Seattle Department of Construction & Inspections
Nathan Torgelson, Director
Cross-Laminated Timber - What & Why
Evaluating whether the Seattle Building Code should allow more height for buildings designed with cross-laminated timber.
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What & Why
Evaluating whether the Seattle Building Code should allow more height for buildings designed with cross-laminated timber.
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Background
Evaluating whether the Seattle Building Code should allow more height for buildings designed with cross-laminated timber.
What is Happening Now?
CLT is an engineered product made of sheets of boards placed in layers perpendicular to one another in a manner similar to plywood. However, unlike plywood, CLT is made of thick layers of lumber with enhanced structural and fire-resistive performance.
The State of Washington has adopted Code standards that apply to the use of Mass Timber that are located on the State Building Code Council website.
Proposed Benefits
- Carbon negative construction
- Sustains local materials and industries
- Reduces construction time
- Cost competitive with concrete and steel
- Clean and quiet construction process
- Ideal for tight urban sites
The End Result
Seattle allows the use of the State-adopted standards for Mass Timber. We will be incorporating them into Seattle's Building Codes with an anticipated implementation date of July 1, 2020.