In a paper titled INTERLOCKING CROSS-LAMINATED TIMBER: alternative use of waste wood in design and construction, RYAN E. SMITH from the University of Utah's Integrated Technology in Architecture Center (ITAC) presents the research progress of a team of university researchers and industry participants.
Similar to CLT in that it comprises layers of smaller pieces of timber, ICLT relies on a complex array of tongue and groove and dovetail connections to lock the individual pieces in the panels together - and similar systems to connect the panels themselves.
ITAC is said to deliver advantages similar to those of CLT, with the added benefits that the interlocking structure requires no adhesives (and therefore has no volatile organic compound - VOC - emissions) and no expensive connections.
The project is driven by the ability of ICLT to use intermediate layers of low cost wood, from trees killed by infestations of red pine beetles.
An example of some tongue and groove and dovetail connections
Image: University of Utah
Read Ryan E. Smith's paper here