Mass Timber Construction Journal

We welcome you to submit a manuscript to our very first special edition. 

The MTCJ Board welcomes Dr. George H. Berghorn, from Michigan State University as our very first guest editor. Dr Berghorn is an Assistant Professor of Construction Management in the School of Planning, Design and Construction at Michigan State University. He also serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Sustainable Wood Construction in the Department of Forestry. Dr Berghorn is the Research Director of MassTimber@MSU and Assistant Director of the MSU Industrial Assessment Center. His work focuses on advancing sustainable construction practices, with a particular emphasis on mass timber, workforce development, and the integration of emerging technologies in the built environment.

Background 

The global expansion of mass timber construction has moved beyond a niche innovation and now represents a credible pathway for decarbonising the built environment, advancing industrialised construction, and reshaping mid-rise and urban development. Despite this momentum, a persistent constraint remains. The workforce required to design, manufacture, and deliver mass timber buildings at scale is underdeveloped, unevenly distributed, and often misaligned with the technical and organisational demands of the sector.

The challenge is not only one of capacity, but of capability. Mass timber introduces new material behaviours, regulatory considerations, and integrated delivery models that extend beyond conventional construction practice. These shifts place pressure on existing education systems, training pathways, and professional development frameworks, which were not designed for a digitally enabled, prefabrication-led, and low-carbon construction paradigm. As a result, the sector faces a structural gap between innovation in practice and preparation of the workforce needed to sustain it.

The Mass Timber Construction Journal invites contributions to a special issue focused on preparing the mass timber workforce of the future. The issue seeks rigorous, solutions-focused scholarship that advances understanding of how education, training, and industry collaboration can address workforce constraints and enable the continued scaling of mass timber construction. Contributions that engage with real-world implementation, interdisciplinary integration, and measurable outcomes are particularly encouraged.

Guest Editor
George H. Berghorn, PhD – Michigan State University – berghorn@msu.edu

 Overview, Rationale, and Contribution to the Journal
As mass timber construction continues to accelerate globally, workforce capacity continues to be a persistent and critical constraint on increased adoption. This special issue will examine how education and workforce training can support scaling mass timber by addressing key technical demands in the manufacturing, design, and construction sectors through solutions-focused scholarship that addresses workforce gaps.

Scope and Themes
Topics may include any of the following, as they relate to mass timber:

• Curriculum innovation in higher education and skilled trades
• Industry-academic partnerships for enhanced experiential learning, including labs, field experiences, and virtual field trips
• Emerging educational technologies, including augmented and virtual reality
• Competency frameworks and credentialing for manufacturing professionals, architects, engineers, and construction professionals
• Workforce development strategies, including upskilling and reskilling of the existing workforce
• Applications of generative AI in education, design, and construction workflows
• Faculty professional development programs
• Critical workforce competencies, including safety, fire design and codes, and digital skills (e.g., BIM, prefabrication workflows)

Note: This is not an exhaustive list of topics – we welcome discussion of your ideas with the special issue guest editor.

Timeline

• Call for papers: Ongoing, 17th  of April through 31 October 2026
• Submissions due: Rolling through 31 December 2026
• Reviews and Final Decisions: Reviews will be completed and final decisions issued on a rolling basis through 28 February 2027
• Publication: Papers will be published electronically as they reach final decision

We look forward to your contribution. Welcome, Dr Berghorn to the editorial team. 

Editor-in-chief

Dr. Paul Kremer