Mass timber is rapidly transitioning from a niche material to a mainstream construction solution, and ironworkers across the country are making it clear — they’re prepared to take the lead.
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According to WoodWorks, the number of commercial, institutional and multifamily mass timber projects either in progress or already built has increased fivefold in just seven years. While the building boom raises questions about workforce availability amid a persistent labor shortage, ironworkers are confident they’re already battle-tested.
“We look at mass timber, there’s nobody better suited to establish the hoisting, placement and overall job flow of a structural project as an ironworker,” said Coby Foust, a fourth-generation ironworker and president of Foust Fab & Erectors in Colville, Washington.
Ironworkers argue that their work with structural steel naturally positions them for mass timber installations.
“We have that heavy rigging skill set to be able to assemble any kind of skeleton framing for a building,” Eric Dean, general president of the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers, told Construction Dive.
Foust’s own company is already experienced in the material. His team helped erect Walmart’s new headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas — a massive project featuring 21,000 cubic meters of cross laminated timber and glulam.
Still, he notes that mass timber requires a more delicate touch than steel.
“Mass timber, I kind of joke about it with the guys, has feelings. It’s an architectural finished product,” Foust said. “If a worker hits the mass timber too hard, that could leave a dent that would require repairs down the road. Structural steel can take more of a beating.”
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Anticipating rapid growth, unions are already expanding training programs.
Thirty-five Iron Workers locals are now using mockups of mass timber structures to train apprentices, with materials supplied by WoodWorks and Vaagen Timbers. Some locals even share their 12-foot-tall practice installations with other regions.
These mockups, said training specialist Jason Rafter, are crucial to getting workers comfortable with timber during early apprenticeships.
Even with their confidence, ironworkers acknowledge teamwork is essential.
“A composite crew is the best approach, and structural members should be the ironworkers, because that’s what they do, and they’ve been doing it for decades,” said Tom Baun, ironworker mass timber consultant and president of 3 Tree Consulting.
He emphasized the importance of blended teams of carpenters, electricians and ironworkers, where each trade plays to its strengths.
A recent example is the Brookhaven City Centre project in Georgia, where steel and timber crews worked side-by-side to deliver a smooth installation.
“By combining those skill sets, we weren’t approaching the work from a single point of view,” said Carter Schmid of McCarthy Building Cos. “In the end, that mix of disciplines created a stronger, more well-rounded crew and led to a smoother, higher-quality installation process.”
Originally reported by Matthew Thibault in Construction Dive.
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