Access to this full-text is provided by EDP Sciences.
Content available from E3S Web of Conferences
This content is subject to copyright. Terms and conditions apply.
15011
Material properties of palm bark Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)
infill wall for earthquake-resistant reinforced concrete
buildings: a preliminary investigation
Ahmad Hamidi1, Jafril Tanjung1, and Teuku Budi Aulia2
1Civil Engineering Department, Universitas Andalas, Padang 25163, Indonesia
2Civil Engineering Department, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
Abstract. This study conducts a preliminary investigation to determine the material properties of Cross-
Laminated Timber (CLT) made from the bark of unproductive palm trunks. One-third of the lower part of
palm trunks, aged over 20 years, was used for this purpose. CLTs were created by laminating palm boards
into three and five layers, each measuring 200 mm x 20 mm x 1500 mm. A chemical epoxy was employed
for lamination. The palm stems were dried in an oven at 110°C for 24 hours. Test results revealed a water
content of 6.79% and a specific gravity of 0.23 gr/cm3 in oil palm stems. According to ASTM D143-94-
2005 and JIS Z210-21118 standards, wood's acceptable moisture content ranges from 12% to 20%. Given
its low specific weight and minimal water content, palm oil trunks, including infill walls, show promise for
use in earthquake-resistant construction.
1 Introduction
1.1 Earthquake resistant buildings
Indonesia is one of the countries with a high intensity of
earthquakes because Indonesia is in several ring of fire
routes, especially on the west side of the islands of
Sumatra and Java. Under these conditions, existing
buildings must be planned and built by earthquake-
resistant building standards. This was done to minimize
and avoid material or soul losses.
The earthquake that occurs will cause
vibrations/shaking of the ground in all directions and
vibrate the buildings standing around the location. The
force due to the earthquake event is assumed to be the
shear force that exists at the base of the building and this
force will be continued on the top side of the building[1].
Earthquake forces have magnitudes, directions, and
intensities that always change according to time (time-
varying) to give rise to a dynamic response to a structure
that is a function of time[2]. One of the analyses carried
out in planning earthquake-resistant buildings is dynamic
analysis because the results provide information on the
behavior of the structure[3].
In addition to structural planning, the selection of the
type of material used is also a consideration because it will
affect the mass of the building and the cross-sectional
dimensions of the structure to be used.
Corresponding author: jafriltanjung@eng.unand.ac.id
1.2 Cross Laminated Timber (CLT)
Buildings are inseparable from human life, starting from
building roads, dams, and buildings. The need for
buildings related to the material requirements to be used
in the building. The selection of the right material must be
able to support the performance of the structure. The
selection of building materials for buildings so far has
mostly used reinforced concrete because it is considered
strong compared to other materials, even though concrete
is one of the materials with a high specific gravity (BJ)
that also influences the use of cross-sections of structural
elements, including the selection of reinforcement.
Wood is one of the oldest building materials after
stone and has been the basic building material for many
years[4]. Wood is an alternative as a material in buildings.
So far, the use of wood as a building material has not been
optimal because it is only used as a supporting material
and as a covering for simple buildings, such as 1 or 2-story
buildings. Along with technological developments in the
world of wood construction, it has begun to be used as a
material that is applied to structural elements. Wood with
an age of more than 5 years has higher physical and
mechanical properties compared to wood-aged under 5
years, such as its density value[5].
One of the methods used in the use of wood as a
structural element is Cross-laminated timber (CLT). CLT
is a wood structural material made by stacking baseboards
orthogonally in the direction of the grain and biting them
E3S Web of Conferences 464, 15011 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202346415011
2nd ICDMM 2023
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution
License 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
together[6]. CLT is laminated wood which has the
direction of the wood grain opposite the direction of the
wood fiber between the layers so that it has resistance in
the direction[7]. CLT has a relatively high resistance
value from both directions and the wood pores become
smaller and even disappear due to the lamination process.
CLT is given a compressive force with a certain value so
that it is denser between layers and will cover the pores in
the wood. CLT is widely used for wall and floor panels
with a manufacturing method that offers many advantages
and is an alternative to steel and concrete[8].
Several countries have started using CLT as the main
material, such as in Norway, an apartment building in
Bergen Norway which has 18 floors with a height of 49
m. building. In Indonesia, the use of wood as the main
component or structural element has not been maximized,
so further research is needed on the use of wood as the
main building material.
One of the wood materials that has the potential to be
used is processed wood from oil palm stems, which so far
has not been used optimally. The processing of palm oil
stalk waste is not optimal due to poor dimensional
stability, susceptibility to orgasm attacks, and low
physical properties[9]. Using the laminating method on
palm oil stems is expected to produce modulus values that
meet standards so that they can be applied to buildings.
CLT walls are connected to beam and column
components using connectors. Reinforced concrete has
strong properties against compressive and tensile forces
and can prevent microcracks of concrete10 so that the
unification between CLT wall materials and reinforced
concrete can provide a strong and earthquake-resistant
solution.
1.3 Disasters and Effects on Buildings
Indonesia's geographical condition, which is located on
the Pacific Ring of Fire, makes Indonesia a country that
has the most active volcanoes and also a high potential for
natural disasters. Indonesia is crossed by the Indo-
Australian plate to the south, the Pacific from the east, and
Eurasia from the north, which positions Indonesia as a
disaster-prone country both from tectonic and volcanic
activity. Indonesia is very familiar with natural disasters
such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods,
and landslides.
According to the World Bank and UNISDR in BNPB
(2015: 23) it is explained that Indonesia is ranked 12th as
a country that has high vulnerability, causing many
victims due to various types of disasters. Floods, extreme
weather, volcanic eruptions, landslides, and drought in
Indonesia caused a high death toll from 1815 to 2015. In
2016, there were 2,384 disasters recorded, this number
increased from the previous year's 1,732 in 2015.
Indonesia is a country that has a high level of
vulnerability to natural disasters. Based on data from the
2018 World Risk Report, Indonesia ranks 36th with a risk
index of 10.36 out of 172 countries most prone to natural
disasters in the world. This condition is caused by the
existence of Indonesia tectonically as a meeting place for
three world tectonic plates (Eurasia, Indo-Australia, and
the Pacific), volcanically as an active volcanic pathway
known as the Pacific Ring of fire. This condition then
becomes the cause of earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic
eruptions. In addition, hydroclimatologically, Indonesia is
also affected by the ENSO (El-Nino Southern Oscillation)
and La Nina phenomena which have an impact on the
occurrence of floods, landslides, droughts, and tornadoes.
A building is planned to be able to fulfill all its
functional needs so that it can support the activities in it,
such as an office building complete with leadership
rooms, staff, meeting rooms, and so on, or an education
center building complete with laboratories, study rooms,
meeting rooms and so on. The need for this space is
sometimes in conflict with the availability of land in its
construction, so construction experts have started to
develop high-rise buildings (vertical direction) to meet the
space requirements with limited available land[10]. The
option of development expansion in a vertical direction
also has its popularity in certain planning area units. This
alternative was proposed to restrain the rate of land
conversion, especially those that serve a strategic function
as a buffer for natural continuity as well as those that play
a role as a determinant of the availability of basic human
needs[11].
[12]Earthquakes are defined as natural vibrations,
which occur at certain locations and are unsustainable
caused by the sudden movement of the earth's crust (earth
plates) due to a source of force as the cause, both natural
and man-made. Indonesia itself already has regulations
governing the planning of earthquake-resistant buildings.
Experts study the various types of recorded earthquakes
and then process them to produce an Indonesian
earthquake map, each region will have a different
earthquake value depending on the movement of rocks.
Fig. 1. Illustration of an Earthquake.
Several earthquakes have occurred in Indonesia,
among others, 26 December 2004 in Aceh at 9.3 SR which
was accompanied by a Tsunami, 27 May 2006 in
Yogyakarta at 5.9 SR, and 30 September 2009 in Padang
at 7.6 SR. The existence of these earthquakes is proof that
Indonesia is in the ring of fire.
Most earthquakes are caused by the release of energy
generated by the pressure exerted by moving plates. The
pressure will increase over time until it finally reaches a
state where the edges of the plates cannot be held
anymore, causing an earthquake. In addition, earthquakes
are also caused by the movement of magma inside the
volcano as an indication of impending volcanic eruptions.
2
E3S Web of Conferences 464, 15011 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202346415011
2nd ICDMM 2023
The impact caused by the earthquake in the form of
damage to buildings and casualties should have been
minimized by proper planning of earthquake-resistant
buildings. Building planning in earthquake-prone areas
that is often applied today is performance-based seismic
design in the form of using non-linear analysis techniques
with computer applications so that the intensity of ground
movement can be easily obtained, then it can predict the
critical condition of buildings when an earthquake occurs
and reinforce these critical conditions.
[12]Performance-based seismic design is a process
that can be used for planning new buildings or upgrading
existing buildings with a realistic understanding of safety
risks (life), and readiness (occupancy). and property
losses (economic loss) that may occur as a result of the
coming earthquake[13].
1.4 Material and method
The material used is wood from palm stems. The palm
stem in question is the lower 1/3 side of the palm trunk
which has stronger physical properties when compared to
the other 2/3 sides.
Fig. 2. Weight of test object.
Fig. 3. Palmwood laminating results.
Palm logs are made into laminated sheets by cross-
assembling one layer over another. The adhesive material
used is white fox glue. The cross-sectional dimensions of
the wooden board are 11 cm x 7.5 cm.
The CLT material used is the lower side of the palm
stem which has physical and mechanical properties that
are stronger than the other parts. The palm stem used is
palm stem that is 25 years old and has stopped producing
fruit. The cutting of palm stems is done using a wood
cutting machine to form sheets of wood and then a
preservative process is carried out using liquid resin and
allowed to settle and dry for 30 days if using sunlight as a
drying medium and can use an oven for alternative drying
with a shorter duration.
Fig. 4. The process of making palm wood.
Before making CLT, it is necessary to test the
properties of the wood stems to determine the physical
and mechanical properties of the oil palm stems. Tests for
physical properties of oil palm stem wood include
moisture content and specific gravity, while tests for
mechanical properties include shear tests and flexibility
tests (MOR and MOE). Testing the water content and
specific gravity using a sample with dimensions of 5 cm
x 5 cm x 5 cm.
Fig. 5. Shear force testing method.
While testing the magnitude of the shear force that
occurs is carried out using a tool that is capable of
providing horizontal loads where the CLT wall is
connected to the beam and column components. The test
method as shown in Figure 5.
3
E3S Web of Conferences 464, 15011 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202346415011
2nd ICDMM 2023
2 Results dan discussion
2.1 Physical properties
Based on the properties test on the wood of edible oil
palm, the water content was 6.79% and the specific
gravity was 0.23 gr/cm3. The test results are shown in
Table 1.
Table 1. The result of the water content in the oil palm
trunk test.
Code Gross
weight (gr)
Dry weight
(gr)
Water
content
(%)
Specific
gravity
(gr/cm3)
1 36.15 33.55 7.19 0.21
2 33.19 30.85 7.05 0.23
3 25.68 23.95 6.74 0.28
4 36.59 34.06 6.91 0.20
5 32.89 30.55 7.11 0.23
6 27.57 25.71 6.75 0.26
7 28.16 26.23 6.85 0.26
8 34.48 32.09 6.93 0.22
9 32.5 30.31 6.74 0.22
10 35.61 32.91 7.58 0.23
11 32.03 30.91 3.50 0.11
12 29.28 27.14 7.31 0.27
13 32.22 29.81 7.48 0.25
14 29.27 27.28 6.80 0.25
15 28.56 26.58 6.93 0.26
6.79 0.23
Average
water
content
Average
specific gravity
Based on Table 1 shows that the average value of the
water content in the oil palm trunk is 6.79% and this value
is still according to the standard where the maximum
value is at 15%. Before processing, palm stems have a
high water content value of more than 30%, but after
processing in the form of drying and preserving them into
wood, palm trunks can be used as construction material.
2.2 Mechanical properties
Fig. 6. Shear force testing method.
Mechanical testing was carried out to find out how much
compressive and bending results occur in the palm stem
wood when it is given a load. In addition, mechanical
testing was carried out to determine the effect of shear
forces that occur as a result of using one layer of adhesive
with another.
The use of adhesive between CLT sheets is expected
to provide optimal value. CLT walls are designed not to
withstand the vertical force of the building because the
structural loading will be supported by structural
components such as beams and columns.
3 Conclusion
Based on the properties test, palm stem wood has a water
content value that meets the requirements, namely 6.79%
according to ASTM D143-94-2005 and JIS Z210-2118
standards which provide a maximum limit for a maximum
water content value of 12% -20%. Tests for shear strength
(Modulus Rupture/MOR), flexibility (Modulus
Elasticity/MOE), and shear strength are expected to
provide maximum results that meet ASTM D143-94-2005
and JAS 1152 standards. Based on the properties test, the
use of palm wood as a building material can be used for
certain components such as walls by processing according
to standards first.
The authors would like to thank Riau University for using the
laboratory.
References
1. R. Faizah and D. Widodo, 7(7), (2013)
2. Y. Muntafi, Simp. Nas. RAPI XI FT UMS 2012, 68–
75, (2012)
3. E. Purnomo, E. Purwanto, and A. Supriyadi, 2(4),
(2014)
4. L. Kozaric, A. Prokic, and M. Besevic, 58(4), (2015)
5. J. B. Mussi Alencar and J. D. de Melo Moura, 69(3),
(2019)
6. R. Y. Kana SUGIMOTO, Yasushi SANADA, J.
Struct. Constr. ENg. AIJ, 88(806), (2023)
7. I. R. Suyanto, 16 (2), (2020)
8. S. Zhang, J. Zhou, J. Niederwestberg, and Y. H. Chui,
“Development of Rotational Fixity Factors for
Vibration Design of Cross-Laminated Timber
Floors,” no. October, 1–11 (2018)
9. D. Triwibowo et al., J. Sylva Lestari, 8(3), (2020)
10. B. Sujatmiko, M. Hanafi, and B. Wibowo, 1(1),
(2018)
11. I. W. Suarnita, 8(1) (2010)
12. W. S. Anggen, A. Setiya Budi, and P. Gunawan,
“Performance Evaluation of Multi-Storey Building
Structures Using Time History Dynamic Analysis
Using Etabs (Case Study: Hotel in Karanganyar
Area),” no. September, 313, (2014) (in Indonesian)
13. A. I. Hadi, K. S. Brotopuspito, S. Pramumijoyo, and
Hary, Disertasi, Univ. Gadjah Mada,. 1–4, (2019)
4
E3S Web of Conferences 464, 15011 (2023) https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202346415011
2nd ICDMM 2023
Content uploaded by Ahmad Hamidi
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Ahmad Hamidi on Jan 03, 2025
Content may be subject to copyright.
