Can you connect balconies to a Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) frame?

What is Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)?

CLT is created by glueing together layers of solid-sawn lumber from a single log. By glueing together layers of wood at the right angles, CLT can achieve better structural rigidity than regular timber in both vertical and horizontal directions.

What are the benefits of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)?

The benefits of CLT are numerous. CLT offers a prefabricated material that is incredibly flexible for building design – including CLT in a building’s design from an early stage is beneficial as it can result in shorter installation times therefore reducing the cost of labour on-site if planned well. Furthermore, the fire performance of CLT is very good, as it is fire-rated and compliant for ongoing use. Whilst reinforced concrete (RC) frames are the conventional option due to the perceived rigidity of the product, some companies suggest that CLT can be favourable over RC frames as it is 20-30% faster to install, so can reduce labour on-site.

How are balconies connected to Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)?

As CLT is a relatively light building material, the foundations do not need to be as large, and the machinery required on-site can be much smaller. Brackets can be fixed to the top of the CLT slab at an angle to maximise pull-out resistance from the balcony moment forces and tested in advance to confirm structural integrity. One of the advantages of Sapphire’s system is that the light weight means it can be used with CLT. Many connections, such as our innovative Glide-On Cassette solution, can be used as the structural integrity of the frame can be maintained even with the heavier steel anchor arms.

Connecting to CLT brackets has its advantages thanks to its sustainable properties, being considerably cheaper to construct with than reinforced concrete if used correctly and can reduce time spent on site as well as machinery and labour costs. It is possible to connect many kinds of balcony anchors to a CLT bracket, such as tie-rod, our innovative Glide-On Cassette solution, or our ultra-low carbon anchor solution.