What is CLT
What is CLT and Why it is the future of construction
WHY BUILDING IN CLT IS SMART
Material benefits
Negative carbon
Strong in compression, tension and shear
Large unsupported spans possible
Lightweight
Warm to the touch
Well-being and learning advantages
Easy to insulate
Zero Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC)
Attractive finishes available
Readily re-purposed or recycled at end of life
Societal and regulatory
Meets ESG obligations
No carbon taxes
Could be carbon offset opportunities
Easier planning (helps Councils meet sustainability targets)
Potential S106 cost mitigation
Buildability
Speed of installation;
Simple, low cost installation;
Easier logistics and project management;
Fewer skilled operatives required- no need for brick-layers;
Precision cut-no draughts. Windows and doors will fit off plan;
Smaller, lighter foundations;
Build, or build more units, on marginal ground conditions;
Ideal to achieve good EPC performance and suits Passiv Haus approach;
Factory routing of conduits-reduce/eliminate first fix.
On Site
Fewer vehicle movements;
Cleaner, easier to manage site;
Reduce scaffolding requirement;
Safer environment.
Financial and Business
· More developments pa; lower prelim cost; faster cash turn; more profit in a given time;
· Meets future carbon requirements. Future Proof your business;
Quicker build=lower finance cost;
Faster weather proof envelope mitigates risk of bad weather and risk of delays;
Speed and simplicity of build improve team’s productivity;
Development finance and warranties available in the market.
Owner and User
Easier to sell;
Higher rental/price;
Mortgages available in the market;
Product readily monitored via Smart systems
Building the future with cross-laminated timber (CLT)
What is CLT and Why it is the future of construction?
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) is made of strips of spruce, pine or Douglas fir (called lamellae) laid orthogonally and glued under pressure.
It is made in dedicated factories in standard panels which typically measure 13 metres by 3 metres. However other sizes are possible.
The glues used in the production of CLT by and large are zero VOC. If you wish to order CLT, Lamella MMC will check the glue with the manufacturer for you before processing the order
Globally (CLT) cross-laminated timber is being recognised as the product to change the face of construction.
It is the only feasible solution to carbon negative development for residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Whether in stunning structures like wooden high-rises and floating staircases or more everyday applications, CLT offers strength and stability, rapid assembly, cost effectiveness and excellent sustainability credentials.
CLT construction is rapidly becoming adopted by the more advanced developer with an eye for the future.
CLT wins hands down. Stronger than steel, lightweight, superior acoustic, seismic, fire, and thermal performance, cross-laminated timber is currently being adopted and replacing concrete, masonry and steel in the construction of residential, commercial, and industrial buildings.
CLT buildings can be built in a faction of the time a traditional build would take.
Safer, quicker, reduced financial exposure, reduced marker pricing exposure, increased profits and stability for investors.
CLT panels are pre-cut to size in the factory using computer-controlled CNC machines. CLT is cut to a high precision so fixing on site is dramatically reduce and quality of finish is far superior to traditional build methods .
A quick note on Carbon emissions in Construction and Light Weight
CLT-Cross Laminated Timber- sometimes known as Mass Timber (with Glulam, LVL etc) is the only readily available carbon negative structural material from which to build superstructures.
Delivered, say,1000km by road to site (Most Mass Timber comes from Continental Europe) by conventional road haulage, one cubic metre of CLT sequesters 180 kg of carbon dioxide.
That is to say that one shipped cubic metre of the material holds 180 kg of carbon dioxide in its structure for as long as the material remains intact- and we know that timber is a very long lived material.
The oldest timber building in the world is c. 1400 years old. That one is in Japan but in England there are plenty of examples of robust timber structures dating back to the middle ages.
On the other hand our old friend concrete emits 900kg of carbon for every tonne of the material. And a cubic metre of concrete weighs 2.4 tonnes, so a cubic metre of concrete emits 2.16 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
And that is before you even transport it anywhere.
CLT weighs just 480 kg per cubic metre. So concrete is 5 times heavier per given volume than CLT and in carbon (and no doubt financial terms) is commensurately more expensive to transport (at 62 grammes of CO2 per kg per kilometre .
We all need low carbon buildings and the only way to get to Net Zero construction is to build in CLT.
Light weight is a great advantage in everything. In construction the light weight of CLT can save cost on foundations and enable you to build more on the same footprint than concrete (or masonry for that matter) would.