Cross-laminated Timber Market Application – Residential Buildings, Educational I

Posted by ROSHAN KHACHANE on July 3rd, 2019

Cross laminated timber is a new generation engineered wood that was developed in Europe. It was first developed and used in Germany and Austria in early 1990s. Cross laminated timber is also known as X-lam and massive timber. It is a prefabricated engineered wood panel that is made up of three to four layers of solid-sawn lumber or composite lumber. This composite lumber is well laminated with gluing of longitudinal and transverse layers with structural adhesives to form a solid rectangular shaped straight and plane timber. Cross laminated timber was first developed and used in Germany and Austria. In the 2000s, Cross Laminated Timber was much widely used in Europe. Cross Laminated Timber has many applications in walls, roofs, and ceilings. The thickness of the timber can be changed according to the requirements of the application. It is an eco-friendly product, which is used as a sustainable material in various building systems such as single-family and multi-storey housing, etc..

Cross laminated timber is used as a substitute for concrete and steel. While constructing a building, it is important for materials to be reliable, durable, and have longevity. Despite being five times lighter than concrete, CLT has comparable strength per weight ratio to concrete. The multi-layer wooden panel of the timber spans in two directions. Each layer is placed cross-wise to the adjacent layers to increase its stability and strength. Buildings using Cross Laminated Timber carry the same strength as concrete, while minimizing cost and construction time. Cross Laminated Timber also outperforms in earthquake zones. Buildings using cross laminated timber are cost competitive as compared to those built with steel and concrete. Prefabrication helps in contributing to cost savings in Cross Laminated Timber. It also helps to coordinate designs, manufacturing, and on-site construction. Overall project costs are reduced because the construction schedule is shorter and materials are brought to the site ready to be installed.

In terms of type, the global cross laminated timber market can be classified into adhesive bonded CLT and mechanically fastened CLT. Based on application, the global cross laminated timber market can be segmented into residential buildings, educational institutes, government/public buildings, and industrial and commercial spaces.Rise in demand for sustainable building materials, positive developments in the green building movements, and changes in international building code are key factors driving the global cross laminated timber (CLT) market. In Europe and North America, cross laminated timber has become a preferred product in the construction of residential buildings. As the construction industry in Europe and North America has shifted its focus to a sustainable approach in constructing residential buildings, demand for cross laminated timber has risen Light frame wood (LFW) construction is the most commonly adopted construction type in the residential housing sector.

Constant research activities in the construction and wood industries are likely to create new opportunities for cross laminated timber manufacturers. The North American Advisory Committee on cross laminated timber along with its Research and Standards Sub-committee, were formed specifically to develop a roadmap for code adoption for the usage of cross laminated timber for other applications such as educational institutes, industrial and commercial spaces, and government and public buildings.