ADVANTAGES

Structural Integrity

CLT is the basis of the tall wood movement, as the material’s high strength, dimensional stability and rigidity allow it to be used in mid and high-rise construction. The world’s tallest mass timber building – Mjøstårnet Tower by Voll Arkitekter in Norway – is now reaching 18-storey and 85 metre high. With enormous structural load-bearing capacity, CLTstrength-to-weight ratio is approximatively 20% higher than steel and 4 to 5 times higher than non-reinforced concrete. 

Structural Integrity

Fire resistance

Mass timber can be designed to accommodate sustainable fire resistance. Exposed surfaces char on the outside at a predictable rate, which forms an insulating layer protecting interior wood from structural damage. As a result, mass timber fire ratings, tested according to ISO 834 standard, largely exceed all building codes requirements. 

Fire Resistance

Seismic performance

High strength-to-weight ratio reduces mass timber constructions foundation size, inertial seismic forces and embodied energy. Consequently, mass timber buildings have the potential to be designed as resilient structureswith superior performance in a seismic event. Besides, they can be quickly assessed and repaired, allowing for fast re-occupancy after earthquakes. 

Seismic performance

Thermal Insulation

Timber is a naturally insulating material that creates a barrier between heat and cold. CLT buildings offer an additional thermal benefit in that the precise nature of the manufacturing process means air leakage is very limited within the building envelope.

Thermal insulation

Productivity

Since mass timber panels are lightweight, prefabricated and then easily assembled on site, buildings made from mass timber have shorter project timelines and safer construction sites. Mass Timber buildings are roughly 25% faster to construct than concrete buildings, require 90% less construction traffic (trucks delivering materials), and 75% fewer workers on site.

Productivity

Sustainability

Global Wood Tech uses only mass timber components certified PEFC or FSC® and complying with the International standards relevant for Environmental Product Declarations (EPD). Globally, mass timber construction is a revolutionary low-carbon footprint system. The production of CLT panels results in a final storage of carbon dioxide, while producing one ton of concrete emits nearly one ton of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Compared to steel and concrete construction systems, the overall carbon footprint of a CLT building is lowered by up to 75%.

As it is available readily manufactured from sustainably managed forests as well as its long-term storage of the carbon absorbed by the sustainably grown trees, the production of CLT results in substantially fewer greenhouse gas emissions than many non-wood materials. Due to their engineered manner panels are manufactured to exact measurements and requirements which results is less wastage and a simplified building process.

Sustainability

Design versatility

Available in Non-visual quality (NVQ), Industrial visual quality (IVQ) and Architectural visual quality (AVQ) with the opportunity to order special finishes on request, CLT panels are particularly versatile. Slabs can be used for all assemblies just by varying the thickness. Furthermore, long spans are possible to achieve without supporting structures.

Design versability