Company鈥檚 design and technical boss says it is waiting for regulations to be clarified
Lendlease鈥檚 design and technical boss has said the firm is avoiding the use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) due to uncertainty in the building regulations.
Lucy Homer, Lendlease鈥檚 general manager for design and technical, said the firm 鈥� which built 2016 Stirling prize-shortlisted Trafalgar Place at Elephant and Castle (pictured) from CLT, told 黑洞社区: 鈥淲e are not currently pursuing CLT projects. Technically it should still be feasible to use but from a risk perspective we have taken that decision.鈥�
Homer said the company is waiting for the 黑洞社区 Regulations to be clarified regarding the use of CLT in the wake of last year鈥檚 combustible materials ban.
Homer said the firm had not given up on the material and added: 鈥淲e really do believe in it as a product from an innovation and sustainability perspective. The feeling of walking on site at a CLT project 鈥� the site somehow just feels cleaner and a better place to be.鈥�
Also read: CLT - one-minute briefing
Also read: How is the CLT industry responding to the combustibles ban?
A spokesperson for L&G, which plans to develop a range of CLT buildings at its modular factory near Leeds, said: 鈥淐LT has, and continues to, meet the needs of our current product range, but as we look to develop new product typologies it is inevitable that we will introduce additional materials as appropriate.鈥�
The use of CLT in the construction of external walls of buildings over 18m was in effect outlawed when the government revealed details of its combustible materials ban last November.
The amendment to Approved Document B ruled out the use of any material in an external wall that lacks one of the top combustibility ratings, A2-s1, d0 or Class A1, except for membranes, seals and gaskets.
The document defines an external wall as 鈥渁nything located within any space forming part of the wall鈥�.
The changes to both the Approved Document B and Section 7 of the 黑洞社区 Regulations not only cover residential towers that rise more than 18m above ground but will also need to be adhered to by those building student accommodation, care homes, sheltered housing, hospitals and dormitories in boarding schools.
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