These few disadvantages are, within reason, easy to solve.
We’re not doing anything that hasn’t been done. We have Europe to guide us. Especially with the Indonesian governments on our side, we believe these disadvantages are more likely to be seen as challenges with a great outcome.

Imperfection:

CLT is a natural material and comes with imperfections. Colour differences, and grain indentations. Wood has fluctuations, so we need to work with wood standards. These wood standards help guide wooden material and product manufacturers and ensure acceptable quality.

Testing:

While there have been tests on the behavior of CLT in fire and the thermal and acoustic characteristics, much of the performance data of a material comes from in-use testing. CLT is a relative newcomer to construction, therefore fewer precedent is available. This is changing rapidly as more CLT projects are completed and the industry as a whole is working to accelerate testing to be able to inform designers.

Moist control:

The Acacia wood that is used for CLT is factory dried to a moisture content of 12% (+/- 2%) at which level it will not deteriorate. However, where CLT is exposed to sustained high levels of moisture (over 20% moisture content), decay is likely to occur. It is therefore important to ensure that CLT structures are designed, constructed, and well maintained to ensure that contact with water is minimized and that any moisture is not trapped. The interface with the ground is of key importance and in most instances, it is advisable to lift the CLT from external ground level by a minimum of 150mm. In many cases, the CLT is built on a podium level constructed from concrete.

Termite control:

Termites and insects can cause significant damage to wooden components. They will also attack fixtures and fittings; even steel and concrete buildings are not immune to their invasions. For any project, it’s advisable to apply the six strategies: Suppression, Site management, Soil barriers, Slab and foundation details, Structural protection, and Surveillance and remediation. INCLT.id is connected to the exclusive distributor Clean Wed Indo, which offers a 100% environment-safe product that guarantees insects to nest on your (CLT) property for months.

Experience:

Many common mistakes that have occurred over time could be avoided with a more comprehensive briefing of the construction team. With CLT entering the construction markets and procurement of the material becoming standardized, more contractors are gaining experience enabling the improvements to build speed and quality.