Timber Engineering Notebook series. No. 11: Cross-laminated timber construction – an introduction

The Timber Engineering Notebook series concludes by examining the use of glued-in rods for timber connections. The increased use of manufactured timber, such as glued laminated timber (glulam) and laminated veneer lumber (LVL), with improved mechanical properties and the ability to produce cross-sections of almost unlimited size,has driven the timber engineering industry to come up with improved connection systems. Glued-in rods and plates have been used in the UK as a method of connecting timber since the 1970s. They offer the possibility of creating concealed connections that are capable of transferring large forces and moments with minimal slip due to their high stiffness.

In Timber Engineering Notebook (TEN) No. 11, a detailed introduction to the applications and use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) as a structural timber product was provided. This article provides further information on the manufacture, detailing and erection of CLT constructions.

This Timber Engineering Notebook introduces the construction and connection details appropriate to open frame construction and provides a worked example for a dowelled glulam portal haunch connection.