Spruce
1.5-2 usd/kgSpruce is a light coloured softwood, with little contrast between heartwood and sapwood. Unlike pine, it has almost no odour and the wood has a uniform, relatively knot-free appearance. It is used in light construction work, engineered wood (glulam and plywood), wood fibre products and pulp (paper making). General purpose timber is relatively inexpensive.
Spruce is prized for its superior acoustic properties. It has uniform properties and shrinks little after seasoning. These qualities are utilised in quarter-sawn soundboards for musical instruments, such as violin, cello and piano. The highest quality musical instruments are produced from spruce that has been specifically selected before felling and air dried for a decade or more. These are some of the most expensive timbers available.
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Cross laminated timber (CLT) is a solid, multi-layer timber construction used for load bearing and structural applications. It is used for bracing and transferring loads (laterally and vertically), in beams, walls, stairs, floors and roofs. Uses include home construction, multi-storey buildings, industrial and commercial buildings. It is widely used in pre-fabricated modules, designed to dramatically reduce on-site construction time.
CLT is fabricated from finger-jointed planks, 80-240 mm wide and 19-45 mm thick, laminated together using high strength adhesive. The layers of boards are laid perpendicular to one another, creating a balanced and uniform panel 60-400 mm thick. CLT panels range from 2.4-3.2 m wide and 12-24 m long. Spruce is the most commonly used timber, but pine, Douglas fir and larch are also popular – all types of timber may be used, including hardwoods.
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