GRIPMetal Technology Unlocks New Possibilities for Mass Timber Construction
Developed by NUCAP and advanced with WZMH Architects, GRIPMetal uses steel micro-hooks to boost timber span, strength, and efficiency while reducing adhesives. SOURCE: WZMH Architects
Zenon Radewych
Principal at WZMH Architects
Mass timber is increasingly viewed as one of the most promising sustainable alternatives to concrete and steel. But despite its rapid adoption, designers and builders continue to run up against the same challenges: floor plates often need additional plies or deeper sections to control deflection and vibration; meeting fire ratings can add layers and weight; and premium timber products are expensive and sometimes difficult to source. Together, these constraints put added pressure on project budgets and timelines.
WZMH Architects and its in-house R&D lab sparkbird have teamed up with NUCAP to bring an unconventional solution into the building industry: GRIPMetal. Originally created for automotive brake pads, GRIPMetal is a thin steel sheet covered in microscopic hooks that bite into adjacent layers of material. When sandwiched between timber layers, those hooks form a powerful mechanical lock, reducing the need for adhesives and producing assemblies with greater consistency and strength.
GRIPMetal embedded between timber layers creates a mechanical lock that increases strength and stiffness while reducing the need for adhesives.
The system can be used in CLT, NLT, or hybrid CLVT panels, allowing designers to stretch timber’s capabilities in new directions. Instead of adding depth or plies, GRIPMetal helps create floor systems that span farther, weigh less, and use material more efficiently.
Testing at Toronto Metropolitan University has underscored the potential:
● Stronger, lighter assemblies: Plywood reinforced with GRIPMetal showed load and stiffness increases of up to 250%, while CLT spans grew by 125% or more.
● Shallower, more efficient floors: In testing, GRIPMetal-reinforced 2”×6” sections approached the performance of 2”×8” joists, enabling slimmer floor plates and more usable space in certain applications.
● Encouraging fire performance signs: Early research indicates that steel interlayers may slow heat transfer and help resist delamination. Full-scale fire testing is in progress.
● Adhesive-light production: With less reliance on glues, manufacturers could shorten curing times, cut costs, and lessen the environmental footprint of their operations.
For project teams, these gains could mean more efficient structures and slimmer floor plates that maximize usable interior space. For manufacturers, it could translate into faster production cycles and fewer supply chain pressures.
GRIPMetal, also called the 3D Nailing Plate in construction applications, is a thin steel sheet with microscopic hooks that mechanically lock timber layers together.
“GRIPMetal represents a new way of thinking about how steel and timber can work together,” says Zenon Radewych, Principal at WZMH Architects. “The ability to achieve longer spans, use of finger jointed wood for structural joists, thinner profiles, and adhesive-light production methods has the potential to reshape how wood frame & mass timber buildings are designed and built.”
As demand for low-carbon construction continues to grow, GRIPMetal highlights how ideas from one industry can transform another. What began as a solution in automotive manufacturing is now pointing to a new generation of high-performing timber buildings.