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TerraTimber

Karlsruhe | Germany

TerraTimber at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) explores new approaches to circular timber ceiling systems. For the experimental timber-clay structures, metal-free LIGNOLOC® wooden nails by BECK were used as a material-appropriate fastening solution.

TerraTimber creates new hybrid timber-clay structures

The TerraTimber research project was developed by the Digital Design and Fabrication (DDF) and Design of Structures (dos) departments at KIT Karlsruhe. The focus lies on digital fabrication methods, reclaimed timber offcuts from secondary material streams and hybrid timber-clay structures for resource-conscious ceiling systems. The irregular timber offcuts were analyzed using digital image recognition and computationally assembled into load-bearing building components. LIGNOLOC® wooden nails by BECK were used to connect the timber elements.

Learn more about TerraTimber

Timber-to-timber fastening with wood

Metal-free fastening technology

LIGNOLOC®: integral part of the module

Suitable for mono-material timber construction

No metal inside the timber component

Supports circular construction approaches

Digital calculation tool for LIGNOLOC®

Free tool supports digital fabrication processes

Research into hybrid timber-clay ceiling systems

TerraTimber demonstrates a section of a multi-storey timber-clay building system that combines reclaimed timber offcuts with clay to create hybrid ceiling elements. The specific arrangement of the irregular timber pieces creates a rough surface geometry that forms a mechanical bond with the clay within the component. The aim of the research project is to develop material-efficient and circular load-bearing structures with reduced resource consumption.

See the TerraTimber Project Page

Project Data

Project: TerraTimber | Digital Construction Methods Reusing Waste Wood and Earth
Research and Development: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)
Location: Karlsruhe, Germany

Completion: 2024
LIGNOLOC® Application: Metal-free fastening of components within a hybrid timber-clay ceiling system made from reclaimed timber offcuts
Photo Credit: Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)

TerraTimber demonstrates how digital fabrication technologies and material-appropriate fastening systems can enable new approaches to circular timber construction. With LIGNOLOC®, the timber elements could be processed efficiently and without metallic fasteners – an important aspect for experimental construction principles and mono-material timber systems.

Michaela Beck

Marketing Director | BECK

Digital fabrication and material aggregation

The reclaimed timber offcuts were digitally scanned and computationally aggregated into load-bearing structures. This enabled a wide variety of timber cross-sections to be processed precisely within the hybrid ceiling system. TerraTimber combines digital planning, experimental material research and computational fabrication into a full-scale prototype research structure at the renowned Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT).

Learn more about the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT)