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The Mysterious Laminated Timber: Why Can CLT Achieve Higher Structural Rigidity?
Laminated timber (CLT), as an emerging building material, has received widespread attention in recent years due to its excellent structural properties. This kind of wood, which is made of three or more layers of solid wood core materials interlaced and bonded, has excellent rigidity and changes the anisotropic characteristics of traditional wood. The structural design of CLT can effectively improve stability and resistance to deformation when withstanding external forces, making it an important choice for modern architecture.
The cross-layer design of laminated wood not only increases the strength of the material, but also makes it adaptable to a variety of construction needs, from high-rise buildings to small structures.
Historical background of CLT
The invention of laminated wood can be traced back to the 1920s, but the real development was in France in the 1980s and Austria in the 1990s. Gerhard Schickhofer of Austria explored the characteristics of CLT in depth in his doctoral thesis and cooperated with a number of small-scale sawmills for industrial production. With the support of government funding, they successfully built the first CLT presses, thus pioneering the production source of laminated timber.
In 1998, CLT was officially approved for commercial use as a material in Austria and the European Union, and subsequently became rapidly popularized amid the green building craze in Germany and other European countries. In North America, although it started a little later, it has gradually begun to receive attention in recent years.
The evolution of building codes
The successful application of CLT benefits from the formulation of a series of building regulations. In 2002, Austria formulated national CLT guidelines based on Schickhofer's research, and then in 2006 and 2015, a number of relevant standards were introduced in Europe and internationally to give CLT legitimacy and protection in the structure.
With the improvement of building regulations and the increasing public awareness of laminated timber, the scope of application of CLT is also expanding, becoming the new favorite of architects and developers.
CLT manufacturing process
CLT’s manufacturing process is rigorous and divided into nine steps. From wood selection, grouping, filing and cutting, to adhesive application, panel assembly and pressing, every step is critical. These processes ensure perfect bonding and structural integration of the wood.
Particularly when it comes to moisture management in wood, maintaining the proper moisture levels in the wood is crucial to avoid internal stresses. Proper craftsmanship not only enhances quality, but also ensures CLT's environmental profile, as its materials are sourced from renewable forests.
Advantages and challenges of CLT
As a building material, CLT has a number of advantages. The flexibility of its design allows it to be used on a variety of structures, including walls, floors and roofs. In addition, CLT is light in weight, which can reduce the load on the foundation compared with traditional building materials, thereby reducing construction costs.
The environmentally friendly characteristics of CLT also make it find a place in the current trend of sustainable architecture, making it an ideal choice for designers to promote green buildings.
However, the application of CLT still faces challenges, such as high production costs and lack of technical experience, which deters some engineers and contractors from making choices. In addition, in terms of sound insulation and vibration performance, the current standardized testing methods cannot be fully applied to CLT, and these require joint efforts from the industry to overcome.
Application scope of CLT
CLT is used in a wide range of applications, from park cabins to high-rise buildings, and even in facilities such as bridges and parking lots. The Smile structure in London and Forte Living apartments in Melbourne are both quite successful examples. These buildings prove that CLT is not only a practical building material, but also aesthetically appealing.
The most eye-catching is of course the 2022 Ascent MKE building in Milwaukee. This 25-story building utilizes a large number of CLT components, marking the successful use of forest resources in modern high-rise buildings. In the future, as the technology matures and market demand increases, we have reason to expect that CLT will be more widely used.
As we look for greener, more structurally sound building materials, will laminated wood be the building material of the future?
