Get cross with it
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) has emerged as a popular material of choice for residential and commercial buildings throughout New Zealand, in line with European and American trends.
Originally developed in Europe in the 1990s, CLT is a wood product made of several layers of structural grade lumber that are arranged crosswise and glued together.
One of its advantages is its strength-to-weight ratio, which is comparable to concrete, despite being five-times lighter. These days it is used as a sustainable alternative to form walls, roofs, floors and even ceilings.
FAST FACTS
- American researchers found that a hybrid, mid-rise CLT commercial building provided a 15-20 per cent reduction in global warming potential, depending on the building design.
- Research shows that properly designed CLT structures provide significant fire resistance, withstanding more than 90 minutes of burning before collapsing, compared with 17 minutes for a single-storey wood-frame home.
- CLT is a strong, tough, light-weight material with good performance in an earthquake, and because of its lightweight frame, a CLT structure isn’t likely to collapse as heavily on inhabitants during an earthquake compared to those made entirely of steel or concrete.
- Faster installation is a huge benefit. CLT panels can be prefabricated at an offsite manufacturing facility and then installed in a shorter time because fewer joints are needed between interior support elements.
