And finally, besides undertaking our very first European ILBA Conference in September 2019 in Germany, we are not standing still. The ILBA also is part of a larger scope of International effort as we actively participate in a desperately needed Mass Wood Thermal Performance study. This is being led by Dr. Timo Manz and his associates at IMT Institute in Frankfurt Germany. The IMT, several other European Log Building and Mass wood Associations, the Great Lakes Log Crafters Association, the Log Homes Council, and the British Columbia Log and Timber Builders Industry Association, are now establishing a forensic Thermal performance study in partnership with the National Research Council of Canada, using, among other resources their giant thermal test hanger in Ottawa, Canada. We will be placing and monitoring 5 various log and mass timber structures, as well as a “stick-built” control structure, each 3 meters X 3 meters X 3 meters in size and volume. Completely riddled with thermo-coupled sensors, each projecting 5000 readings per minute, it is the collective goal to “prove” the effective advantages of solid wood walls in a world where energy demands are constantly challenged. By 2030, and earlier in Europe, code requirements for new construction will demand Net Zero energy performance. We need to be ready for these challenges and champion our craft and trade. May the forest be with you!
ILBA BOARD INITIATIVES
We developed early on, the only guidelines for our trade and craft, publishing our Log Building Standards which was used worldwide as the reference in log building practices. The ILBA was a major participant in the subsequent development and pursuant publication of the International Codes Council Building Code reference to log construction, the ICC400, the STANDARD FOR THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF LOG STRUCTURES, and continues to participate in its subsequent reviews and updates. Notwithstanding the ICC400, we also advanced our cause by publishing our own ILBA EFFECTIVE PRACTICES AND METHODS for HANDCRAFTED LOG HOME CONSTRUCTION, which raises the bar even higher than what code parameters defined in basic principle.
The ILBA is constantly in motion, as new challenges are presented to the Industry, you and I and our fellow builders, designers and suppliers to the log home Industry. As an organization, the ILBA Board of Directors are presented with many challenges on where to devote our next energies.
Pursuing educational goals and opportunities to share our collective knowledge and skills, the Board is also taxed in serving its membership as best as possible. For this reason, we have taken the time and expense to re-vamp our website, making it a lot more user-friendly and a much better “tool” and resource for you, our members. It is also in this vein that we have also decided to publish Log Building News in print format, as the publication gets a lot more readership and circulation amongst members, employees and clients that it did in an “on-line-only” format. These two measures were formerly cut out as a cost savings tactic, but had not proven to be prudent in how ILBA members seek and circulate information. We look forward to your comments and feedback on these new Board initiatives.
