Cross-Laminated Timber: A Low-Carbon Building Solution
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and improves the efficiency of the PV panels by keeping them cooler.
Overhead chilled beams cool the building's interior, and a heat exchange with nearby Sydney Harbor water results in extremely low thermal energy use. Air quality is high, and the sweet natural aroma of timber calms and de-stresses the building's users.
"The resultant building is incredibly low carbon in both construction and operation with high satisfaction from the building occupants," Evans says. "Prefabricated timber wall, floor and roof elements arrived at the site fully completed without the need for further onsite work, resulting in drastically reduced waste compared with concrete construction."
Due to its structural integrity and stability, CLT can be used for virtually all components of a building's superstructure and in hybrid construction. Lightweight yet strong, with superior thermal, acoustic, fire and seismic performance, it can quickly be rendered airtight and waterproof to provide a weatherproof shell. Thus, progress on internal finishes and services can start soon after a superstructure is installed.
Due to its lighter weight, the foundation footprint of a CLT building is comparatively small and the on-site equipment requirement is minimal, thus
Frequently asked questions
What is cross-laminated timber (CLT) used for in building construction?+
Due to its structural integrity and stability, CLT can be used for virtually all components of a building's superstructure and in hybrid construction. It is lightweight yet strong, with superior thermal, acoustic, fire and seismic performance.
How does CLT construction reduce waste compared to concrete?+
Prefabricated timber wall, floor and roof elements arrive at the site fully completed without the need for further onsite work, resulting in drastically reduced waste compared with concrete construction.
What are the foundation and site equipment benefits of using CLT?+
Due to its lighter weight, the foundation footprint of a CLT building is comparatively small, and the on-site equipment requirement is minimal.
How quickly can a CLT building be made weatherproof?+
CLT can quickly be rendered airtight and waterproof to provide a weatherproof shell, allowing progress on internal finishes and services to start soon after the superstructure is installed.
How does the Sydney Harbor CLT building achieve low thermal energy use?+
Overhead chilled beams cool the building's interior, and a heat exchange with nearby Sydney Harbor water results in extremely low thermal energy use.
What are the occupant benefits of a CLT building interior?+
Air quality is high, and the sweet natural aroma of timber calms and de-stresses the building's users, leading to high satisfaction among occupants.