Sterling Structural, a manufacturer of cost-effective, pre-fabricated mass timber and hybrid structural systems in North America, announced a modular Shaft Wall System for new construction. The system supports all major elevator manufacturers or egress stair designs and enables builders to save time and cost from elevator wall shafts without sacrificing fire safety or structural integrity, all while reducing embodied carbon compared to concrete or masonry shaft walls.
The new system features pre-fabricated Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT) panels for shaft walls—and, in some cases, roofs—along with coordinated connection details and all necessary hardware. Sterling’s project management team coordinates deliveries, sequencing panels for easy installation, whether the project uses platform or balloon framing.
CLT-based wall panels outperform traditional masonry shaft walls in several ways. Unlike poured concrete or masonry, CLT is:
- Lower Cost: CLT panel installation does not require as much labor nor the use of multiple tradespeople;
- Not Weather Dependent: CLT panels can be installed in all weather conditions, enabling more predictable scheduling and maintaining project timelines;
- Quicker to Install: Prefabricated panels can be installed in hours, by a single trade and require only a single inspection
- Sustainable: Sterling’s CLT panels are made from 100 percent domestically grown, regenerative timber dramatically reducing embodied carbon and supporting the health of US forests
- Generates WELL AP Credits. When left exposed in stairs, CLT generates WELL AP credits by making stairs biophilic which encourages people to take the stairs which leads to healthier lifestyles.
Sterling Structural’s CLT-based panels and systems were recently used at a Candlewood Suites Hotel at Fort Bragg in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The six story, 207-room 122,000 square foot building was constructed almost entirely from mass timber, including the elevator and stair shafts. The facility was designed to meet the highly restrictive military Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection (ATFP) requirements under the Privatized Army Lodging program.
Sterling’s TerraLam structural product line provides a competitively priced, mass timber panel that is designed for seamless integration into wall, floor, and roof applications. Sterling Structural serves as a one-stop shop for mass timber or a hybrid structural shell. Its panels are certified to the PRG 320 performance standard by the International Code Council; are Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) Chain of Custody certified third-party verified by SCS Global; have an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) third-party verified by EPD Hub; carry a Red List Free DECLARE label through the International Living Future Institute.
