Concept

The Timber Clay concept is a combination of timber and clay structurally linked.

The combination is ideal for acoustic properties, stiffness, thermal inertia and mechanical strength.

Problem

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Solution

With Timber Clay, the concept optimizes our precious wood resource by proposing the collaboration of two materials: wood and clay. This fruitful collaboration makes it possible to increase stiffness and limit the deflection while adding mass to obtain good acoustic properties.

Find out more about Timber Clay ...

ACOUSTIC PROPERTIES

Acoustic engineers often recommend using mass and materials with different resonance frequencies to improve acoustic insulation between two homes. That's what we've done at this test home in 2023 in Belgium.

STIFFNESS

Long-term bending tests were carried out over a period of 6 months under heavy load. The deflection of the TimberClay floor are significantly lower than those of an equivalent solid timber floor (CLT).

THERMAL INSULATION and HUMIDITY MANAGEMENT

We have placed clay and concrete samples in climate chambers (humidity and temperature controlled) at Buildwise and the shrinkage of the test specimens in clay are significantly less than in concrete.

MECHANICAL RESISTANCE

The mechanical strength of the clay and the notched bond between clay and timber and between concrete and timber has been tested in the Buildwise laboratories. The results are very good compared to the compressive resistance of the materials.

Lab Tests

full-scale worksite

Shear strength at the Buildwise Test Lab

Timber Clay - Essais de résistance au cisaillement chez Buildwise

Bending deformation

Timber Clay - Essais de déformée en flexion

Shrinkage tests in air-controlled rooms at the Buildwise Tests Lab

Timber Clay - Essais de retrait chambre climatisée chez Buildwise

Bio-based materials

For structural clay screed, we use widely available clay, gravel, a binder and water.

We use a binder to ensure that the natural clay particles are well bonded together and the final product have a good mechanical strength. This binder does not contain cement or lime. The cement used in conventional concrete is obtained by heating limestone for a long time at high temperature to obtain clinker. The heating required to obtain cement has the major disadvantage of causing a heavy environmental impact. The binder used in Timber Clay is clinker-free and specially designed for clay, making it as environmentally friendly as possible. To obtain our clay binder, the kilns are used for significantly less time and at significantly lower temperatures than in conventional cement plants.

Acoustic comfort is linked to the mass of the materials in the structural floor. Compared with a classic timber floor or a solid timber floor without screed, Timber Clay provides more mass thanks to the clay. What's more, the fact that Timber Clay is made up of two layers of materials of different densities also reduces the acoustic transmission of noise.

Clay has a very high thermal inertia thanks to the Earth, very good heat diffusion through the material and, lastly, very good humidity regulation. This means you can better manage the humidity in your home when you're cooking pasta, for example. Clay also reduces the impact of summer heat peaks.

WE'RE FULL OF IDEAS...

BUT WHY MAKE THIS ONE CONCRETE?

Finding no. 1

ACOUSTICS PROBLEMS ARE OFTEN SOLVED BY ADDING A CEMENT SCREED

In existing multi-family housing buildings, for acoustic reasons designers often add massive building materials typically a cement screed to meet acoustic criteria.

— Avec Timber Clay, cette masse utile à l’acoustique et au passage des techniques n’est plus à base de ciment mais d’clay-based

Finding no. 2

CLT BUILDINGS REQUIRE LARGE VOLUMES OF TIMBER TO LIMIT FLOOR DEFORMATION

When sizing a timber beam or floor, the stability engineer checks several criteria. Almost all the time, it's not the breaking strength but the rigidity to deformation of the wood that is the most constraining design parameter, and which requires an increase in the volume of wood.

- With Timber Clay, the clay prevents the wood from warping. So for the same deformation you need a lower volume of wood

Contact

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