The Structural Engineering Research Team at CTU UCEEB is seeking research and industrial partners for a project within Topic 3 – Timber and Innovative Wood-Based Products, focusing on the development and validation of mechanically connected cross-laminated panels made from European hardwoods.
The project responds to the anticipated growing role of hardwood species in European forests and the need to develop high-value structural applications for these resources. Expanding their use in engineered timber products could diversify the raw material base for timber construction and support efficient utilisation of locally available wood.
The project aims to develop adhesive-free panels with crosswise-oriented timber layers connected using screws, and to assess their mechanical performance, long-term behaviour and suitability for structural applications. The research will focus on hardwood panels, with scope to investigate hybrid hardwood–softwood configurations. The suitability of different hardwood species will be investigated, while panel configurations, screw arrangements and structural applications will be developed and validated jointly with partners, taking into account available resources and industrial needs.
We are particularly looking for:
- research organisations with complementary expertise in hardwood characterisation, timber connections, moisture-related behaviour or manufacturing technologies;
- timber panel manufacturers or wood-processing companies with the capacity to develop manufacturing processes and produce experimental panels;
- hardwood sawmills, timber suppliers or forest-sector partners providing raw materials and expertise in processing, availability and grading;
- manufacturers of screws for timber connections interested in developing and evaluating fastening solutions for hardwood panels.
Partners with expertise in life-cycle assessment, circular construction and production economics are also welcome to help evaluate the environmental and commercial potential of the developed products.
CTU UCEEB brings expertise in experimental testing and numerical modelling of timber structures and wood-based materials. Our contribution will include mechanical and structural testing of panels and connections, long-term and creep experiments, and the development, calibration and validation of numerical models using experimental data.

The University Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings (UCEEB) is an interdisciplinary research institute of the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU).
The Structural Engineering Research Team focuses on experimental and numerical investigation of building materials, structural components, connections and complete structural systems, with extensive experience in timber engineering and wood-based materials.
Our experimental facilities enable mechanical testing from the material and connection level up to large-scale structural components and systems, including static, cyclic and long-term loading.
Experimental research is complemented by numerical modelling, structural analysis and validation of computational models using experimental data.
Within the proposed project, CTU UCEEB would contribute to the development and experimental and numerical validation of mechanically connected hardwood panels, focusing on connection behaviour, panel stiffness and strength, long-term performance and practical structural applications.
https://www.uceeb.cz/en/structural-engineering/