CLT (Cross Laminated Timber) panels are becoming an increasingly popular material for the construction of eco-friendly houses and buildings.
Initially, the idea of building houses from glued timber panels originated in Switzerland. In 1996, industrialists from Austria became interested in this idea and created an innovative technology for the production of CLT panels based on it.
In a short time, this technology became popular in the construction field and became widespread not only in Europe but also in Canada and Japan. It turned out that houses built from CLT timber have high fire resistance, increased seismic resistance, and can withstand earthquakes of magnitude up to 7 points. Also, the growing demand in the world for green technologies is fueling the success of this technology.
What is CLT construction?
CLT construction is a technology that is changing global trends in residential development. Until recently, it was not possible to build tall timber structures due to the relative weakness of traditional timber construction methods.
Thanks to the new material, it became possible to build mid-rise and hi-rise objects. Since the CLT construction panel is a ready-to-use product, the building process is characterized by lower costs, less need for skilled labor, and less waste. In Europe, many apartment and public buildings are built from CLT panels.
World engineers and designers conducted a series of studies and calculations, establishing that such panels can be used to build buildings up to 30 floors high. By combining CLT with metal and concrete, the height of the building can be increased even further.
Also, CLT panels are used for the construction of private houses. CLT house is 30% lighter than a steel and concrete structure, so there are fewer building foundation requirements. There is also no shrinkage at all.
Only light electrical appliances, a crane, and a small team of workers are needed to erect the building. All panels are numbered and delivered according to the installation plan. Assembly takes place in record time, with a single panel installation taking about 20 minutes. The dry method of cross-laminated timber construction allows starting interior decoration immediately, thereby reducing the time for commissioning the house.
Where are CLT panels used?
CLT panels are a versatile building material used as wall, ceiling, and roof elements. It can also be used in conjunction with other building materials such as concrete, brick, steel, glass, etc.
Due to its natural characteristics, the CLT wall has a high thermal insulation coefficient. This feature is appreciated by consumers in countries with cold climates (North America, Scandinavia).
CLT wall panels glued at the factory from dried wood do not require plaster, thereby reducing the period of finishing work and the time for putting the building into operation.
Cross-laminated timber production process
CLT is a panel of an odd number of layers of lamellas glued together in perpendicular directions.
Softwood-edged material with a moisture content of 12 +/- 2% is usually used as blanks for CLT products, depending on their purpose. The most popular trees used are fir, spruce, and pine. All wood is FSC certified.
The dried blanks are faceted and then spliced onto a toothed tenon in order to obtain the material of the desired length and quality. For bonding, a polyurethane adhesive is used that does not contain formaldehydes and solvents harmful to health.
After pressing, the CLT panels go through a sanding step to obtain a flat and smooth surface. Then, door and window openings are made in the panels, and channels and platforms are milled for laying various communications. All this takes place in CNC machining centers with high precision.
We use equipment from leading world manufacturers, Ledinek and Hundegger. This guarantees the production of high-quality and environmentally friendly cross-laminated wood.
CLT advantages in comparison with other materials
The new building technology has more advantages than disadvantages, so its popularity is constantly increasing. Among the advantages of CLT panels, it is worth noting the following:
- They are made of natural wood, so a healthy microclimate is established inside the premises.
- Thanks to the special treatment, the buildings are distinguished by the absence of shrinkage.
- The building is highly fire-resistant. During testing, a CLT wall 180 mm thick was heated on the reverse side by 10°C per hour under the influence of heating 1200°C.
- CLT price is quite reasonable. A square meter of a finished house made of CLT panels is cheaper than a square meter of a house built from competitive materials.
- When planning the interior and exterior, you can implement any architectural style.
- Walls and ceilings are distinguished by high sound absorption.
- CLT walls are not blown by the wind and have no gaps in them that need to be sealed.
- CLT building system provides a minimum amount of waste and construction debris.
- Such panels have low thermal conductivity and high heat capacity. Therefore, the thermal insulation index of a house made of CLT panels is 3-5 times higher than that of buildings made of brick and concrete.
LCT timber features
CLT panels are available in two types: visual and non-visual quality. Visual quality panels can be used without exterior finish due to the aesthetic appeal of the wood as a finishing material.
CLT panels have a number of positive environmental characteristics common to all wood products: a softer ecological impact, fewer greenhouse gas emissions during production, and carbon retention in a bound state.
The maximum size of cross-laminated timber panels is 18 m in length and 3.5 m in width. Thickness – from 3 to 7 layers or from 60 to 360 mm.
More detailed specifications can be found in this table:
Our certificates
The quality of our CLT panels is confirmed by the following certificates:
- European Technical Assessment ETA-21/0914 of 2021/11/25
- Rezult Sanitary Epidemiology
- Rezult Ukraine LLC FSC
How to order CLT construction panels?
To place an order, click here or contact the sales department at the phone number indicated in the contacts.
Our managers will advise you on any issues, including CLT cost, ordering, product details, and others. Please feel free to contact us in any convenient way to find out all the details!