BUSINESS OF FARMING
BY DR. ADAM MAGGARD
Cross-Laminated Timber
What it is and its relevance to Alabama Originally published in the Backyard to Back 40 Newsletter Volume 3, June 23, 2020
Wood is one of most well-known construction materials for consumers, but it is often perceived as boards such as two by fours and as plywood, when it is much more than that. Engineered wood products and mass timber systems, like cross-laminated timber (CLT), are increasingly used for mid- and high-rise construction in the United States. Several high-tech wood products firms operate within Alabama, producing such engineered wood products, including the first producer of CLT products in the Southeast with a facility located in Dothan. CLT is a prefabricat-
ed, engineered solid wood panel made of layers of dimensional lumber that is stacked crosswise at right angles, glued and pressed into place (Figure 1). The panels are then transported to the construction site where they are precisely connected using joints and structural adhesives. CLT originated in Europe in the 1990s. Since its origination, CLT is now used around the world, including several locations in the United States, including the Southeast. The Southeast is a growing hot spot for mass timber production because of its large supply of September 2021
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