Cross-laminated timber

CLT-plate with three layers made from spruce

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a subcategory of engineered wood[1] panel product made from gluing together at least three layers[2] of solid-sawn lumber (i.e. lumber cut from a single log).[3] Each layer of boards is usually oriented perpendicular to adjacent layers and glued on the wide faces of each board, usually in a symmetric way so that the outer layers have the same orientation. An odd number of layers is most common, but there are configurations with even numbers as well (which are then arranged to give a symmetric configuration). Regular timber is an anisotropic material, meaning that the physical properties change depending on the direction at which the force is applied. By gluing layers of wood at right angles, the panel is able to achieve better structural rigidity in both directions. It is similar to plywood but with distinctively thicker laminations (or lamellae).

CLT is distinct from glued laminated timber (known as glulam), which is a product with all laminations orientated in the same way.[4]

  1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-07-21. Retrieved 2019-01-02.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Karacabeyli, Erol; Douglas, Brad (2019). CLT handbook: cross-laminated timber. Forest Products Laboratory (U.S.), FPInnovations, Binational Softwood Lumber Council. Pointe-Claire, Québec: FPInnovations. ISBN 978-0-86488-592-0. OCLC 1159152153.
  3. ^ Kremer, P. D.; Symmons, M. A. (August 2015). "Mass timber construction as an alternative to concrete and steel in the Australia building industry: a PESTEL evaluation of the potential". International Wood Products Journal. 6 (3): 138–147. doi:10.1179/2042645315Y.0000000010. ISSN 2042-6445. S2CID 109434228.
  4. ^ "Glulam/CLT Structural Timber Association". Retrieved 2017-01-02.