Table of Contents
Stora Enso has received approval for producing and delivering CLT (cross-laminated timber) panels to the U.S. in accordance to the International Building Code and certified in compliance with the North American CLT standard ANSI/APA PRG 320-2019, Standard for Performance-Rated Cross-Laminated Timber.
The changes in the 2021 issue of the code now allow to construct buildings from mass timber of up to 18 stories, compared with just five before.
The CLT panels by Stora Enso will be manufactured in its biggest mill, at Ybbs in Austria. The company is also pursuing the same certification for Zdirec mill in the Czech Republic, which is currently adding a fourth production line. The CLT panels can be produced up to 9.68 ft. wide and up to 52.5 ft. wide.
Steve Lieberman, business development manager for North America, said, “Previously, we have been restricted to buildings no taller than five stories or special one-off assignments, so this is a real game changer for us. It took some months to get it, but now we have the ‘license to operate,’ and this is very exciting news for the North American market.”
The ESR-4381 certification makes the CLT panels compliant with the 2018, 2015, 2012 and 2009 IBC, making Stora Enso CLT panels acceptable for structural use in the U.S. The ESL-1170 report states compliance with the National Building Code of Canada 2015.
In addition, Stora Enso has completed the ICC-ES Evaluation Report ESR-4381 supplements for the State of California and the city of Los Angeles.
