Timber iQ February - March 2018 // Issue: 36 | Página 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 6 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 //