This innovative material has a number of advantages, including: strength, environmental friendliness and diversity in architectural solutions, which allows building multi-storey buildings from wood.

What are CLT panels, their structure, production process, what are the advantages and fields of application? The CLT Rezult company, as the first and only producer of CLT in Ukraine, answers these questions.

CLT panels are a building material made by stacking layers of wood planks in alternating directions. These layers are joined together with structural adhesives to form a single panel with exceptional strength and rigidity. The cross-lamination process provides increased structural integrity and resistance to deformation or shrinkage.

CLT panels usually consist of three, five, seven or nine layers of boards, made of solid wood from coniferous species such as spruce, pine or fir. CLT Rezult uses Ukrainian pine. Each layer is placed orthogonally to the next, creating a criss-cross arrangement. This cross-layer structure provides strength and stiffness in multiple directions, making CLT panels highly resistant to loads and pressure.

The manufacturing process includes several stages. First, the wooden boards are prepared and dried in a kiln to achieve the desired moisture content of 10% (+/- 2%). Then they are cut exactly to size and stacked on top of each other, with glue applied between each layer. The next step is to use a hydraulic press to join the layers under high pressure. The slab produced at the factory has dimensions of 18 * 3.5 m. At the end of the process, the CLT panels are cut, sanded and machined, with software, to the exact dimensions and shape (according to the project), making assembly and installation as easy as possible at the place of construction of the building.

CLT panels have an impressive strength-to-weight ratio, making them suitable for a wide range of construction applications. They have excellent load-bearing capacity, which allows the construction of high multi-storey buildings and long spans. CLT panels also demonstrate high stability, with no risk of shrinkage, twisting or warping.

The environmental friendliness of CLT panels is due to the fact that they are made of wood, which captures and preserves carbon dioxide CO2. This results in a reduced carbon footprint compared to traditional building materials such as concrete or steel. In addition, the production process requires less energy and, accordingly, produces less greenhouse gas emissions. CLT allows you to replace carbon materials in construction, contributing to the preservation of the environment.

Also, distinctive features of using CLT in construction are speed and efficiency. CLT panels are manufactured off-site, in a factory, which allows you to speed up and increase the efficiency of construction. Panels are manufactured with high precision, taking into account the necessary slots, strobes, holes for communications, which reduces the need for cutting and removal of waste from the construction site. The light weight of CLT panels facilitates the transportation and assembly of the building, speeding up the construction process and minimizing labor costs, simplifying logistics.

CLT panels provide architects and designers with wide opportunities to implement any style and flexibility in architectural solutions. Panels can be prepared to create curved or angular shapes, which allows you to design unique, aesthetically attractive designs.

CLT also has excellent thermal insulation properties, high noise absorption, fire resistance and the beautiful texture of natural wood.

Since CLT panels have just begun to gain popularity in Ukraine, developers and architects often have questions about where and how to use CLT? The range of application is very wide. These are residential buildings ranging from single-family homes to high-rise apartment buildings. The speed and ease of construction make CLT panels an attractive choice for professionals.

CLT panels are also ideal for office buildings, schools, universities and medical facilities. Their strength, durability and environmental friendliness of the material create a pleasant and healthy environment for both children and adults.

Also, CLT is used for the construction of public buildings, such as business centers, museums and recreational facilities. Their aesthetics, reliability and speed of construction make them an excellent solution for projects aimed at the needs of the population.

An important feature of CLT panels is the possibility of their use for the modernization of existing buildings, the addition of upper floors due to the lightness of the structure. They can be integrated into walls, floors and roofs, transforming old buildings into modern ecological spaces.

CLT panels have demonstrated their ability to be used in the construction of high-rise buildings. 

Their strength and light weight make them an attractive alternative to concrete and steel. The use of CLT panels in high-rise construction can reduce the overall weight of the building, thereby reducing foundation requirements and speeding up construction.

The tallest building, currently, is the Ascent building in the United States.

It was designed by the American studio Korb + Associates Architects. This is a luxury apartment and shopping center in Wisconsin. The 25-storey building is 86.6 meters high.

CLT panels are also used in the construction of industrial and warehouse facilities, due to their high load-bearing capacity, the ability to create large spans and the fast construction process. They are an effective solution for creating open floor plans and other volumetric spaces.

Cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels have revolutionized the construction industry by offering a reliable, versatile and efficient alternative to traditional building materials. Their strength, structural integrity and flexibility in architectural solutions make them suitable for a wide range of structures, from modular buildings to multi-storey structures. CLT contributes to the reduction of carbon emissions and contributes to the creation of a sustainable environment. This is a global trend, for which the demand in the world is growing. 

The global CLT market was valued at USD 1.2 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 15.4% from 2023 to 2030. 

Thus, wood became the flagship of an exciting new technology of wood construction – CLT. 

And the CLT Rezult company is actively implementing plans in Ukraine for the construction of ecological and reliable buildings of the future, the restoration of the housing stock and public institutions.