What does good wood lamination achieve?

Whether in the form of glued laminated timber (GLT) or cross-laminated timber (CLT), this lamination process offers a series of key benefits that make wood lamination an ideal solution for construction projects.

What is wood lamination?

Wood lamination refers to the joining of multiple layers or sheets of solid wood using adhesives or glues. These lamination processes can be carried out in two main ways:

• Glued Laminated Timber (GLT): In this case, several layers of solid wood are stacked and joined using high-strength adhesives. The crossed arrangement of fibers in the layers provides stability and strength.
• Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT): CLT is manufactured by joining solid wood boards in perpendicular layers to form large-dimension panels. The crossed orientation of the layers is what gives CLT its unique structural properties.

Key elements for achieving good wood lamination

For wood lamination to meet high standards of quality and performance, the following key elements must be considered:

• Wood selection: The raw material used must be high quality, free from defects, and properly dried to minimize subsequent movements and deformations.
• High-performance adhesives: Adhesives used in the lamination process must be industrial grade, with properties of strength, durability, and compatibility with wood.
• Controlled manufacturing processes: Lamination requires specialized machinery and rigorous procedures for adhesive application, pressing, and curing to ensure a solid and lasting bond between layers.
• Proper design and dimensioning: Laminated wood elements must be correctly designed and dimensioned to support the expected loads and demands in construction.

Benefits of good wood lamination

When these key elements are met, wood lamination provides a series of notable benefits:

• High structural strength: Thanks to cross-lamination, laminated wood elements can support much greater structural loads than solid wood.
• Dimensional stability: The joining of multiple layers of wood significantly reduces wood shrinkage and expansion, improving the dimensional stability of construction elements.
• Design versatility: Lamination allows for the manufacture of larger elements and more complex shapes, expanding the possibilities for architectural and structural design.
• Efficiency in wood use: Being able to create large elements from smaller boards optimizes the use of raw material, reducing waste.
• Durability and resistance: When proper adhesives and manufacturing processes are used, laminated wood elements show high durability and resistance to environmental agents.

Applications of wood lamination in construction

Thanks to its characteristics, wood lamination finds various applications in the construction industry:

• Large-span structures: Laminated wood beams, columns, and frames allow covering large spaces without the need for intermediate supports.
• Floor and roof systems: CLT panels are widely used as floor and roof systems, offering high strength and stability.
• Load-bearing walls: Both CLT and GLT are used for the construction of walls with structural function.
• Special elements: The versatility of lamination allows for the manufacture of curved shapes, arches, and other unique architectural elements.

In summary, good wood lamination, whether in the form of GLT or CLT, provides notable benefits in terms of structural strength, dimensional stability, efficiency in resource use, and design versatility. These characteristics make wood lamination an increasingly popular and sustainable construction solution in the construction industry.