In the 20 years since its invention in Europe, cross-laminated timber (CLT) has become a widely used construction material in parts of the old continent and has started to attract global attention. CLT possesses numerous advantages as a construction material, including its superior structural and environmental performance, as well as the speed and efficiency with which CLT buildings can be erected. In this study, European engineers were surveyed to learn about their current level of awareness of CLT, the major barriers to CLT adoption, and about the most pressing research needs to advance the use of CLT as a construction material. The study used a web-based survey with a convenience sample of 93 different kinds of timber and civil engineers and/or researchers, most of which belong to a European CLT research network. Results showed that participants think that, in general, the level of awareness about CLT among developers, construction managers, engineers, architects, and construction managers, is low. The majority of perceived barriers for CLT adoption involved its building code compatibility and the availability of technical information. The most pressing research needs for CLT development, according to respondents, are in the areas of structural performance and connections, moisture performance, and market research.
Nowadays, it is possible to build zero-energy houses or even positive energy buildings. Nevertheless, many incoherencies exists if we attach importance to the embodied energy of its constructions. The present paper lays on the logic of structural insulated panel which is used in many low-energy and passive houses and go further in order to reduce the global greenhouse gases emissions. For this purpose, cross-laminated timber is used instead of oriented strand board and the insulation used is made of wood wool. The structure, the technology and the thermal aspects are discussed as well as the fire resistance in order to show if its new product is economically and technically interesting. Results show that the embodied energy can be drastically reduced compared to the structural insulated panels. A wood consumption reduction of thirty percent can also be obtained compared to the classical cross-laminated timber construction.
Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) is emerging as a promising building system that could help revitalize a dwindling forest sector. However, little research has been conducted about CLT, particularly in the marketing realm. Our paper helps bridge this gap. Specifically, we aim to identify research areas that are important to successfully advance CLT as a building material in North America. Our findings, based on a survey of experts, suggest that the level of awareness about CLT among building professionals in general is low. However, architects are considered knowledgeable about the product. Experts consider that the most important barriers to the adoption of CLT are(a) misperceptions held by building industry professionals about wood and CLT, (b) compatibility of building codes with CLT, and (c) the availability of technical information about CLT as a construction system. In terms of most pressing research areas for advancing CLT, experts consider that it is important to shed more light on its seismic and fire performance, and also on proper connectors and fasteners used in CLT-based construction.
This study surveyed experts on Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) on their perspectives about research with the most positive impact on the advancement of CLT as building material in North America. Results from this study show that CLT experts in North America believe that architects are relatively well informed about CLT compared with...
