19. February 2026

Research Project Timber Earth Slab (TES) with the Technical University of Munich (TUM)

The 1:1 TES demonstrator © Chair of Digital Fabrication | Technical University of Munich
At the Technical University of Munich, the research project Timber Earth Slab (TES) investigated how mineral-bound earth material (with a binder from Oxara) and timber can be combined into a high-performance, resource-efficient floor system.

This innovative construction system integrates the structural advantages of timber with the building-physics properties of mineral-bound earth material. Through the targeted interaction of these two materials, a unified and resource-efficient floor system for multi-storey timber construction is created.

Collaboration between Practice and Research

As an industry partner, our parent company Blumer Lehmann was involved in the project, together with müllerblaustein, Leipfinger-Bader, Oxara and Florian Nagler Architects. On behalf of Blumer Lehmann, the project was supported by our Co-Manager Bettina Baggenstos. The close integration of research and practice made it possible to iteratively address and prototype structural, engineering, and production-related questions.
 

On the academic side, the project was initiated and led by the Chair of Digital Fabrication at the TUM supported by the Chair of Timber Construction and Building Construction, the Chair of Building Technology and Climate-Responsive Design, and the Chair of Architectural Design and Construction. The project was funded by the industry partners and the FNR.

Robotically fabricated timber element filled with mineral-bound earth material © Chair of Digital Fabrication | Technical University of Munich

Parametric Design and Robotic Fabrication

A parametric design tool was developed that directly generates production data for robotic fabrication. The laying, nailing, and bonding processes were systematically recorded and iteratively analysed and optimised during the production of test specimens. For the infill using a castable, mineral-bound earth material, material formulations, flow behaviour, and casting processes were investigated.
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Performance and Circularity

The tests, specimens, and the final 1:1 mock-up demonstrated the potential of mineral–biogenic hybrid constructions. TES is particularly compelling in terms of material circularity, reversibility, and the reduction of embodied carbon. The result is a floor system that integrates structural performance, thermal mass, and constructive logic.

 

Timber Earth Slab exemplifies how research and industry can collaborate to develop future-oriented construction systems combining earth-based materials and timber.

 
 
The system is also spatially appealing, with its structured hybrid surface © Florian Nagler Architekten

Our Takeaways from the Research Project

For us at Lehmit, the project was valuable in several respects:

 

  • Experience with mineral-bound earth materials in collaboration with Oxara, Leipfinger-Bader, and the Technical University of Munich—particularly regarding material behaviour, drying processes, and integration into hybrid timber structures. 
  • Deepened exchange between academia and industry which opened new perspectives on research, standardisation, and scalability. 
  • Insights into the digital process chain from parametric design to robotic fabrication, which can be integrated into our specialised planning services for earth-timber construction.

 

The knowledge gained from the project feeds directly into our work, especially in the further development of prefabricated earth-timber systems and in questions of industrialisation. Within our specialised planning for earth-timber construction, we assess project-specific solutions combining earth-based materials and timber.

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