How is cross laminated timber produced and why is it a sustainable building material?
One of the most innovative products is cross laminated timber (CLT). In this blog post, you will learn how CLT is produced and why it is a sustainable building material.
Strength and stability.
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is manufactured by stacking layers of sawn timber (usually 3-7 layers) crosswise and bonding them together with adhesive. The layers are usually cut to the desired dimensions before assembly and then joined with a combination of pressure and adhesive. CLT is a type of solid wood panel in which the layers lie on top of each other at a 90 degree angle. In contrast to chipboard or MDF, CLT consists only of natural wood and is therefore 100 percent biodegradable.
Another advantage of CLT is its strength and stability as a building material. It is known that, due to its fiber structure, wood is strong in the direction of the fibers and weaker parallel to the fiber. The cross-lamination of the individual layers of wood in CLT results in uniform and high strength in all directions. This makes CLT an ideal building material for load-bearing structures and especially for high-rise timber buildings.
CLT is also a very efficient building material. The prefabrication process enables components to be manufactured quickly and precisely. Thanks to the simple assembly and processing, the components can be assembled quickly and easily on site. This reduces construction time and offers additional cost savings.
A clear conscience.
Apart from its mechanical strength and efficiency, CLT is also a sustainable building material. Wood is a renewable raw material and can be produced in large quantities through sustainable forestry. In Europe and North America, the volume of trees in forests has increased in recent decades. By using wood as a building material, we can help reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, as the carbon dioxide absorbed during photosynthesis is sequestered by using wood in construction.
Cross laminated timber (CLT) is an innovative building material that not only impresses with its mechanical properties and high efficiency, but also with its sustainability. By using CLT, we can build with a clear conscience and make a contribution to climate protection. We hope that this blog post will help to raise awareness of the benefits of CLT as a sustainable building material and emphasize the importance of using wood in construction.
