Technical timbers to defy the imagination

Technical timbers, like CLT or glulam, both products of second stage timber conversion, are stimulating the construction market. The development of construction systems is in full swing. We focus on the machining of these materials.

XXL sizing and ultra-high-accuracy assembly

Although these materials haven’t really changed a lot in recent years, their cutting and assembly are in the throes of revolution. The market wants bigger, better, and more technical building sections, able to meet the most demanding building standards. The panels, which these days are made to their finished size in the factory, are sent to site ready for installation. Their machining is thus becoming more and more complex. They must be flawless in their cutting and assembled with pin-point accuracy. And now, since architects often design their finish to be visible, so we also ask them to look great!

For Christophe Gramond, sales manager at glulam producer Cosylva : “These materials were originally designed for their good mechanical properties; today we also expect them to be stylish and aesthetic. We are busy improving them, but there are still flaws to be ironed out.»

Digital and BIM at the service of tech

Many manufacturers have invested heavily in machines, notably with the installation of big robots for timber cutting. Given the repetitiveness and precision of manufacture, numeric control and digitization are a must. To improve coordination with the other parties involved, the BIM approach is seeing more and more use.

For Emeric Ledoux, contract manager with Lignatec, a French pioneer in CLT, “We take extra time finalizing the cutting files with everyone involved and less time in manufacture. We go a long, long way in our preparation for installation.”

NC machines, the most reliable solution when it comes to production regularity, are gradually replacing people. But people are still an indispensable part of the workshop, albeit with a reorientation of skills toward machine programming and control, or for reworking finishes to deliver a perfect product. Cutting out large sizes is more expensive, but the extra cost is cancelled out by the simplicity of final installation, making the total job very competitive.

Imagination without limits

Thanks to the increased capabilities of these new materials, there are no bounds to one’s imagination. Design, manufacture, and construction constraints are lifted. Hitherto unbuildable buildings can be built, including outlandish designs like the Cité du Vin in Bordeaux, or very tall buildings that take seismic safety standards in their stride.

Christophe Gramond explains, “Every building is its own prototype, and we can produce a prototype in 3 or 4 weeks compared with months for a car. That’s a result!”

 
Photo Anaka/ La Cité du Vin / XTU Architectes - Photo Anaka/ La Cité du Vin / Casson Mann

See the machining of new materials feature from the Eurobois TV stage
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