Modular CLT system designed to reduce cost, time and embodied carbon in shaft wall construction.

Sterling Structural, a division of US-based Sterling Solutions, has introduced a prefabricated Mass Timber Shaft Wall System that provides an alternative to conventional concrete or masonry cores. Designed for use in new commercial, residential, and institutional buildings, the system is built from cross-laminated timber (CLT) and supports the installation of egress stairs and elevator shafts using prefabricated components.

The system includes pre-cut CLT panels, engineered connection details, and all required hardware, with Sterling’s in-house team coordinating sequencing for on-site delivery and installation. It is compatible with both balloon and platform framing approaches and can accommodate shaft layouts from all major lift manufacturers.

“It’s easy to overlook the elevator shaft when assessing structural material choices,” said Michaela Harms, Vice President of Mass Timber at Sterling Structural. “But it’s a part of the project where carbon and cost savings can be achieved with minimal design changes.”

Unlike poured concrete or blockwork, prefabricated timber shaft walls can be installed by a single trade, in fewer steps, and without dependence on weather conditions. The system is also intended to reduce coordination requirements by removing the need for multiple subcontractors.

At Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Sterling’s shaft wall system was installed as part of a six-storey Candlewood Suites Hotel delivered under the US Army’s lodging program. The project included 207 rooms across 11,330 sqm, using CLT panels for stair and elevator shafts while meeting the stringent Anti-Terrorism and Force Protection (ATFP) specifications.

Lee Grawcock, Senior Project Manager at MLP Solutions—the installer—said the system streamlined both sequencing and site labour. “The panels met the two-hour fire rating without needing interior drywall, and the installation integrated with cold-formed steel, precast, and metal deck systems without delay,” he said.

Sterling Structural’s shaft wall system draws on its TerraLam CLT product line. Manufactured in Texas and Illinois, the panels are certified to the PRG 320 standard and supported by third-party verified sustainability documentation, including Environmental Product Declarations and SFI Chain of Custody certification. Annual production capacity across both facilities is around 700,000 cubic metres.

About Sterling Structural
Sterling Structural is a division within Sterling Solutions, America’s leading manufacturer of sustainably-sourced, domestically-produced, high-quality and cost-effective Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) mats, panels and systems. Our 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.

Source: Sterling Structural