Core Walls for Shafts & Stairwells

At Lam-Wood Systems Inc., we’re changing the way builders approach one of the most critical elements of a modern structure: the core-wall. The core-wall is the backbone of a building’s vertical circulation — the elevator shaft and stairwell that run the full height of the structure — and traditionally, it’s been built from concrete masonry unit (CMU) block. We offer a faster, lighter, and more sustainable alternative, supplying engineered Mass Plywood Panels (MPP) that replace traditional CMU core-walls and transform one of the slowest phases of construction into one of the smoothest.

For decades, the CMU core has been a schedule bottleneck. Laying block for an elevator shaft or stairwell is slow, labor-intensive work that the rest of the build often has to wait on, and it brings heavy material, wet trades, and significant dead load into the heart of the structure. Mass Plywood Panels change that equation entirely. As a prefabricated engineered wood panel, MPP arrives on site ready to install, allowing core-walls to be erected in a fraction of the time it takes to lay masonry — keeping your project moving and your schedule intact.

The advantages of MPP core-walls go well beyond speed. Mass Plywood Panels are dramatically lighter than CMU, reducing the structural loads that have to be carried down through the building and into the foundation, which can translate into real savings across the entire structural design. Because MPP is manufactured from wood veneers under precise factory conditions, every panel is dimensionally accurate and ready to connect, bringing the efficiency of prefabrication to a part of the build that has long resisted it. And as a renewable, carbon-sequestering material, MPP gives developers pursuing sustainability goals a compelling, environmentally responsible alternative to concrete and masonry.

As a supplier of MPP for core-wall applications, Lam-Wood Systems brings both the material and the expertise to make the switch seamless. We provide the panels along with the detailed shop drawings and engineering support that ensure your MPP core-walls integrate cleanly with the rest of your structure — whether that’s a mass timber building where the core completes an all-wood design, or a hybrid structure where MPP core-walls bring speed and weight savings to a steel or concrete frame. Our team works closely with architects, engineers, and contractors to specify the right panels and connections for the demands of your project.

From elevator shafts to stairwells, Lam-Wood Systems Inc. is helping builders across the country rethink the core-wall and discover a better way to build. If you’re looking to shorten your schedule, lighten your structure, and build more sustainably, our MPP core-wall solutions are ready to deliver. Contact us today to learn how Mass Plywood Panels can transform the core of your next project.