Foreword
The development of timber construction over the
past hundred years has been characterised by enor-
mous innovation. The elements made of timber and
timber materials as well as the joining technique
have undergone constant further development.
The timber, or more exactly the individual board,
represents the basis for glued-laminated timber,
board stack elements or cross-laminated timber.
At the first glance, the relatively “new” construction
material cross-laminated timber – its practical,
economically relevant use in the building sector
started about twenty years ago – is a simple con-
struction material. It consists of strength-graded
laminations, which are glued together crosswise
at
90
° to an odd number of layer. Superficially,
a homogeneous wooden panel is formed. Upon
closer examination by the engineer, however,
the complexity of this structural element can be
noticed: it is an orthogonally layered, laminar
composite element made of wood with a complex
calculation basis.
“Everything should be made as simple as possible,
but not simpler.”
(Albert Einstein,
1879 – 1955
)
The present structural design manual is giving
designers, engineering consultants and performers
an understanding of the basic principles for techni-
cally proper planning and application of cross-lami-
nated timber. The main focus is on the structural
function of cross-laminated timber as a load-bearing
structural element and on the requirements associ-
ated therewith. For joining the cross-laminated
timber elements, design proposals were prepared.
The structural design guideline enables practition-
ers an easy and fast understanding of the con-
struction product cross-laminated timber, since the
verifications required in terms of structural engi-
neering are described with the associated engineer-
ing calculation models and explained on the basis
of practical examples. This structural design manu-
al was meticulously and thoroughly prepared by
DI Dr. Markus Wallner-Novak and his co-authors
DI Josef Koppelhuber and DI Kurt Pock. Here, the
engineer will find answers to the essential issues
when it comes to the structural design of cross-
laminated timber, so that this manual represents an
important contribution to practical dimensioning
of cross-laminated timber.
Wilhelm Luggin
Luggin – Ziviltechnikergesellschaft m.b.H.
