University of Stuttgart's 14-inch timber-concrete slab holds 20 tons, could cut building carbon footprint

Researchers at the University of Stuttgart have developed a timber-concrete composite floor slab called UniversalTimberSlab that matches the thickness of reinforced concrete while using about two-thirds less concrete. The 14-inch slab held 20 metric tons in a public test, meeting deflection and vibration standards for multistory buildings. By cutting structural height by up to 28 inches and reducing facade area by 20%, it could lower embodied carbon and construction costs. The system uses widely spaced columns instead of load-bearing walls, allowing flexible floor layouts. A pilot building, Zukunftsforum, is planned in Oberkochen, Germany. The team says the design leverages existing timber manufacturing methods, so it could scale quickly.