ELIGE MADERA Niuform and the Wood Revolution The world of wood - as we’re always saying - is a place to explore and take advantage of infinite possibilities. At CMPC, we want to seize the opportunities that come from this world - and that’s how Niuform came to be. It’s a new bet on sustainable construction that seeks to deliver efficient solutions with a forward-looking perspective - always, of course, with this very important natural resource: wood. The world of wood - as we’re always saying - is a place to explore and take advantage of infinite possibilities. At CMPC, we want to seize the opportunities that come from this world - and that’s how Niuform came to be. It’s a new bet on sustainable construction that seeks to deliver efficient solutions with a forward-looking perspective - always, of course, with this very important natural resource: wood. Juan Pablo Pereira, commercial and development manager of CMPC Wood Products, says that the company had been studying the idea of entering the wood construction sector for several years. "We began to see technology products such as CLT (cross-laminated timber) and laminated beams, which are strong trends abroad. So, at CMPC, we said that we couldn’t ignore wood construction in our country. We are one of the main forestry companies in Chile; we can’t stand idly by. We want to support this so that it can gain momentum", he explains. Niuform's bet on height: CLT and GLT As part of this wood revolution, Niuform is rethinking construction through a process called Mass Timber. Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) and Glulam (GLT), also known as "laminated beams" are used; both materials are sustainable and extremely versatile when adapted to different structures. They also allow for large-scale construction and a relatively short assembly time. There’s no doubt that among the many advantages of these materials is not only their ability to capture CO2 (making it a construction resource with a very low carbon footprint,) but also wood’s ability to be an excellent thermal insulator. So there’s nothing to worry about! Fire with this type of construction isn’t an issue. Both materials turn out to be highly efficient when it comes to building with wood. At Niuform, we will show how it’s possible to build high-rise buildings with this multifaceted natural resource. MASS TIMBER ¿QUÉ ES? A construction technique that makes it possible to build high-rise buildings entirely with solid wood such as CLT or GLT; this consists of using long structural panels, posts and beams that are glued under pressure or nailed together, forming several layers. ATRIBUTOS More sustainable than materials such as steel or concrete The wood used in the process has the ability to sequester CO2 Produces lower greenhouse gas emissions Less waste is generated due to construction speed and the precise prefabrication of the wood The wood comes from forests with forest management certifications Energy consumption is lower during the construction process