CCG has reached a key milestone in the construction of a landmark affordable housing development with the introduction of Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) on the 143 affordable homes it is building for GHA in the Gallowgate, Glasgow – one of the biggest housing developments currently being built in the city.

CLT is a structural timber solution that rivals the strength of concrete and steel and has been used in the construction of one-off housing solutions and commercial projects across the UK – but is rarely used in mainstream housing.

The innovative new material can vastly improve site efficiencies, including the speed of construction and a reduction in the use of materials.

CCG researched the use of CLT by building solely with the material at Ellerslie Road in Yoker – Scotland's tallest timber building – and more recently with Admiral Street in the city's Kinning Park area as a 'hybrid' timber solution, where traditional masonry materials used in common areas are replaced with CLT, integrating with CCG's 'iQ' enhanced panelised timber frame system for the construction of dwellings.

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This 'hybrid' solution is being used at Gallowgate Phase G to compare it with two other common area solutions – traditional concrete and a clay brick walling system – to deliver a real-time quality, time and cost comparison.

CCG Chairman and CEO, Alastair Wylie said: "Before Gallowgate Phase G, CCG used CLT on two different housing projects and it proved to us that by combining our offsite capabilities with structural timber, that we could further enhance the operational environment of the construction site.

"The comparison of materials at this project is giving us a real-time example of how they compare and upon the development's completion, we can utilise the data captured to inform our clients in the future delivery of flatted housing projects.

"We are delighted to be part of this wonderful development and look forward to handing over the first properties to GHA this summer."

Work on the 143 new GHA homes in the Gallowgate started in summer 2018 and should be completed by early 2020.