Part of vernacular in forest-rich settings, plank construction is a straightforward and widespread manner of constructing walls. Timber board widths share equivalent lengths, widths and thicknesses. The planks are juxtaposed, aligned and joined either horizontally or vertically to form story height load bearing enclosures. Vertical plank systems relate to palisade building, while horizontal systems are akin to Scandinavian log construction as planks are placed one over another with corner overlaps or some type of detailed joinery. Construction methods have also included tongue and groove joints between vertical or horizontal pieces to ensure greater dimensional stability. In all strategies, plank width is the dimensional module for composing partitions. An alternative system employed vertical and horizontal planks as a post and beam frame infilled with horizontal pieces. This construction method is sometimes referred to as the Québec Plank Frame or pièce sur pièce in French.
Offshoots have been attempted in both steel and concrete. The Myton house system is an industrialized construction system deployed in Great Britain in the outbreak of post-war prefabricated building systems. The Myton unit is a vertical precast concrete strip reinforced with ribs, to shape a shallow U-plan, the ribs are inset in relation the panels’ width generating a perimeter lip that is set against the subsequent panel’s lip forming a continuous modular ribbing pattern on the inside of the panels. The precast panels infill a precast concrete skeleton composed of corner posts and horizontal floor beams. The concrete wall envelope emphasized greater strength and thermal mass than conventional stud wall construction. Planks were structurally dowelled together, and joints were caulked. The organizing grid was 16 inches in width by 8'-0" in height (one storey). Structurally, the system relates to box frame construction as the planks, posts and beams shape a rigid braced surface area. Conventional floor and roof joists completed the two storey structures. The dowel, bolt and steel plate assembly made it simple to assemble and theoretically possible to facilitate repairs and replacements as the panels could potentially be dismantled. The exterior concrete wall finish was criticized and deemed defective for shoddy construction and premature weathering most certainly caused by inadequate weathertightness.
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| System description from CMHC's Catalogue of House Building Systems (source: https://dahp.wa.gov/sites/default/files/Catalogue_of_House_Building_Construction_Systems_1960_0.pdf) |
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