Dialog, a design, architecture and structural engineering firm based in Canada, has filed for a global patent for their newest design concept for flooring. The Hybrid Timber Floor System (HTFS), if approved, could lead to the introduction of mass timber structural solutions into the supertall tower category, thus reducing the environmental impact of tall building development in high density urban areas.
According to Dialog, the HTFS combines cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels with steel, and concrete to build high rise towers with a reduced carbon footprint. When incorporated with other smart building technologies, such as photovoltaic panels, algae bioreactors, or other renewable energy solutions, towers as tall as 105-storeys could achieve carbon neutrality. The system will also allow for a 12m column-free span, where standard CLT design systems currently span just three-quarters of that distance.
“Floor plates typically comprise approximately 70% of building material utilised in high-rise towers. By focusing our talents and resources on creating more innovative floor plate solutions like this one, we believe that we can make a major dent in the environmental footprint of the built environment in the not-so-distant future,” said Craig Applegath, Dialog Partner, and one of the project’s key leaders.
Thomas Wu, Dialog Partner and structural engineer, also commented: “This HTFS will maximize the use of sustainably harvested wood in high-rise construction in the most cost efficient, energy efficient, and elegant manner. In doing so, the design will also give occupants access to sustainable, beautiful, exposed natural wood in their spaces.”
The patent has been filed in Canada, the US, the EU, Australia and China. Once the patents are approved, the structural system will then require localised approvals to coincide with area code requirements around fire, health, and life safety. Meanwhile, Dialog is working with global construction firm EllisDon to develop scaled panels for thorough structural testing.
