A new research project is examining how mass timber and prefabrication could make temporary Air Force housing faster to deploy while enabling future reuse.
Engineers at Auburn University are partnering with the US Air Force to redesign deployable military housing using mass timber, with the aim of creating temporary barracks-style structures that can be assembled quickly.
Led by the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, also known as Auburn Engineering, the project brings together structural design, materials testing and prototype development with expertise in architecture and building science. Battelle, an applied science and technology organisation, is also partnering with the Air Force to build the prototypes.
The work focuses on improving structures traditionally built using light wood-frame construction. While this approach can be effective, it may require several days of on-site assembly and additional measures to withstand harsh climates.
According to David Roueche, associate professor in Auburn University’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Air Force needs temporary housing that can be transported, assembled and occupied quickly. Mass timber could help meet those requirements by shifting more construction work into prefabrication, reducing assembly time on site and improving thermal performance in cold-weather deployments.
Existing light wood-frame structures can require four or five people working eight- to 10-hour days over four or five days to build a single structure, equivalent to about 160 to 200 person-hours, Roueche said.
“With prefabrication, we are shifting some of that work away from the site,” he said. “When shelter is critically needed, the actual assembly time should be much less.”
Finding the right balance
A central engineering challenge is balancing strength, efficiency and deployability. The structures must be durable enough to withstand demanding environments without becoming unnecessarily heavy or difficult to transport.
Researchers are looking beyond simply replacing conventional framing with mass timber. Standard cross-laminated timber (CLT), for example, may be stronger and thicker than necessary for a deployable structure.
“Standard CLT is almost overkill for this application,” Roueche said. “It provides more strength than we need, so part of the challenge is figuring out how to use mass timber more efficiently.”
The team is assessing designs that could improve structural performance while protecting insulation within the assembly, which is particularly important in cold-weather conditions. Testing at Auburn University’s Advanced Structural Engineering Laboratory will be used to evaluate the strength, stiffness and overall behaviour of the designs.
Designing for reuse
The project is also considering what happens when temporary housing is no longer required.
Jake Elbrecht, assistant research professor in Auburn University’s McWhorter School of Building Science, said flexibility and redeployment were important considerations in the design of temporary structures. Designing components for disassembly and reuse could support faster redeployment while reducing long-term costs.
Researchers are therefore examining structural and thermal performance alongside component reuse, weighing how these priorities affect design decisions.
“This is a fantastic opportunity to showcase a great partnership with the Air Force and mass timber,” Roueche said.
