Universal Timber Slab Demonstrator, Remscheid, 2026

The UniversalTimberSlab demonstrator in Remscheid marks the world’s first successful construction of a point-supported, multi-axial long-span flat slab in timber–concrete composite construction. The underlying building system has been under development for the past eighteen months as part of the UniversalTimberSlab research project at the University of Stuttgart, funded by the European Innovation Council under Horizon Europe. For the client, Future Cleantech Architects, the system was realised at full scale for the first time within only three months, from the start of planning to completion. The demonstrator represents a single bay of the novel slab construction system. Measuring 9 × 5 metres and only 36 centimetres in height, it is as slender as a comparable reinforced-concrete flat slab while requiring approximately two-thirds less concrete.

Successful Validation in Full-Scale

In front of 200 visitors of the Future Cleantech Festival, the demonstrator was successfully tested with a load of 20 tonnes on top of its self-weight. This verified the structural capacity for a highly loaded office buildings with superimposed dead loads of 1.4 kN/m² and live loads of 3.0 kN/m². Measurements confirmed both the previously conducted finite-element simulations and the system’s high level of serviceability. The maximum measured deflection was only 12 millimetres, while the eigenfrequency exceeded 8 Hz.

The innovative floor segments were manufactured from glued-laminated-timber by the HASSLACHER Group and assembled by Dünschede Holzbau in just two days. The successful manufacture, assembly and experimental validation of the demonstrator represents several decisive milestones on the path towards widespread application of the UniversalTimberSlab in multi-storey timber construction.

Systemically Universal: The UniversalTimberSlab

The UniversalTimberSlab transfers the potential of computational design methods to multi-storey timber construction. The system combines high structural performance through optimised fibre orientation with software-supported planning flexibility, enabling slender, economical and adaptable timber floor structures.

Timber construction offers enormous potential for sustainable and future-oriented building. However, current systems for multi-storey timber slabs often force designers to work within a narrow set of structural constraints. This results in both architectural design limitations, such as the need for regular structural grids, and economic and functional disadvantages. At present, these challenges can only be addressed economically through careful planning by timber-construction specialists and by restricting timber construction to fitting building typologies.

The systemic flexibility associated with reinforced-concrete flat slabs—with regard to spans, column positions and open floor-plan design—is not yet available to the same extent in timber–concrete composite floor systems. The UniversalTimberSlab brings this level of systemic flexibility to timber construction for the first time, providing a timber-based alternative to the reinforced-concrete flat slab.

The new technology enables slender, high-performance timber floor structures that can be applied across a wide range of building configurations without down stand beams. This allows building services to be routed freely beneath the slab and partition walls to be positioned with ease, substantially simplifying both the initial planning and the future adaptation of buildings.

The system is based on a patent-pending segmentation methodology that allows even complex and irregular slab geometries to be divided into glued-laminated-timber segments that can be prefabricated efficiently. At the same time, the fibre direction of each segment is optimised so that the structural capacity of timber is used as effectively as possible.

ICD Institute for Computational Design and Construction, University of Stuttgart
Prof. Achim Menges, Hans Jakob Wagner, Martin Alvarez, Juan David Frank Spinel, Tim Stark
Supported by: Niels Töllner, Tommy-Lee Köpplin

ITKE Institute for Structural Design and Building Structures, University of Stuttgart
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Knippers, Gregor Neubauer, Renan Prandini 

Future Cleantech Architects, Remscheid
Dr. Peter Schniering, Johanna Rübcke, Friedrich Schubert, Leonie Brand

HASSLACHER Group
DI Georg Jeitler (HASSLACHER Holding GmbH, Sachsenburg)
Adrian Niehörster (HASSLACHER Holzbauteile GmbH & Co. KG, Kleinheubach)

Dünschede Holzbau GmbH, Arnsberg
Tobias Glaremin, Jörg, Dilbar, Philipp, Luca und Michel

UNIVERSALTIMBERSLAB RESEARCH TEAM

ICD Institute for Computational Design and Construction, University of Stuttgart
Martin Alvarez, Tim Stark, Max Zorn, Hans Jakob Wagner (PCoCo)
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Wortmann, Prof. Achim Menges

ITKE Institute for Structural Design and Building Structures, University of Stuttgart
Gregor Neubauer, Renan Prandini
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jan Knippers

IABP Institute Akustik und Bauphysik, Universität Stuttgart
Matthias Müller, Theresa Müller, Simon Panik, Julia Weißert
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Philip Leistner

IWB Institute für Werkstoffe im Bauwesen, Universität Stuttgart
MPA Materialprüfungsanstalt, Universität Stuttgart
Sabrin Machanek, Aaron Münzer, Dr.-Ing. Gerhard Dill-Langer
Prof. Dr. Philippe Grönquist

BUILT CoLAB, Porto
João Moutinho, Vanessa Tavares, Daniel Silva, Rita Mendonça, Luís Sanhudo

PRROJECT SUPPORT
EIC European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), Brussels
Franc Mouwen, Johannes Bunz, Carlos Casorrán Amilburu

IIGS Institut für Ingenieursgeodäsie, Universität Stuttgart
Prof. Volker Schwieger, Laura Balange, Nasser Alhamad

ISYS Institut für Systemdynamik, Universität Stuttgart
Prof. Oliver Sawodny, Sergey Klassen, Sven Hänzka, Eva Mendres

Reisser Schraubentechnik GmbH, Ingelfingen-Criesbach
Armin Bauer

Freiwillige Feuerwehr Remscheid 
Katharina Kluge, Sascha Ploch

Schützenverein Remscheid
Alexander Kreiker, Arnd zum Dome 

Dirostahl GmbH, Remscheid
Dr. Roman Diederichs

EWR GmbH - Stadtwerke Remscheid Verbund 
Mike Giera, Joachim Frings

Zimmerei Borge Oelbermann, Remscheid
Borge Oelbermann

PROJECT FUNDING
EIC - European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA)
The UniversalTimberSlab project received funding from the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No. 101161103.