
Dr. Armin Nassirnia led attendees through CivMin’s Structural Testing Facilities (STF) and introduced the laboratory’s existing experimental capabilities. The tour also featured the world’s first adjustable multidimensional (AMD) structural testing system, which is currently being installed and commissioned.
Professor Rad and his graduate research team then presented their ongoing full-scale experimental research on cross-laminated timber shear-wall systems. Attendees observed the 1:1-scale test specimens and learned about the digitally fabricated, high-performance connections being developed and evaluated as part of this research.
Robotic fabrication for structural timber applications
Attendees also toured U of T’s largest robotic fabrication infrastructure designed for mass timber applications and manufacturing. Structural components fabricated using the robotic system were displayed, allowing participants to examine the relationship between computational design, automated fabrication and structural performance.
The tour demonstrated how advanced manufacturing infrastructure can support structural engineering research and enable new forms of timber components, connections and building systems.
Robot Made Pavilion and robotic fabrication laboratory
At the John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, attendees were welcomed by Dean Mason White. Nicholas Hoban then presented the robotically fabricated modular timber columns developed for the Robot Made Pavilion. The presentation traced the columns from conceptual design through robotic fabrication and physical assembly, followed by a tour of the Faculty’s robotic fabrication laboratory.
U of T’s Academic Wood Tower
The final tour introduced attendees to the design and construction of U of T’s Academic Wood Tower, a 14-storey mass timber building currently under construction at the downtown St. George campus. Planned to become Canada’s tallest academic timber building, the tower is intended to serve as a prototype for the broader use of mass timber in institutional construction, both nationally and internationally.
Through its combination of presentations, technical discussions and facility tours, Timber Day demonstrated how collaboration across engineering, architecture, forestry, manufacturing, industry and standards development can help move mass timber innovation from research and digital fabrication to structural testing and building-scale implementation.
By Professor Aryan Rezaei Rad
Past timber fabrication collaborations with the Department of Civil & Mineral Engineering and the Daniels Faculty of Architecture include Robot Made.