ELIGE MADERA Understanding Wood and its Structure We've already talked about how technology has helped us modernize wooden architecture and promote more sustainable and efficient construction - but do you really understand how CLT panels work? We've already talked about how technology has helped us modernize wooden architecture and promote more sustainable and efficient construction - but do you really understand how CLT panels work? To quote the architect Frank Lloyd Wright: "We may use wood with intelligence only if we understand wood.” This is an important point to consider now that more and more wooden skyscrapers are being built around the world. One of the ways to understand wood is to look at its structure and capabilities. Let's start from the general and move to the specific: Trees Regardless of the type, shape or colors, trees are designed to grow vertically. This gives us an idea of how they resist weight in one of their directions, while widthwise they tend to be more flexible, which prevents them from breaking under horizontal stresses such as wind. With this in mind, we can get an idea of how to use wood according to how it withstands certain stresses. Wood If you’ve seen a piece of unprocessed wood, you might have noticed that the horizontal cuts have a radial shape inside, while the vertical ones, on the other hand, may look like strands joined together and in the same direction, which could splinter. Well, the main structure of the wood is made up of fibers called medullary rays, formed by a set of cells arranged perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the trunk, linking the longitudinal fibers from the center to the bark. This illustrates how wood has a different mechanical behavior depending on the direction in which it is used, as the site Madera y Construcción explains: "One direction better withstands the tensions that can occur in a construction project.” In other words, we understand that the longitudinal direction of the wood fibers has greater resistance. Solid Cross-laminated Timber (CLT) CLT panels are born from the idea of manufacturing a wood construction element that is capable of withstanding stresses in both horizontal and vertical directions, maximizing the properties of wood for construction. CLT is made up of an odd number of layers of sawn timber, glued together in a crosswise manner to take advantage of the wood's strength advantages in the longitudinal direction in both directions. CLT has many advantages over other construction materials: it reduces greenhouse gas emissions in its production, it’s light and resistant (which speeds up the assembly process,) it reduces noise pollution at the construction site, it absorbs CO2 and gives a sense of tranquility when in contact with natural elements. In other words, CLT is a building material that can revolutionize the outdated image of wood construction and enhance high-rise architecture in a sustainable manner, while taking advantage of the natural properties of wood.