A new brick made from domestic plastic waste has been proven to provide 10 times better insulation than traditional bricks made from clay. Dr Karthikeyan Kandan, senior lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), has created a novel brick made entirely from upcycled plastic waste. Believed to
A new survey by online ironmongery supplier, IronmongeryDirect, has found that 52% of tradespeople have fallen victim to tool theft, with almost a quarter (21%) saying it’s happened to them more than once. The results of the survey, completed by 1,000 tradespeople, back up the reported 54% rise in tool
Choosing the correct ladder for any given job can often be a bit of a minefield as there are so many different pieces of equipment for various working-at-height tasks. Hopefully this guide can be of some help should you need any pointers when selecting the correct solution. Choosing the correct
A world-leading chemicals firm has boosted its presence in the UK with a new facility delivered by national contractor Kier. Infineum officially opened a new Global Centre of Innovation at its UK headquarters near Didcot. The 3,500ft² centre delivers the necessary infrastructure to support Infineum’s technology leadership to enable improved
Chandlers Building Supplies, renowned throughout the industry for its charitable outreach programme has been nominated for an incredible six awards at the forthcoming Builders’ Merchants Awards. This includes ‘Best Community Initiative’ for its charity football tournament with partner ‘Celeb FC’. The tournament and family fun day raised over £5,000 for charities, adding to
A derelict building on the edge of Northampton city centre has been transformed into a striking 21st century educational facility, thanks in part to mirror-polished, perforated panels from Proteus Facades. What was once the Royal Mail Sorting Office on Barrack Road, has now been redeveloped into an iconic school featuring
A talented apprentice from Ibstock Brick has won a prestigious regional award. Zac Payne – who is based at Ibstock Brick’s Chailey Factory, near Lewes – was a finalist for the Make UK Manufacturing Awards in the Engineering Apprentice of the Year (Final Year) for the Southern Region. And on
The key to maintaining a healthy drainage system can be put into one word only – prevention. A draining system problem should be addressed before it’s noticeable to anyone but the plumber working on the pipes. This approach isn’t only a better way to go when it comes to making
From Allegro to oodlique, Zalando to Game, European online marketplaces are booming. European online marketplaces receive 804.4m visits per month, a figure which shows no sign of waning. These online communities are connecting, engaging and extending relationships with customers, employees and partners across all sectors and helping customers get more
Good forest management can both protect the environment and help meet the growing demand for timber from the building trade, argues Nigel Buckley-Ryan, Södra’s UK Sales Director, Merchants. As pressure on the world’s finite resources continues to intensify, timber suppliers face a growing problem: how do we meet the needs
A new brick made from domestic plastic waste has been proven to provide 10 times better insulation than traditional bricks made from clay. Dr Karthikeyan Kandan, senior lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at De Montfort University Leicester (DMU), has created a novel brick made entirely from upcycled plastic waste. Believed to be the first of its kind, the brick is constructed using 3D printing and lattice architecture technologies, which involves criss-crossing strips of the plastic materials to form a grid or weave. The design is inspired by nature, after Dr Kandan examined the structure of the Baya weaver bird’s nest; renowned for its elaborately woven construction. “The Baya weaver bird’s nest’s ingenious construction gives it excellent thermal insulation and mechanical properties for inhabitation,” explained Dr Kandan. “Inside there is a central nesting chamber, which makes it the ideal micro-climate for inhabitation. By replicating this structure, we have manufactured a brick that improves energy efficiency of modern buildings and therefore can reduce carbon foot print.” Saad Alqahtani, a first-year PhD student at DMU, carried out controlled experiments on the plastic bricks, under joint supervision from Dr Kandan and Dr Farukh – also a senior lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at the university. To test its thermal insulation characteristics, Saad placed the brick in a hot-box calorimeter – a piece of equipment used to measure the U-value of an object, which can be set up to simulate the regulatory standard for buildings. U-value is a measure of the flow of heat through an insulating or building material: the lower the U-value, the better the insulating ability. The results showed the new design delivered an impressive U-value of 0.25 Watts per Metre Kelvin (W/m²K). This is 10 times more effective than a clay brick, which delivers an average of 2.94 W/m²K. Traditionally, a range of building blocks are required to achieve the regulatory standard U-value, however, the newly designed plastic brick can achieve this on its own. “Our brick, made from all kinds of domestic plastic waste – from coffee cup lids to plastic bottles – exhibits a tremendous thermal envelope over conventional building materials,” said Dr Kandan. A building envelope refers to the exterior elements that protect the property and its inhabitants from the elements and also contributes to keeping the building structurally sound. “This provides significant potential to not only improve the energy efficiency of modern building, but also to conserve space and reduce dead-weight in multi-story buildings,” added Dr Kandan. Saad, who received a PhD scholarship from DMU to complete this work with Dr Kandan and Dr Farukh, said their brick could lead to a new era of energy-efficient construction while tackling the issue of plastic pollution at the same time. “Our work has demonstrated that 3D printed bricks made from household plastic waste are thermally far superior than the existing bricks made in the market,” he explained. “This breakthrough can literally help us build the future.” This project marks the second time this year that Dr Kandan has been recognised for his work to repurpose plastic waste. In August he made headlines when he created a prosthetic limb socket made from recycled plastic water bottles for amputee patients. Saad, who also completed his MSc at DMU, was invited to showcase their work at the prestigious 39th International Workshop on Computational Mechanics of Materials in Dubrovnik, Croatia, in September. “It was a great opportunity to meet industry experts and tell people about our work,” he said. “The next step is to get the brick into commercial production, which we hope to do by the end of the year.” Dr Kandan added: “It is fantastic to see one of our own PhD students taking the lead on this project and sharing our results on an international platform. “There is a constant drive for energy efficient building materials so it is very exciting to know that our brick can outperform the thermal insulation of standard building materials by an order of magnitude.”
A new survey by online ironmongery supplier, IronmongeryDirect, has found that 52% of tradespeople have fallen victim to tool theft, with almost a quarter (21%) saying it’s happened to them more than once. The results of the survey, completed by 1,000 tradespeople, back up the reported 54% rise in tool thefts in the last two years* – with even a quarter of those who haven’t been a victim reporting that they know someone who has. Each theft is reported to cost a tradesperson on average £1,200**, which equates to typically more than a week’s pay. Commenting on the survey results, Marco Verdonkschot, Managing Director of IronmongeryDirect, said: “It is worrying to see that across the industry tool theft numbers are continuing to rise, especially during the dark winter months. “There are a number of simple steps tradespeople can take to increase their van security such as parking against a wall in a well-lit area when out on a job, installing a van safe or taking their tools inside overnight. To tighten up security even further, van lock protection plates, dashcams or CCTV systems can be fantastic deterrents for would-be thieves.” For more survey results, please visit www.ironmongerydirect.com/landing/trade-barometer. IronmongeryDirect has over 18,000 products available and in stock. Orders can be placed as late as 8pm for next day delivery from Sunday through to Friday and by 4pm on Saturdays. Free, no quibble returns are available on all products. For more information, visit IronmongeryDirect.com or call their team of specialist advisors on 0800 168 28 28.
Choosing the correct ladder for any given job can often be a bit of a minefield as there are so many different pieces of equipment for various working-at-height tasks. Hopefully this guide can be of some help should you need any pointers when selecting the correct solution. Choosing the correct material. The two materials that ladders and access equipment tend to come in is aluminium or fiberglass, as you can see here. Aluminium ladders tend to be slightly lighter than the fiberglass ones. It can be a misconception that the aluminium ones are sturdier than the fiberglass ones as they are both tested to the same standards for durability and weight loading. The reason fiberglass ones were introduced was that they are non-conductive, usually to 30,000 volts, which obviously makes them ideal for any work that is being carried out around electricity. If you are purchasing a ladder for standard work, or DIY, then an aluminium one will suffice. Choosing Class It is important to make sure you choose an item that is certified to the correct classification for the job. This has become a bit of a grey area since the new standards for ladders came into play this year. Ladders used to be organised into three classifications (Class 1 – Industrial, Class 2- Trade and Class 3 – Domestic) This has now been changed and has been somewhat simplified into two classifications EN121 Non-Professional, and EN131 Professional. If a ladder is being used to carry out work in a professional environment, then it is essential to have the EN131 Professional classified equipment, anything that is sold as EN131 professional should be clearly marked as such on any labels on the equipment. The EN131 Non-Professional, as the name suggests, is suitable for anything that is for infrequent home use and DIY etc. It is important to make sure you are working with the correct equipment and classification, not only as it is the safest and best practice for yourself or your employees, but failure to do so can lead to problems with the HSE. Duration of Task Ladders are a practical solution for low risk and short duration tasks. It is recommended not to be on a ladder for a job that takes more than 30 minutes. If you are working on a job that you think will take longer than this, there may be more appropriate solutions, such as a ‘hop-up’ low level platform, or something like a podium step. These would be more suitable as they have a sturdy, larger platform to work off rather than the rungs of a ladder. Height Required Depending on the kind of job you are doing, different types of ladders will be most suited. If it is higher work, such as working at gutter height or fascias, an extension ladder would suit best. These generally come in a two section or three section model, the three section ladders close down to a smaller size so they can be easily transported or stored. If you are working lower than gutter height, for example decorating, home renovations or simply changing a lightbulb a step ladder would suffice and would be the best solution for the job. Step ladders come in two varieties, swingback and platform, as the name suggests a platform stepladder has a platform at the top for more comfortable standing, swingback stepladders have a top tread, which is not for standing on! You should actually never stand on the top three steps of a swingback stepladder. If you have a wide range of tasks in hand a combination ladder is ideal. Combination ladders can easily be turned into step ladders, extension ladders and stairway ladders very easily, giving you a range of available heights to work from, our personal favourites are the Little Giant Combination ladders or the ZargesSkymasters. As mentioned above if you are working at height for longer than 30 minutes at a time you should take a look at a podium steps, hop ups and towers, as well as permanent solutions over portable. Don’t forget to carry out a risk assessment for your work, once you hit heights over the average gutter height ladders may not be the perfect solution. Conclusion Hopefully throughout this simple guide you received the information you were looking for and are now on your way to becoming a ladder expert! Whichever product you go for in the end, ensure you are working safely and taking no unnecessary risks.
A world-leading chemicals firm has boosted its presence in the UK with a new facility delivered by national contractor Kier. Infineum officially opened a new Global Centre of Innovation at its UK headquarters near Didcot. The 3,500ft² centre delivers the necessary infrastructure to support Infineum’s technology leadership to enable improved innovation. It has also created more than 50 new jobs for talented chemists and engineers and includes new laboratories for research and development, collaborative meeting spaces, office space and a new restaurant. Representatives from Kier and key Infineum employees were on hand to celebrate the opening of the new facility. Mark Pausey, managing director at Kier Regional Building Central, said: “We have worked closely and collaboratively with Infineum for the duration of the build. As with all of our projects, we have prioritised safety at every aspect of the build, employing a full-time safety manager and working closely with the clients team of safety professionals. “We are thrilled to be handing this project over, allowing innovation to thrive and employees to research and develop new products in Infineum’s brand-new high spec laboratories.” Laura Salamon, project manager at Infineum, added: “We at Infineum are extremely proud of our new global Centre of Innovation, which is a state-of-the-art new building encompassing new laboratories for research and development equipped with the latest technologies, a variety of collaborative meeting spaces with innovative design throughout, offices and a new restaurant for all employees and visitors. We have received universal enthusiastic praise from all our colleagues about the high quality of the finishes and how well the space was designed, meeting all the project deliverables.”
Chandlers Building Supplies, renowned throughout the industry for its charitable outreach programme has been nominated for an incredible six awards at the forthcoming Builders’ Merchants Awards. This includes ‘Best Community Initiative’ for its charity football tournament with partner ‘Celeb FC’. The tournament and family fun day raised over £5,000 for charities, adding to the sum raised by the business for good causes this year. Other charity endeavours undertaken in 2019 include the 180 km cycling ‘7 Port Challenge’ and the annual ‘Pavestone Rally’ where Chandlers Building Supplies’ team emerged as the overall winner. In addition, Angela Straker, branch manager of the recently refurbished Chandlers Building Supplies site in Banstead, is shortlisted for two awards – ‘Independent Merchant Achiever of the Year’ and ‘Branch Manager of the Year’. Other awards Chandlers Building Supplies is shortlisted for are: ‘Timber Merchant of the Year’, ‘Training Initiative of the Year’ and ‘Independent Builders’ Merchant of the Year’. Sue McKinney, Chandlers Building Supplies, said; “Being finalists for six prestigious awards is a wonderful way to end the year. As well as opening new branches and revamping existing ones, we have raised a record amount for charity and reinvested in improvements to our facilities for staff and customers. We are especially proud to have been recognised for our training initiative. Staff are central to our success, as evidenced by Angela’s nomination for two awards. We wish all the nominees the best of luck and look forward to celebrating on the day.” The 2019 awards will be held on Friday 22, November at the London Hilton, Park Lane and will be hosted by three-time Olympic medal winner Dame Kelly Holmes DBE. Chandlers Building Supplies Limited and Parker Building Supplies Limited (Parkers) recently announced that they have merged, with the support of strategic partner, Cairngorm Capital. The new enlarged company has 37 branches operating from the Midlands to the South East, with over 750 employees. For more information visit https://chandlersbs.co.uk
A derelict building on the edge of Northampton city centre has been transformed into a striking 21st century educational facility, thanks in part to mirror-polished, perforated panels from Proteus Facades. What was once the Royal Mail Sorting Office on Barrack Road, has now been redeveloped into an iconic school featuring a reflective Proteus SC Perforated Stainless Steel façade. After closing due to a fire in 2003, the building remained uninhabited for over a decade and fell into disrepair. Once described as an eyesore of the city, the structure has now been given a new lease of life as Northampton International Academy. Helping to respond to a significant requirement for school places in the city, Architecture Initiative identified the old sorting office as the ideal space for the new state-of-the-art school. Working closely with the local authority, the London-based architects redesigned the colossal, brutalist building, which was originally opened by Princess Diana on her first solo engagement in 1981, into an education hub filled with natural light. The Proteus SC Perforated panels installed at Northampton International Academy cleverly mask the monolithic appearance of the original structure, whilst not completely hiding this brutalist piece of architecture. The mirror polished surface on the face of the panels reflects the skyline giving the impression that the building is less imposing. Reducing the perforation sizes from the middle of the façade to the top and bottom edges, maximises translucency, whilst acting as brise soleil, providing shade from solar glare and preventing over-heating to the teaching spaces. The single skin perforated panels were manufactured from a sheet of 2mm Stainless Steel, which offers the ideal combination of high strength and a modern, progressive aesthetic. The material also holds excellent corrosion resistant properties. Each panel, installed by Deane Roofing & Cladding, is supported by the Proteus aluminium carrier system and ancillary components anchored to a cantilever steel frame from the underlying masonry structure. These allowed the panels to be hooked-on from behind, accentuating the sheer, smooth façade interrupted only by the perforated design. Northamptonshire is known for its history of crafting leather goods, particularly the art of traditional shoemaking. So taking the design process one step further, Proteus Facades worked closely with Architecture Initiative to create perforations that acknowledge this heritage; with the holes on each panel positioned to imitate those found on a Northampton-made brogue-style shoe. In addition, careful placement of the small and large perforations allows natural light to pass through and flood the interior of the school, whilst the metal façade is rendered virtually invisible from the inside. This innovative approach is just one of the reasons Northampton International Academy was named one of the “boldest” buildings of 2019 by the Royal Institute of British Architects. With a floor area of 22,250m2 and generous high ceilings, the academy, run by the EMLC Academy Trust, accommodates over 2,220 pupils, including 420 primary, 1,500 secondary and 300 sixth formers. The front of the school houses two illuminated signage boxes that indicate separate entrances for primary and secondary pupils, which perfectly complement the mirror polish of the Proteus SC panels. Proteus SC is an engineered panel system that is available in either solid, perforated or expanded mesh formats, and in an extensive range of metals, colours, textures and forms. The system is available between 1mm and 5mm in thickness and can be specified with an acoustic insulation layer encapsulated within the panel. For internal applications Proteus Facades can also provide contrasting fabric inserts when the panels are perforated. Delivered by Northamptonshire County Council with funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency and developed by Contractor, Vinci Construction, Northampton International Academy is one of the largest education conversion projects in the country. For further information about Proteus SC or to view more inspirational rainscreen facades from Proteus Facades, visit: www.proteusfacades.com or call: 0151 545 5075.
A talented apprentice from Ibstock Brick has won a prestigious regional award. Zac Payne – who is based at Ibstock Brick’s Chailey Factory, near Lewes – was a finalist for the Make UK Manufacturing Awards in the Engineering Apprentice of the Year (Final Year) for the Southern Region. And on October 15th, Zac was announced as the winner at a ceremony held at Aerospace Bristol. The judges remarked that Zac’s award was recognition of his outstanding attitude towards work, willingness to learn and the lead role he had taken on technical electrical projects. He will now go forward to the Make UK National Awards which will be held in London on January 29th 2020. Zac, who joined the Ibstock Brick apprenticeship programme in 2016, commented: “My apprenticeship has been hugely valuable in helping me extend my knowledge through practical and hands-on experience. This has allowed me to contribute to engineering projects across the factory. My mentor Paul Charlesworth has been a great help in helping me achieve my goals. I was delighted to win and it is a privilege to be recognised by the judges.” Paula Wardle, Group Learning and Development at Ibstock plc, comments: “We are extremely proud of Zac’s achievements. Since beginning his apprenticeship he has shown great ability in all areas of his work. His attitude towards learning has been excellent and this award recognises how he has made the most of the training and development opportunities presented to him during his apprenticeship.” For more information about Apprenticeship opportunities at Ibstock plc
The key to maintaining a healthy drainage system can be put into one word only – prevention. A draining system problem should be addressed before it’s noticeable to anyone but the plumber working on the pipes. This approach isn’t only a better way to go when it comes to making sure your draining system works, it’s also a less costly one. Most of the maintenance work can be done by the homeowner, but it’s best to hire a plumber to help you out every once in a while, at least in the form of guidance. Installing drain guards Drain guards are small plastic or sometimes even metal instruments that are attached to drains to reduce the amount of waste that goes through them. It won’t eliminate the need for cleaning the drains but it will make it less frequent. These could be purchased at most plumbing equipment stores and you could install and replace them on your own. Have in mind that there are items that shouldn’t be washed down the drain even with a guard. These include cooking fat and coffee grounds. Drain cleaners It’s also useful to use drain cleaners every now and then. They can be used when you notice that the drains are clogged or just as a precaution, regardless of the state of the drains. The cleaners are poured down the drains and left to do their job. It’s important to choose the cleaners with special attention to their impact both on the environment and your own health. Healthy and natural cleaners will usually be more costly, but it’s a cost that you should bear as a homeowner since there’s no price you can put on your family’s safety. Inspections Large problems with the drains are usually not noticeable right away. They become an issue only when there’s a leak or a clogging problem. It’s best to hire experts from Super Drains, for example, to inspect your drainage system on a regular basis. This isn’t that costly, especially if they don’t find any major issue that would require a repair. If there are repairs to be paid they will be much less costly if they are caught early on. These inspections are best done seasonally since the pipes might be affected by the changes in weather. Water pressure One of the ways to pay attention to your pipes is to be mindful of the water pressure. Slow water pressure could be a problem with the water distribution system itself and then there’s nothing you can do about it. However, if the pressure is low only in your home or parts of it, then it means that it’s a drainage issue. The drains are blocked and that’s what’s causing the problems with the water flowing through them. There are instruments for measuring water pressure if you want to invest in one, but if the problem is noticeable without them, it means it’s time to address it. Sewer systems The homes that are attached to the sewer system have an additional set of pipes to worry about. This is mostly the case with remote and older homes and it will require additional care when it comes to the drains. It’s usually the roots and sprouts that cause problems with the sever system since they can lift the pipes of the ground or even grow right through them and make them burst. It will simply take patience to review these pipes and notice when there’s a leak or a large root near one. A drainage system is an important part of your property and it needs to be treated with care. This will save you a lot of time on repairs as well as quite a bit of money in the long run. For the most part, the goal is to notice the problem with the pipes before it becomes too expensive to fix. It’s useful to have a professional plumber on your side for this task. They will mostly review the state of the pipes and suggest when it’s time for large and more costly repairs.
From Allegro to oodlique, Zalando to Game, European online marketplaces are booming. European online marketplaces receive 804.4m visits per month, a figure which shows no sign of waning. These online communities are connecting, engaging and extending relationships with customers, employees and partners across all sectors and helping customers get more value from their products and services. Included in the top 50 European marketplaces is the UK which sees 90m visits per month to its 10 biggest online marketplaces. Success stories Some of the world’s largest online marketplaces have some interesting success stories to tell. eBay was founded in Pierre Omidyar’s San Jose living room back in September 1995 and from the start was meant to be a marketplace for the sale of goods and services for individuals. Today eBay has become an online person-to-person trading community and has both streamlined and globalized person-to-person trading, which traditionally used to be conducted at car boot sales, collectables shows and flea markets. Mumsnet was created by Justine Roberts back in 2000 after a disastrous family holiday. Originally conceived as a website where parents could simply swap family holiday and other advice, it has since grown into an online phenomenon, championing high profile campaigns which challenge both businesses and government over attitudes to children and parenting. Mumsnet is now the UK’s busiest social network for parents, generating almost 7m visits and 50m page views every month. Etsy was set up in 2005 as an online platform for craftsmen to sell their handmade and vintage goods. Today Etsy has created an online community of craftsmen featuring over 60m items and attracting 7.4m sellers and over 39.4m buyers. Builders Bay is another great example of an online marketplace which has brought together a unique online community. Buildersbay.co.uk was born out of the desire to solve the problem of dangerously excessive construction waste by enabling nationwide suppliers to sell surplus products to builders, renovators and DIY enthusiasts. The UK is a nation of DIY enthusiasts who spend £1.5bn annually on building products, yet 13% is never used and enters the country’s waste system. Builders Bay also solves the problem in the DIY retail market of unsold and surplus end of line stock either clogging up prime retail space or having to be stored, all costing the retailer money. Products bought on buildersbay.co.uk cost a fraction of the usual price. For example, some brand-new appliances are up to 45% cheaper than anywhere else on the internet. The site features over 16,000 products offering customers savings of £8m. Connecting people What all of these communities, and the hundreds of others like them, are doing is connecting likeminded people. For customers, online communities are a great way of getting more value from products and services and for businesses, online communities can help improve the way they enhance their products and services and help to better develop them. According to Forrester Research’s 2015 Customer Lifecycle Journey report, we are now living in the age of the customer. A time when customers, not brands, control the business agenda and technology and social media have given more power and influence to customers. More than ever, customers want to have a voice and influence business decisions which is why to remain viable, companies need to build stronger customer relationships, and online communities allow businesses to do this.
Good forest management can both protect the environment and help meet the growing demand for timber from the building trade, argues Nigel Buckley-Ryan, Södra’s UK Sales Director, Merchants. As pressure on the world’s finite resources continues to intensify, timber suppliers face a growing problem: how do we meet the needs of consumers and protect our planet at the same time? In my view, good forest management is the main way to address these apparently conflicting needs. Some may think that trees simply grow on their own and that forests therefore don’t need to be carefully managed. However, innovative and responsible forest management can make a significant difference, both to the environment and to the quality and supply of timber. So, what should good forest management look like? Nurturing healthy saplings As you would expect, it starts at the beginning with the careful selection of the seedlings that, over the next 50-70 years, will grow to maturity, create your forest, and provide the reliable supply of timber on which your customers depend. At Södra, for example, the basis of our Falkenburg nursery (where 35 million saplings passed through last year) derives from some of the best quality trees in the world. The programme does not and has never used genetic modification in any way, but rather helps ensure that all desirable traits of these selected spruce are transferred to the seeds, and then to future trees. This helps produce higher quality trees and ultimately improves the overall quality of the end-product. Encouraging good root growth Saplings themselves should be planted in conditions that will ensure strong, healthy root growth. One way of doing this is to line the pots in which they are grown with copper. This prevents roots from spiralling downwards in a corkscrew shape. Instead, the roots spread out to the edges of the pot. This trait continues when they are finally planted in the forest, which makes them less susceptible to storm damage. Before this stage, once saplings reach a height of about 15cms, they should be trimmed and generally well looked after. Errant branches should be cut off to create a nice straight sapling, maximising its chances of growing into a strong, healthy tree. As they grow, saplings will continue to need careful nurturing to keep them healthy and pest-free. However, this shouldn’t mean resorting to chemicals. At Södra, for instance, we have developed our own chemical-free pest deterrent called Cambiguard. Healthy forests lead to quality timber supply Health forests mean health trees that grow for longer, benefiting the environment as they do by absorbing and locking away harmful carbon dioxide. And typically, longer growth results in bigger, stronger, better quality trees which, in turn, means higher yields of quality timber. Once saplings are ready to be planted out, good forest management involves planting them in a location that will offer sufficient light, water and nutrients for continued healthy growth. Responsible forest owners measure water tables regularly and make sure they have a good, up-to-date understanding of what their forest actually consists of. Modern technology can help here. For example, many of today’s foresters now use drones to view the forest. Amongst other things, this enables them to identify which areas need to be thinned and which areas will work well left as nature strips. The role of thinning and nature strips Thinning is an essential element of good forest management and consists of removing slower-growing or defective trees, so providing more space and sunlight for the remaining trees. The subsequent improved supply of soil nutrients, water and light results in bigger, healthier trees. Nature strips also play an important role in forest husbandry. These are areas of forest left untouched so that wildlife can flourish, which helps maintain a balanced forest ecosystem and contribute to the overall health of the forest. Conservation and increased production can go hand in hand In my view, a long-term, evidence-based approach is critical to successful forest management. At Södra our systematic approach over the last 20 years has led to both an increase in voluntarily protected areas with high conservation values and greater production. Over the next five years we’re going a step further and aiming to use our ongoing research and development to achieve a 20 per cent higher annual rate of forest growth while still meeting our sustainability targets. This ambition demonstrates that conservation and improved productivity can go hand-in-hand. Indeed, many forest owners find that, in time, less invasive forestry methods lead to forests with better growth and increased wood volume. This translates into the reliable supply that is so important for builders’ merchants and other timber buyers, particularly in the current climate of uncertainty around the outcome of Brexit. Care with harvesting As they mature, trees will continue to need monitoring to make sure they are still receiving an adequate supply of water, light and soil nutrients. Generally, it takes around 50-70 years for a tree to fully mature and reach its full height, and only once a tree has stopped absorbing harmful carbon dioxide (and locked it away forever), will it be harvested. As with the earlier stages of a tree’s life, good forest management can minimise negative environmental impacts at the harvesting stage. For example, it is important to protect the forest floor and reduce soil damage by constructing temporary roadways and laying down branches. It is also important to identify important habitats that should be preserved. The end results By managing forests in the careful, responsible way I have outlined forest owners can make a significant difference to the environment and, at the same time, provide a reliable supply of the sustainable and quality timber that’s increasingly in demand to meet today’s construction needs.
