Publications Archives | Building and Construction Technology

Clouston, Schreyer Co-Author Definitive Guide on Mass Timber Materials, Design and Construction

February 6, 2026February 5, 2026 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Peggi L. Clouston and Alexander C. Schreyer, professors in the Building and Construction Technology program at UMass Amherst and experts in wood engineering, have written a comprehensive new book, “Mass Timber: Materials, Design, and Construction,” an extensive 576-page volume that serves as a one-stop resource for the rapidly evolving field of mass timber construction. Published by John Wiley & Sons, the book arrives at a critical time as the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry increasingly turns to sustainable wood products to reduce the carbon footprint of the built environment. Clouston and Schreyer’s book bridges the gap between traditional timber knowledge and modern engineering, covering a wide array of topics essential for students and professionals alike, including: Sustainability: Exploration of the climate-related benefits of wood and forest health Material Science: In-depth technical details on Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), Glulam, and structural composite lumber Practical Design: Guidance on building codes, gravity and lateral loads, and complex connection detailing Construction Excellence: Insights into procurement, risk management, and on-site hoisting and storage. The book also...

New Book from Alexander Schreyer: Fundamentals of Residential Construction

October 6, 2022October 4, 2022 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Director of the Building and Construction Technology program is the lead author of a new book Alexander Schreyer, director of the Building and Construction Technology program at UMass Amherst, is the lead author of the recently updated “Fundamentals of Residential Construction,” the most authoritative resource on the topic. This newest, fifth edition is thoroughly revised to reflect the industry’s latest methods, materials, technologies and green building approaches, offering the most up-to-date explanations of today’s residential construction systems and current building codes, including the International Residential Code and energy codes. This edition features entirely new materials sections on metals, plastics, and composite construction as well as expanded and updated content on ventilation, air-sealing, decks and outdoor structures. Provides a solid foundation in residential construction methods, tools, and processes Discusses the latest codes, costs, trends, and best practices in design and construction Offers timely coverage of sustainable building, energy efficiency, multifamily construction, prefabricated building components, CAD/BIM planning tools, and carbon-conscious construction Includes access to...

Two NE Tree Species Can Be Used in New Sustainable Building Material

February 28, 2020February 27, 2020 by Peggi Clouston Comment Closed

UMass Amherst study tested strength of mass timber panels created from eastern white pine and eastern hemlock February 27, 2020 Contact: Peggi Clouston AMHERST, Mass. – Two tree species native to the Northeast have been found to be structurally sound for use in cross-laminated timber (CLT) – a revolutionary new type of building material with sought-after sustainability characteristics, according to research by a University of Massachusetts Amherst timber engineer. The findings, published in the Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering, suggest that these trees – the eastern hemlock and eastern white pine – could support local markets for CLT. The manufacturing of CLT, a type of mass timber used for wall, floor and roof construction, could create jobs, improve rural and forestry economies and support better forestry management, which is a strategy to address climate change, the research says. “This is the future – prefabricated, panelized wood,” says lead author Peggi Clouston, professor of wood mechanics and timber engineering in the School of Earth and...

Schreyer Authors New Edition of ‘Fundamentals of Residential Construction’

April 19, 2017September 29, 2022 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Alexander Schreyer, director of the building and construction technology (BCT) program, has revised and expanded “Fundamentals of Residential Construction” to produce the fourth edition of the guide to professional construction of single-family and multifamily homes. Schreyer joins Edward Allen, formerly of MIT, Yale University and the University of Oregon, and Robert Thallon of the University of Oregon, who wrote the book’s previous editions. The new edition, which is being published by John Wiley & Sons, promises to be essential to the process of learning about residential construction, according to the publisher. “Construction is a slow-changing industry, but it changes, and keeping up with that is really important,” said Schreyer. “It was really exciting to be able to join this book as one of the authors so we can keep pushing the envelope and teach about residential construction. There are lots of people that need to know about it, want to know about it, and want to be builders or build their own...

BCT’s Ben Weil discusses Ice Dams on Boston.com

December 27, 2015December 27, 2015 by Alexander Schreyer Comment Closed

Ben Weil, BCT's extension faculty member in building energy, was called upon recently by Boston.com to discuss the ever-popular winter topic of ice dams. The following article features his very helpful tips for avoiding this common winter nuisance: Ice dam basics: How to prevent them and avoid a lot of costly water damage For more on the topic, also check out our other article on this site: Preventing Ice Dams....