Councils are under pressure to deliver projects quickly and within tight budgets, while also meeting increasing sustainability standards. Significant time, cost and sustainability benefits can be realised by choosing the right material.
While concrete and steel make up the bulk of modern buildings, timber is a beneficial alternative for new constructions that offers a host of benefits.
Choosing to build with timber can help councils achieve their sustainability goals by reducing the carbon footprint of their projects across the supply chain. During its production, timber consumes the lowest amount of energy of any building material commonly in use today. By acquiring timber products sourced from reputable and renewable plantations, councils can be sure that they are making use of a replenishable resource.
Additionally, timber functions as an effective means of carbon sequestration. When a tree is harvested, the carbon it has absorbed throughout its life is retained within its cellular structure. Therefore, a timber building effectively locks up that carbon, preventing it from returning to the atmosphere and providing an excellent sustainability solution.
Using timber in new buildings can also help councils cut down on construction times. By using prefabricated timber products, local governments can significantly reduce project times without sacrificing structural integrity, helping cut costs and improve ROI.
Australia’s leading mass timber provider
XLam is the proud provider of timber construction products for a number of landmark buildings across Australia and New Zealand. As the pioneer of mass timber in Australasia, XLam is a leader in manufacture, supply, technical expertise and support.
The XLam team works closely with its clients to integrate mass timber into their projects and to assist them to unlock the benefits of working with cross laminated timber (CLT) in pure mass timber builds and as a component of conventional steel and concrete construction.
CLT consists of layers of kiln-dried lumber oriented at right angles to one another and then glued to form rigid structural panels, resulting in a superior strength to weight ratio compared to concrete or steel.
This weight reduction allows for savings to be made on other structural elements such as slabs and frames, enables additions and extensions to be made to existing buildings and allows greater quantities of material on softer foundations.
XLam’s timber stock is sourced from local, responsible and renewable plantations, ensuring a carbon friendly product.
In partnership with councils
XLam has experience working with local governments across Australia & New Zealand. Its past projects have encompassed government offices, community infrastructure, social housing, educational institutions and emergency services projects.
Council projects XLam has been involved in include:
- The Snowy Monaro Regional Council’s new Jindabyne Library, constructed using modular prefabricated CLT components, allowing it to be built in a matter of weeks
- The City of Greater Geelong’s Customer Service centre at the Wurriki Nyal Civic Precinct, which used XLam’s mass engineered timber products to create a beautiful, sustainable, contemporary workplace for Council’s central Geelong-based employees
- Northern Beaches Council’s Warriewood Community Centre, which, once construction completes in late 2025, will be a sustainable, resilient multi-use building for the Warriewood Valley community
XLam utilises sustainable building materials to create inspiring, beautiful, sustainable and functional community buildings and civil infrastructure that have a lasting positive impact on communities.
For more information, visit xlam.co
Featured image: Timber architecture. Image credit: XLam.
