ecommends that government agencies and the building industry could be involved throughout this ongoing research, as this will lead to an increased understanding and knowledge of the properties of CLT buildings and inform favourable decisions that encourage their use for infill development. The research will have to be tested on actual affordable and sustainable housing developments, delivering demonstration pilot projects.
It is important that solid wood panel construction should not simply be a hidden substitute for concrete or steel, but needs to express a ‘new wooden architecture’. Timber could be more visible and express more freely a new aesthetic (rather than being hidden beneath cladding). It’s likely that future large timber constructions are hybrid buildings: timber in combination with some concrete (as prefabricated composite concrete-wood slabs), but without the complicated steel joints.
In conclusion, the author has identified the following actions that government and industry could pursue:
Modify building codes to make sustainable building practice and urban infill the norm, zoning out car-dependent greenfield developments on the city fringe.
Demonstrate the benefits of CLT construction systems by using them to create exemplary housing projects that are affordable and sustainable; working towards the delivery of an iconic demonstration building showcasing the capabilities of the product, and enhancing awareness.
Use the opinions of committed investors, committing owners and occupants of CLT buildings to promote a positive greening identity change of the city in which they are located.
Accompany realisation with data monitoring and testing.
Conduct in-depth research on behaviour change to facilitate and accelerate the move towards more inner-city housing that is fully embraced by residents in Australia.
Identify the facilitators of and barriers to solid CLT technology transfer with industry, university and government partners internationally and produce a feasibility report for investors identifying the most commercially viable solid timber solution for the determined market with a road map for implementation (e.g. ensure the supply of sufficient wood necessary to deliver prefabricated panellised systems in high quantity).
Ensure longevity of the implemented strategy via suitable up-skilling of industry professionals (from architects and engineers to builders) via continuous professional development (CPD) activities.
Establish the production of a standardized quality assurance process for fabrication, details for construction and the creation of technical specification literature.
Establish a green supply chain for domestic CLT panel manufacturing; instigating a strategy for the suitable uptake of CLT system fabrication in Australia relative to market requirements, available technology and wood resources.
Support the Australian design, construction and timber industries in the uptake and adoption of emerging engineered timber technologies.
Advance evidence-based policy and practices through a user-centred approach to housing occupancy evaluation and effective understanding of feedback.
Implement zero waste concepts with detailed targets for the construction sector, doing away with construction waste going to landfill.
Make embodied energy and resource/material efficiency a key focus of government policy, setting minimum standards of efficiency that buildings must meet.
Encourage all levels of government to take the lead in innovative construction, by leasing CLT high-rise buildings and by implementing a grant scheme for construction of such buildings.
Produce peer-reviewed published work ensuring market and product confidence including worldwide dissemination of standardized information on engineered timber.
Publish a technical handbook and associated launch event with a conference on solid cross-laminated timber production and construction (e.g. the technical barrier is not structural, but the high fire requirements).
In this paper the author has assessed the potential contribution of CLT construction to the