Replacing concrete and steel with timber solutions
Splitkon provides cross-laminated timber building elements for constructing homes, warehouses, schools, nurseries and, in future, skyscrapers.
The construction sector accounts for close to 40 per cent of the global emissions causing climate change.
The world, however, needs more infrastructure. According to the UN, 70 per cent of the infrastructure needed by 2050 is not yet built. Every week, an area the size of Paris is constructed.
Sustainable and recyclable building material
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is produced by adhering layers of timber together at perpendicular angles for structural rigidity in both directions. CLT can be used in walls, roofs and ceilings. Splitkon’s CLT is often used as an alternative to solid wood in larger construction projects, with plates measuring over 50 square metres.
Production of CLT consumes only one-tenth the energy of conventional building materials such as concrete and steel. CLT continues to store the carbon absorbed by the trees it was made from. Thus use of Splitkon’s CLT building elements can dramatically reduce a building’s carbon footprint, and in certain cases may even result in a negative carbon footprint.
Splitkon documents the environmental impact of all segments of its CLT value chain, from ordering and manufacturing to delivery.
Concrete benefits
Splitkon cuts CLT building elements to specification, supplying them as pre-fabricated kits directly to construction sites. This reduces lead time, construction costs and waste, and improves safety on sites.
Moreover, timber is a renewable resource. Splitkon’s CLT is manufactured with wood from sustainably managed forests and with “clean” electricity generated by hydropower or biofuel in the form of waste from own production. No fossil fuels are burned. After its lifetime, CLT can be recycled or used as fuel.
Market potential
Over the next 40 years, the world is expected to build 230 billion square metres in new construction. The global CLT market was valued at USD 603 million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD 1 606 million in 2024, according to a report by Zion Market Research.
Residential buildings held the largest market share for CLT in 2017, at around 50 per cent. The demand for wooden residential buildings including multifamily apartments and single-family homes will continue to rise due to design flexibility and aesthetic appeal, among other things.
At a glance
Lightweight, environmentally sustainable building material
As durable as concrete
Pre-fabricated to specification, increasing efficiency and reducing waste
Status
Advancing the Sustainable Development Goals
- Good health and well-being
Use of CLT can help to improve indoor air quality.
- Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Use of CLT can help to reduce carbon emissions in the construction industry.
- Sustainable cities and communities
Use of CLT can help to increase seismic resilience and sustainability in buildings.
- Responsible consumption and production
Production of CLT uses one-tenth the energy of conventional building materials.