Timber iQ February - March 2018 // Issue: 36 | Page 8

NEWS
Hout Bay House with certified CLT.
Novatop is tops for timber
Novatop's cross laminated timber (CLT) building system has received
the first ever timber certification in South Africa.
Photos by HWZ International
I
n the past architect Michael Green (and
most local architects) have relied upon CLT
and glue-laminated beams for family
houses and smaller projects, state and
municipal commissions and even skyscrapers.
Following a talk by Green, who
highlighted a relationship between the
building industry and climate change, he
maintains that steel is responsible for 3% of
greenhouse gas emissions and concrete for
an additional 5%. Therefore, *HWZ
International believes that the solution to
the problem is wood, especially CLT.
Novatop CLT components are
manufactured from dried spruce slats put
together in layers; the layers form an angle
of 90˚. The number of layers can differ and
determine the final thickness of the panel.
The wood is dried to a moisture content of
about 8% which ensures high stability of
components and prevents them from
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FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 //