The global cross-laminated timber market experiences continuous\u00a0growth, due to market advances\u00a0from mechanical properties, which\u00a0make the product suitable for use in residential and commercial spaces.<\/p>\n
Cross-laminated timber, or CLT, is a wood panel typically consisting of three, five, or seven layers of dimension lumber oriented at right angles to one another and then glued to form structural panels with exceptional strength, dimensional stability and rigidity.<\/p>\n
The use of CLT has increased sharply over the past year because it meets the growing need for time-efficient and simple building processes.<\/p>\n
In 2016, the\u00a0global\u00a0cross-laminated timber market\u00a0reached a value of $470 Million, growing annually at a rate of more than 16 percent from 2009-16. The market is expected to reach a value of $880 million by 2022.<\/p>\n
At the moment,\u00a0Europe represents the largest producer of cross-laminated timber, accounting for the majority of the global production, and more and more companies worldwide are investing in the production lines for CLT.<\/p>\n
Companies investing in CLT production lines<\/strong><\/p>\n At the beginning of the year, Swedish\u00a0Martinson\u00a0launched its new production line for CLT, which increased the company's capacity of 6000-7000 cubic meter of CLT per year, to 22 000 cubic meters.\u00a0Martinsons has been manufacturing CLT since 2003 and is still the only Swedish producer of the material.<\/p>\n This year,\u00a0Holmen\u00a0started to investigate the possibilities of building a factory to manufacture CLT at one of its large sawmills.<\/p>\n Stora Enso\u00a0has decided to invest EUR 45 million in a new production unit for cross laminated timber (CLT) in connection with its Gruv\u00f6n Mill in Sweden.\u00a0The production is scheduled to begin during the first quarter of 2019. The estimated yearly capacity of the production line will be approximately 100\u00a0000 m\u00b3 after ramp-up, subject to required approvals being in place. The investment is expected to generate annual sales of approximately EUR 50 million when run at full capacity.<\/p>\n Moreover, in June, the German sawmilling group\u00a0Pfeifer\u00a0announced that it will invest EUR 30 million in a new CLT plant at its German location, Lauterbach.\u00a0\u00a0The new CLT\u00a0plant will reach a production capacity of 100,000 cubic meters per year\u00a0and the investment volume is estimated at EUR 30 million. The construction is set to begin in\u00a0autumn 2017.<\/p>\n Swedish\u00a0S\u00f6dra\u00a0has also decided to invest in a small facility for cross-laminated timber (CLT) adjacent to S\u00f6dra\u2019s sawmill at V\u00e4r\u00f6, becuase demand for construction materials is strong across all of northern Europe \u2013 in countries where S\u00f6dra already holds a leading market position.<\/p>\n CLT is a flexible material and particularly competitive in major cities, where the aim is to densify and construct high-rise buildings. Compared with other materials, CLT is transport-efficient, light and maintains high environmental integrity.<\/p>\n At the end of August 2017,\u00a0Splitkon AS\u00a0\u00a0announced that it would invests into a new 60,000 m3<\/sup>\u00a0Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)\u00a0production line in\u00a0\u00c5mot, Norway. The new line is expected to be the largest CLT plant in\u00a0Scandinavia, and the only one in Norway.<\/p>\n Efficiency and sustainability\u00a0of CLT<\/strong><\/p>\n CLT promoters have stated that the material is capable of providing the same fire-resistance and strength concrete and steel offer for buildings.<\/p>\n CLT\u00a0has been touted by builders and designers for its configuration that improves the mechanical properties of the wood panels and makes them suitable for use in external and internal walls, floors, ceilings and roofs.\u00a0As a result, CLT panels are extensively being used in the construction of mid and high-rise buildings worldwide, either as a solitary system or in combination with other construction materials such as concrete, masonry and steel.<\/p>\n Because it lowers the carbon dioxide emissions in construction and is able to capture carbon, CLT has gained a large following around the world; projects include a 100-storey tower in London, in the United Kingdom (UK), a 40-storey high-rise in Stockholm, Sweden, and a residential compound in Vancouver, Canada. In the University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada, an 18-storey student dormitory made of CLT is almost completed.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The global cross-laminated timber market experiences continuous\u00a0growth, due to market advances\u00a0from mechanical properties, which\u00a0make the product suitable for use in residential and commercial spaces. Cross-laminated timber, or CLT, is a wood panel typically consisting of three, five, or seven layers … Continue reading