XLAM Cross Laminated Timber 231

XLAM SOUTH AFRICA: XLAM Cross Laminated Timber 231

The XLAM 231mm CLT panel is the heaviest-duty structural timber panel in Africa’s first CLT range, engineered for long-span floor plates, heavy load-bearing walls, and roof structures in mid-rise and tall timber buildings. Seven cross-laminated layers of 33mm Saligna or Pine lamellas deliver an axial wall capacity of 1,485 kN/m and a single-span floor reach of 5.90m under standard residential loading, placing this panel in direct competition with reinforced concrete slabs for multi-storey construction. The 231mm profile provides inherent fire resistance exceeding 60 minutes through the predictable charring behaviour of mass timber, while the substantial cross-section delivers superior acoustic separation between floors. For Kenyan developers pursuing green building certification, CLT at this scale offers measurable reductions in both embodied carbon and construction programme duration.

Technical Specifications

• Panel thickness: 231mm (7-layer configuration: 33-33-33-33-33-33-33mm lamellas)
• Panel designation: XL7/231 (Longitudinal, floors/roofs/heavy walls)
• Maximum panel dimensions: 8.25m x 2.85m; standard widths 2.10m, 2.50m, 2.80m
• Timber species: Monterey Pine (Pinus radiata) or Saligna (Eucalyptus Grandis x Saligna)
• Timber grading: S5/S7 per SANS 10096:2013, kiln-dried, finger-jointed
• Adhesive: Polyurethane or Melamine resin, Class I to SABS 1349
• Density: approximately 480 kg/m3 (5 kN/m3 for structural calculations)
• Moisture content: 15% (+/-2%)
• Structural capacity (Pine, XL7/231 at 2.0m height): Axial 1,485 kN/m, Tensile 872 kN/m, Shear 187 kN/m, Bracing 2,808 BU/m
• Floor span (Pine, single span, 2.0 kN/m2 imposed load): 5.90m
• Airtight (exceeds 90mm threshold)
• Thermal conductivity: 0.10 W/m2K
• Heat capacity: 1.60 kJ/kgK
• Fire resistance: exceeds 60 minutes (100mm Pine baseline); 90 minutes (100mm Eucalyptus baseline)
• Charring rate: 0.64 mm/min (walls), 0.71 mm/min (ceilings)
• Reaction to fire: EN 13501: D, s2, d0
• Standards: SANS 8892
• XLAM is based in South Africa and ships to the East African market. Contact manufacturer for project-specific quotation

Sustainability Features

• FSC-certified timber from managed plantation forests
• Carbon-sequestering building material: each cubic metre stores approximately 0.8 tonnes of CO2
• Replaces reinforced concrete slabs for spans up to 5.90m, eliminating cement, steel reinforcement, and formwork associated with conventional floor construction
• Airtight construction supports passive design strategies and reduces operational energy consumption
• Dry construction eliminates water usage, concrete curing time, and wet-trade waste
• Factory prefabrication with CNC precision reduces on-site waste to near zero
• Fully recyclable and biodegradable at end of life
• Significant programme time savings reduce construction-related energy use and site disturbance
• Supports EDGE, LEED, and Green Star certification pathways