CROSS LAMINATED TIMBER PANELS

 THICKNESS: USUALLY 100-300 MM (4-12 INCHES) CAN BE 500 MM (20 INCHES)

 DIMENSIONS: RANGE FROM 1.2 TO 3 M (4 TO 10 FT) IN WIDTH AND 5 TO 19.5 M (16 TO 64 FT)
IN LENGTH.
 WEIGHT: 480 kg/m3

CALLED CLT PANELS IT IS A TYPE OF ENGINEERED WOOD CONSISTING OF LAYERS (USUALLY 3,5,7 OR 9)
ORIENTED AT RIGHT ANGLES TO ONE ANOTHER AND THEN GLUED TO FORM STRUCTURAL PANELS.
MOST CLT PANELS ARE MADE FOR A SPECIFIC APPLICATION WITH PRESCRIBED SIZE, SHAPE,
APPEARANCE, AND MACHINED SECTIONS. CLT PANELS CAN BE TOPPED WITH CONCRETE TO FORM
TIMBER CONCRETE COMPOSITE (TCC), A HYBRID SYSTEM USED TO REDUCE CROSS SECTIONS, INCREASE
SPANS AND LESSEN NOISE TRANSFER AND VIBRATIONS. CLT CAN BE USED TO SUBSTITUTE CONCRETE
AND IS APPLICABLE TO USE IN MULTISTOREY TALLER WOOD CONSTRUCTION.

SOME NOTABLE STRUCTURES THAT HAVE UTILIZED CROSS LAMINATED TIMBER ARE MJOSTARNET OR
“PLAYSCRAPER” LOCATED IN BRUMUNDDAL, NORWAY THAT IS SAID TO BE THE TALLEST TIMBER BUILDING
IN THE WORLD WITH CLT BEAMS THAT IS ENOUGH TO REPLACE REINFORCED CONCRETE AND STEEL. THERE
IS ALSO THE MACTAN CEBU INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT MADE FROM 4,500 M3 OF GLUE-LAMINATED
TIMBER. THE TIMBER BEAMS WERE PREFABRICATED IN AUSTRIA AND ASSEMBLED IN CEBU IN ONLY
THREE MONTHS.
For the proposed market clt panels are to be used as a layering material together with cross laminated
bamboo to form the supporting columns, wall cladding, roof trusses and beams.

ADVANTAGES
NATURALLY RESISTS FIRE, SIGNIFICANTLY
SLOWING COMBUSTION (CAN LAST 3 HOURS IN
980 DEGREE CELSIUS). IT CAN BE TREATED WITH
FIRE RETARDANTS FURTHER INCREASING ITS
PERFORMANCE.
IT WILL NOT ROT IF WELL MAINTAINED, PROPER
DETAILING AND USE OF SEALANTS, COATINGS,
FLASHING AND DEFLECTION DEVICES CAN
PROTECT IT FROM MOISTURE.
Despite being five-times lighter than concrete, clt
has comparable strength to concrete while being
a renewable and low carbon alternative
CLT STRUCTURES CAN BE PREFABRICATED
OFFSITE AND INSTALLED IN A SHORTER TIME
IT IS CONSIDERED AN ENVIRONMENTALLY
SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL SINCE IT UTILIZES
SECTIONS OF LUMBER THAT ARE NORMALLY
DISCARDED FOR BEING TOO SMALL
IT HAS BEEN PROVEN THAT CLT HAS THE
CAPACITY TO ENDURE SEISMIC ACTIVITY.
MULTIPLE TESTS HAVE BEEN DONE IN JAPAN IN A
MULTI-STORY CLT BUILDING WHERE
EARTHQUAKES ARE FREQUENT.
DISADVANTAGES
STANDARD CODES AND REGULATIONS DO NOT
FOLLOW THE MAXIMUM HEIGHT OF CLT
CONSTRUCTION.
DESPITE BEING A RENEWABLE TYPE OF WOOD IT
IS STILL CONSIDERED EXPENSIVE ECONOMICALLY,
SPECIALLY DUE TO THE FEW MARKET SELLERS
PRESENT.
DUE TO THE WALLS HAVING NO CAVITIES
PROVISIONS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE IN ORDER
TO ACCOMMODATE FACILITIES LIKE PIPING AND
CABLING
ONCE CONSTRUCTION STARTS FOR AN
ELABORATE PLAN IT MAKES IT HARDER TO MAKE
ALTERATIONS FOR THE MATERIAL.
A RECENT STUDY BY THE UNIVERSITY OF
TENNESSEE FOUND THAT BY VACUUM-
TREATING THE BOARDS WITH A BORATE
SOLUTION, GOOD PENETRATION WAS
RECORDED, WHICH WOULD RESIST SOME
INSECT INFESTATION BUT NOT TERMITE
ATTACK.

References:

https://cwc.ca/en/how-to-build-with-wood/wood-products/mass-timber/cross-laminated-timber-clt/
#:~:text=Panel%20thicknesses%20usually%20range%20between,to%2064%20ft)%20in%20length.

https://www.naturallywood.com/products/cross-laminated-timber/

https://greenbuildingcanada.ca/2022/cross-laminated-timber-construction/

https://business.inquirer.net/315043/are-we-ready-for-timber-buildings