Innovative NLT Roof Design Showcased in New Demonstration Building in South Korea
Jinju Community Centre, a Canada Wood Korea demonstration project located in Jinju City is set to become the first building to use NLT (nail-laminated timber) as the structural panels for its roof system. Our goal is to promote its use as a valid substitute for concrete slabs or steel decking in commercial and institutional buildings in which it is often exposed to create uniquely aesthetic and biophilic surfaces. In addition to its appealing visual features, NLT can also be easily assembled on site or prefabricated due to its simplicity, another key attraction for the building industry. Once completed, the Jinju project will serve as a template for future civic community centres in Korea.
One of the key benefits of NLT is its ability to produce a variety of cross-sectional profiles to achieve higher acoustic properties and visual dynamics. In this building, we demonstrate three staggered designs using different combination of 2×4, 2×6 and 2×8 dimension lumber. The unique overlapping sloped roof design posed some challenges in manufacturing and onsite installation as it required higher cutting precision and special connection details.
To maximize the promotional impact of the demo, Canada Wood Korea arranged a Canadian SPF shippers’ meeting April 30th at the job site bringing together 6 in-market representatives of Canadian SPF shippers and wood product importers. The session provided an opportunity to discuss market information and build business networks with local government, academics and local builders. Participants expressed strong confidence in the future potential of NLT.
