The engineered timber industry has been founded on the principles of advancing sustainable building technology. Led by innovators such as B&K Structures, the use of timber technology in UK construction has undergone a renaissance in recent years which has greatly increased the use of ground-breaking products such as cross laminated
One of the UK’s leading builders’ merchants will resume its online service to tradespeople on Wednesday. Selco Builders Warehouse’s 68 branches and all its delivery services have been closed since the UK officially entered lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak on Monday, March 23. A decision has now been taken
Engineers at the University of Liverpool, alongside industrial partners, have designed and built an adhesive free timber office building at Ness Gardens on the Wirral in order to evaluate a more environmentally friendly construction method. The key idea behind the new `green’ office structure is to use timber to connect
Looking For Timber Flooring In Perth – Here Are Your Options Are you searching for timber flooring in Perth? Are you aware of the various options available today? Do you want a long-lasting timber floor? Here is everything you need to know about choosing the right timber flooring in Perth.
Looking For Timber Flooring In Perth – Here Are Your Options Are you searching for timber flooring in Perth? Are you aware of the various options available today? Do you want a long-lasting timber floor? Here is everything you need to know about choosing the right timber flooring in Perth.
Finding And Choosing Right Plumbers In Perth Whether you’re facing a plumbing emergency or you are searching for plumbers in Perth for regular plumbing work, you would want to hire the services of a reliable, experienced and reputable company. You shouldn’t choose the first plumber you can find even though
The education sector is one where building infrastructure has to be particularly robust across all elements including heating and pipework system. Leading manufacturer of integrated piping systems, Pegler, now offers its VSH PowerPress system across the UK and Irish market and Holy Family National School in Swords, County Dublin was
2020 marks the 25th Anniversary of MKM Building Supplies Ltd, the UK’s largest independent builder’s merchant. Executive Chairman, David Kilburn looks back over the 25 years and shares some of the milestones and memories that have gone into constructing one of the building trade’s best-loved brands, and one of the
Published late last year, the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Timber Industries, How the timber industries can help solve the housing crisis, was encouraging, but now is the time to take real action, says Jeremy English, Director at Södra Wood Ltd, STA board member and previous chairman
A major new facility for UK timber trade has opened up on the River Medway in Kent following a £27m investment by operators Peel Ports. The site at Wellmarsh provides scope for storage, processing and handling of all timber types. The facility is based at the Port of Sheerness, which
The engineered timber industry has been founded on the principles of advancing sustainable building technology. Led by innovators such as B&K Structures, the use of timber technology in UK construction has undergone a renaissance in recent years which has greatly increased the use of ground-breaking products such as cross laminated timber (CLT). Here Managing Director of B&K Structures, Andy Goodwin discusses the proposed building restrictions and the unintended consequences. Leading architects such as Foster and Partners and Waugh Thistleton have realised exceptional award-winning buildings, creating a new legacy in outstanding timber architecture but we are now at a point in time where the proposed building regulations could restrict the use of a material which has the potential to help in the battle against climate change. Existing buildings and new construction accounts for nearly 40% of our national carbon dioxide emissions. CLT is now widely acknowledged as having a vital role to play in reducing CO2 emissions and crucial to reaching net-zero carbon targets. Somehow CLT, as a robust, fast, clean and sustainable construction method, has been put into the same category as dangerous highly combustible cladding systems. Many of us involved in the industry are baffled how we arrived at this place. A blanket ban that is not based on building physics or scientific fact, is seen as a quick fix but the unintended consequences will be far reaching. Every building material in some way is susceptible to fire whether it melts, warps or explodes but it is knowing how it performs that is crucial. Tests prove CLT has fire resistance of 90 – 120 minutes and greater than that if additional coatings are applied. The UK Government is currently seeking views on the ban of the use of combustible materials in external walls of buildings, with any changes affecting all new residential buildings with floor levels above 11m (circa 4 storeys). This proposal comes despite a significant amount of UK innovation in the use of engineered timber systems such as glue laminated timber and cross laminated timber. Together with sustainability, safety is of paramount importance to the team at B&K Structures and we have found a way to ensure our structures are both safe and sustainable using a hybrid approach. We support stronger measures regarding the safety of building, but the current proposal could impact the ability to construct with timber as a primary structural material. Alongside ACAN (Architects Climate Action Network), we are calling for responses to the consultation to help oppose this new legislation from affecting construction innovation. www.architectscan.org/safe-timber About B&K Structures Through careful design detailing and value engineering, B&K Structures is able to offer the best possible offsite manufactured construction solutions, ensuring a smooth integration for follow-on trades – delivering award-winning, environmentally and sustainable projects on time and to budget. B&K Structures has worked with some of the UK’s most renowned clients to develop outstanding buildings with sustainable credentials. For more information on their product portfolio and full range of services go to www.bkstructures.co.uk
One of the UK’s leading builders’ merchants will resume its online service to tradespeople on Wednesday. Selco Builders Warehouse’s 68 branches and all its delivery services have been closed since the UK officially entered lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak on Monday, March 23. A decision has now been taken for Selco to re-open 42 branches to support the delivery of online orders – through Click & Collect and Click & Deliver – only. No customers will be permitted to enter branches and other social distancing measures will be in place for collections and deliveries. Any collections will be made from the car parks of those branches that are open. Chief executive Howard Luft said: “It’s been an incredibly difficult period for the whole country and it’s been no different for us at Selco. “We have been monitoring events and government guidance extremely closely and now everything is in place to enable us to offer our customers a revised service, while closely following the social distancing guidelines. “We are fully aware our customers offer a vital service to the communities in which they operate, providing essential maintenance and repairs to properties, and we are delighted we can once again begin to make at least part of our usual offering available to them. “The health and wellbeing of our customers and colleagues remains our No 1 priority.” Opening hours at those Selco branches opening will be limited to 7am-5pm, Monday to Friday. All branches will be closed at weekends. Customer numbers will be managed through collection time slots to collect their orders, to ensure that social distancing can be maintained. Howard added: “We would urge only people who have pre-ordered products and materials to visit branches – and then only at the time they have been allocated. “We will constantly monitor operations in all of our branches which are re-opening and make adjustments as and where we see fit. “We will provide a further update on the remaining 26 branches which remain closed in due course.” For more information on Selco visit www.selcobw.com The full list of Selco branches opening is: York, Ardwick, Leeds Elland Road, Coventry, Baguley, Stirchley, Tyburn, Tyseley, Wolverhampton, Leicester, Nottingham, Cardiff Hadfield Road, Swansea, Bristol Filton, Cricklewood, Kingsbury, Ruislip, Hanger Lane, Southall, Watford, Hemel Hempstead, Camberley, Reading, Slough, Isleworth, Chessington, Poole, Southampton, Walthamstow, Barking, Tottenham, Romford, Thurrock, Chelmsford, Charlton, Catford, Old Kent Road, Sidcup, Croydon, Sutton, Wimbledon, Redhill.
Engineers at the University of Liverpool, alongside industrial partners, have designed and built an adhesive free timber office building at Ness Gardens on the Wirral in order to evaluate a more environmentally friendly construction method. The key idea behind the new `green’ office structure is to use timber to connect timber, and to use timber to reinforce timber. Timber is one of the very few industrial materials that can be 100% sustainable. Engineers designed and constructed a large section of the office space using adhesive free laminated timber (AFLT) beams and adhesive free cross laminated timber (AFCLT) panels, and densified wooden dowels and plates are used to connect beams with columns rather than metallic fasteners. The dowels and plates are made using softwood from sustainably-harvested timber and compressed using a heated hydraulic press to reduce thickness whilst making it denser and stronger than common hardwood. The `green’ office, which is part of an EU-funded INTERREG research project, will allow researchers to evaluate the performance of adhesive free engineered wood products and compressed wood fasteners in a real life environment over the next five to ten years, and compare it to conventional methods that use adhesives and metal. Located at Ness Gardens on the Wirral, the 35m2 office structure will provide a functional workspace for researchers from the University of Liverpool’s Institute of Integrative Biology using the Brian Moss Aquatic Facility, one of Europe’s largest, most technologically advanced facilities for investigating environmental impacts on freshwaters. Liverpool engineer, Dr Zhongwei Guan, an international timber engineering and composite expert, who is leading project, said: “This is an exciting real world project. The structure we have designed and built is arguably the first building in the world to be constructed using this compressed wood technology! “It showcases a more environmentally friendly method of connecting wood and joining structures using compressed wood dowels and fasteners without the use of adhesives or metal products. “The prototype has been developed as part of our INTERREG EU research project to design, demonstrate and take forward new adhesive free engineered wood products for use in the construction industry.” Dr Stewart Plaistow, Senior lecturer in Evolutionary Biology in the Institute of Integrative Biology, said: “I am delighted that this new facility which will support research projects investigating the effects of climate change on shallow fresh waters. “The new space will allow researchers to process samples on site, enhancing the mesocosm facilities capabilities even further. It’s been a real pleasure seeing “green” research projects from different faculties working together.” The office was designed and built by researchers from the University of Liverpool’s School of Engineering, together with FRCS of the University, a design engineer and contractor, and local businesses, SticX Ltd and Cunliffe’s Architects.
Looking For Timber Flooring In Perth – Here Are Your Options Are you searching for timber flooring in Perth? Are you aware of the various options available today? Do you want a long-lasting timber floor? Here is everything you need to know about choosing the right timber flooring in Perth. Timber floors have that natural timeless elegance that isn’t matched by any other flooring material. Timber floors can be extremely durable when maintained properly and can last generations. You also have a wide range of species available for flooring such as Spotted Gum, Black Butt, Jarrah, American oak or Bamboo among others. Types of Timber Flooring 1. Solid Timber Flooring Hardwood flooring is one of the most popular options for builders and families in Perth. It offers a durable surface and brings a level of sophistication and natural warmth to a home. Some of the common species of hardwood include Rose Gum, Red Mahogany, Iron Bark, Brush Box, Blue Gum, Spotted Gum and various others. It offers excellent value and is environmentally sustainable. Your solid timber floor can be resurfaced and polished many times to maintain that classic look. It’s also available in a wide range of styles, colours and species. 2. Engineered Flooring It’s a solid alternative to hardwood floors. It is generally recommended for areas where solid hardwoods can’t be used. It is made from multiple sheets of wood bonded together to create a single board. Engineered floors offer excellent resistance to shrinkage and expansion as well as temperature and moisture variations. These can be glued or floated. 3. Bamboo Flooring Bamboo flooring has the advantage of being harder than most Australian woods. It is an excellent choice for families who are environmentally conscious as it is sustainable, durable and brings that unique elegance to a home. 4. Laminated Flooring Laminate floors provide the class and texture of wood at an affordable price. These boards are made from high density fibre with a high quality timber image at the top. There is a protective layer that provides scratch and stain resistance. Laminate floors are a popular choice if you want a low maintenance floor. It doesn’t need any polishing, varnishing or sanding. It is also resistant to stains, discolouration, scratches and fading and you can install it over almost any flat surface. Choosing the Right Timber Flooring in Perth Now that you are aware of different options of timber flooring, here’s a list of important parameters to consider in order to choose the right timber floor for your home or business establishment in Perth. Durability Consider the amount of foot traffic a particular area in your home is likely to receive to choose the right timber floor for that particular area. For example, areas around the kitchen, main hallway and front door experience a lot of foot traffic and you would want a board capable of withstanding such high foot traffic in the long term. Sunlight Exposure and Humidity If a particular area of your home is exposed to sun for extended periods of time, you would want a timber floor that is resistant to shrinkage or discolouration. Standard timber floors shrink and lose colour when consistently exposed to sunlight. Similarly, humidity levels in particular areas of your home will also affect the durability of timber flooring. Discuss these things with your installer before choosing a particular board for these areas. Supplier and Installer Choose an experienced and reputed supplier and installer for your timber floor. Make sure they have the necessary experience to advise you on choosing the right flooring type. Keep in mind that timber floors can be installed in a variety of ways such as floated installation, plank on ply installation or direct installation. The choice of installation method will depend on the choice of board as well as conditions in your home. An experienced contractor will help you choose the right flooring type and installation method to ensure a long-lasting timber floor. Conclusion Overall, there are a number of options for timber flooring. Carefully consider the pros and cons of different options for different areas of your home, and choose an experienced installer to get a long-lasting and perfectly installed timber floor.
Looking For Timber Flooring In Perth – Here Are Your Options Are you searching for timber flooring in Perth? Are you aware of the various options available today? Do you want a long-lasting timber floor? Here is everything you need to know about choosing the right timber flooring in Perth. Timber floors have that natural timeless elegance that isn’t matched by any other flooring material. Timber floors can be extremely durable when maintained properly and can last generations. You also have a wide range of species available for flooring such as Spotted Gum, Black Butt, Jarrah, American oak or Bamboo among others. Types of Timber Flooring 1. Solid Timber Flooring Hardwood flooring is one of the most popular options for builders and families in Perth. It offers a durable surface and brings a level of sophistication and natural warmth to a home. Some of the common species of hardwood include Rose Gum, Red Mahogany, Iron Bark, Brush Box, Blue Gum, Spotted Gum and various others. It offers excellent value and is environmentally sustainable. Your solid timber floor can be resurfaced and polished many times to maintain that classic look. It’s also available in a wide range of styles, colours and species. 2. Engineered Flooring It’s a solid alternative to hardwood floors. It is generally recommended for areas where solid hardwoods can’t be used. It is made from multiple sheets of wood bonded together to create a single board. Engineered floors offer excellent resistance to shrinkage and expansion as well as temperature and moisture variations. These can be glued or floated. 3. Bamboo Flooring Bamboo flooring has the advantage of being harder than most Australian woods. It is an excellent choice for families who are environmentally conscious as it is sustainable, durable and brings that unique elegance to a home. 4. Laminated Flooring Laminate floors provide the class and texture of wood at an affordable price. These boards are made from high density fibre with a high quality timber image at the top. There is a protective layer that provides scratch and stain resistance. Laminate floors are a popular choice if you want a low maintenance floor. It doesn’t need any polishing, varnishing or sanding. It is also resistant to stains, discolouration, scratches and fading and you can install it over almost any flat surface. Choosing the Right Timber Flooring in Perth Now that you are aware of different options of timber flooring, here’s a list of important parameters to consider in order to choose the right timber floor for your home or business establishment in Perth. Durability Consider the amount of foot traffic a particular area in your home is likely to receive to choose the right timber floor for that particular area. For example, areas around the kitchen, main hallway and front door experience a lot of foot traffic and you would want a board capable of withstanding such high foot traffic in the long term. Sunlight Exposure and Humidity If a particular area of your home is exposed to sun for extended periods of time, you would want a timber floor that is resistant to shrinkage or discolouration. Standard timber floors shrink and lose colour when consistently exposed to sunlight. Similarly, humidity levels in particular areas of your home will also affect the durability of timber flooring. Discuss these things with your installer before choosing a particular board for these areas. Supplier and Installer Choose an experienced and reputed supplier and installer for your timber floor. Make sure they have the necessary experience to advise you on choosing the right flooring type. Keep in mind that timber floors can be installed in a variety of ways such as floated installation, plank on ply installation or direct installation. The choice of installation method will depend on the choice of board as well as conditions in your home. An experienced contractor will help you choose the right flooring type and installation method to ensure a long-lasting timber floor. Conclusion Overall, there are a number of options for timber flooring. Carefully consider the pros and cons of different options for different areas of your home, and choose an experienced installer to get a long-lasting and perfectly installed timber floor.
Finding And Choosing Right Plumbers In Perth Whether you’re facing a plumbing emergency or you are searching for plumbers in Perth for regular plumbing work, you would want to hire the services of a reliable, experienced and reputable company. You shouldn’t choose the first plumber you can find even though it seems the easiest thing to do in a plumbing emergency. The thing is anyone can start a plumbing company and start offering their services at a cheaper price just to get a foot in. It’s up to you to do your homework and research to ensure hiring of a reliable and experienced plumber. Here’s what you need to do in order to make the right choice when hiring a plumber. 1. Finding Plumbers There are several sources. Ask your friends and family members for recommendations or ask a neighbour if they have used the services of a plumber in the recent past. Use your favourite search engine or online directory to discover plumbers near your location. Plumbing companies also tend to advertise in local newspapers. Check local newspapers to find plumbing companies. 2. Check Their Licensing Before you think of giving them a call, make sure they are properly licensed. Keep in mind that you might be on the hook for damages in case an unlicensed individual tinkers with the plumbing system and causes problems for you or for your neighbours. So, make sure to check their licensing information. Ideally, this information should be available on their website. If the plumber doesn’t have a website or this information is unavailable there, ask them politely. Experienced Perth Plumbers understand the importance of sharing license information when customers ask for it. 3. Check Their Insurance All licensed and professional plumbing companies maintain proper insurance. It is important to have necessary insurance as without insurance they might be on the hook for damages caused by a person working in their company. However, you should never take their word for it and ask them to share it politely. They should never shy away from providing the required information when you ask them politely. 4. Check their Experience Plumbers are known as tradesmen as they learn most of the things while on the job. There is some theory to learn but most of the plumbing knowledge comes from practical experience. Check the website of the plumbing company to find their experience, especially the experience of the person who will work on your property. If the experience isn’t available on their website, ask them politely about it. Don’t hire a plumber who does not have many years of experience in the industry as plumbing can’t simply be learned from the books. 5. Reviews All plumbers use the same tools and techniques but still, there’s a lot of difference in the level of service performed by different plumbers. This difference in their service levels is reflected in customer reviews online. Fortunately, you can now check reviews from real customers for all kinds of services and a plumbing company is no exception. Use your favourite search engine to discover forums and review websites where users from Perth share information about plumbers in Perth. Go through the reviews and make sure the plumbing company you are considering has mostly positive reviews. Don’t be deterred by a few negative reviews as nobody can keep everyone happy. 6. Pricing Transparency One of the most common problems people have with plumbers is hidden charges. They will quote one price when you call them and describe the plumbing issue but when you get the final invoice, the numbers are completely different. You do not want to work with a company that is not clear on their pricing. If you’re not in a plumbing emergency, ask for estimates from at least 3 different plumbing companies who have years of experience and are known to be reliable, before choosing one. It will help you in getting the best value for your money. Conclusion To summarise, hiring a plumber without proper research is inviting trouble into your home. Follow the above tips and make sure you check their experience, license and insurance before allowing them to work on your property.
The education sector is one where building infrastructure has to be particularly robust across all elements including heating and pipework system. Leading manufacturer of integrated piping systems, Pegler, now offers its VSH PowerPress system across the UK and Irish market and Holy Family National School in Swords, County Dublin was just one establishment which reaped the benefits from the specification and installation of this product selection; a thick wall steel pipe and press fitting range. “Our VSH PowerPress is revolutionising installations that require robust piping systems but, is also proving a huge hit with installers who reap the benefit of speedy installations,” said Amy French, Product Manager, Pegler. “It was particularly suitable for this exposed pipe installation and its fail-safe leak before press indicator and advanced ‘O’ ring protection sets it apart from other systems in terms of reliability and performance.” Amara Engineering was the M&E contractor who were tasked with installing services to the six classroom extension at the 1400 pupil school which replaced ageing temporary accommodation. The additional facilities have made a significant impact on the pupils and their families in the local community and the heat free, speedy installation offered by VSH PowerPress ensured a timely install whilst complete safety of the site, especially as there was considerable timber used in the construction. Furthermore, the change from threaded and welded joints system that would have historically been specified, has shown the reliability and ease of installation offered by VSH PowerPress. “We would highly recommend VSH PowerPress and would have no concerns in using this product again in the future,” said a representative from Amara Engineering. “We have no doubt that this product will replace traditional methods of mild steel pipework installation in the future due to its ease of installation, time savings and removing the need for hot works permits and all that is associated with them. Our team have now become skilled at installing this system after training from the Pegler team.” The range gives great flexibility in a wide range of applications and is available in sizes ½” to 2. For further information visit https://www.pegleryorkshire.co.uk/en/home
2020 marks the 25th Anniversary of MKM Building Supplies Ltd, the UK’s largest independent builder’s merchant. Executive Chairman, David Kilburn looks back over the 25 years and shares some of the milestones and memories that have gone into constructing one of the building trade’s best-loved brands, and one of the UK’s fastest growing businesses. “In 1995, my favourite sound was the ring of the fire-bell going off in the warehouse. It meant there was an order!” said David. “As for any fledging business, in the early days orders are everything. And, after closing our first month with a trading profit and haven taken a healthy £123,000 – I am delighted to say 25 years later, we have never been short of orders and never looked back.” In many ways, the MKM of 2020 is almost unrecognizable from the first branch that opened in Hull in 1995. For a start the first branch sold caravan supplies rather than building supplies, which MKM is renowned for today. There was a small team of 5 people working from rental premises, which had been secured for 9 months to get the business off the ground. David recalls: “ Ironically, the premises belonged to an MKM competitor William Wilson. We signed up for 9 months but were still there 18 months later, at the time we were just glad not to be chucked out!” Today, MKM Building Supplies employs over 1650 people and last year recorded sales of over £460 million. Already this year MKM has opened its 70th branch and has ambitious growth plans to be operating 100 branches by 2021/2022. Aside from the phenomenal success story and exponential growth, according to David many things haven’t changed at all over the 25 years. “Since day one, our company culture has always been very people focused, how we treat people has remained exactly the same. Every single person is important no matter what their role … our people are our biggest asset.” David added: “Technology and the digital age have of course altered things, but our teams still do the majority of business either over the trade counter or on the phone. That may change in years to come, but essentially people buy from people.” “Relationships are key, our customers trust us to deliver quality products with great service as their own businesses rely on it – our teams appreciate that and make customers the priority. More so than any other industry, this is a people business and good relationships are the absolute bedrock of that business.” MKM was built on the concept that skilled, local people who understand the needs of local customers should serve the local trade. MKM is differentiated through its unique business model, centered on branch directors owning an equity stake in their branch with opportunity to share in profits. David believes empowering people and supporting their entrepreneurial spirit has been a key driver of growth. By 2005, MKM had opened 15 branches, five years later in 2010 a further 17 branches had been opened and by 2018 MKM Building Supplies had 54 branches throughout England and Scotland – the brand new MKM Grantham marks their 70th branch. David recalls: “Our biggest challenges in the early years were always time and money. If we had more of both earlier we would have grown more quickly, but it is important to keep a level head and not get ahead of yourself. We always prided ourselves on paying suppliers and staff on time, even though both my business partner and myself often took a reduced salary.” Business wasn’t always plain sailing, in 2008 almost every industry in the UK fell victim to what the media dubbed a ‘double dip recession’. The building and construction industry were hit hard, their performance acted as a barometer for the economic downturn and went into meltdown. David commented: “In 2008, we were acutely aware that external factors, beyond or control can take a serious toll on business. It seemed the entire financial world collapsed, our own industry went into a desperate panic with many of our competitors laying off 30 to 40 percent of their people.” “We took the decision not to take action. We decided to back our people and ride out the storm and were confident that business would eventually pick up… which of course it did. While the majority of the industry seemed to lose up to 40 percent revenue, I’m glad to say we did fare better and suffered losses of up to 11 percent, relatively unscathed in comparison.” Looking forward, MKM has an ambitious growth programme to open a further 30 branches in the next two years. David said: “Today, we still face challenges. We have an expansive growth programme but finding good properties in good locations can be a challenge and planning applications can be very slow, which frustrates progress.” “However our mantra, which we instill in all of our teams is to have fun at work. Indeed, some of the most demanding times in business have also been the most enjoyable. Some of our best times were in the early days – negotiating manufacturing deals, securing credit with the banks and often coming up against brick walls, whilst driving a couple of old bangers to collect building materials and grafting to sell. Working hard, but having fun is very much the MKM culture.” While looking forward to the opening of their 100th branch, David also believes there are growth opportunities ahead for MKM with acquisitions, developing new product lines and developing the kitchen and bathroom offering. David concluded; “Our own recipe for success, now fine-tuned over 25 years has been giving customers what they want, employing and retaining the best staff, engaging people in profit generation activities and of course having fun at work – which we certainly do!”
Published late last year, the report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Timber Industries, How the timber industries can help solve the housing crisis, was encouraging, but now is the time to take real action, says Jeremy English, Director at Södra Wood Ltd, STA board member and previous chairman of the Truss Rafter Association. Södra Wood Ltd is one of the UK’s leading suppliers of sustainable structural timber and engineered wood products. The inconvenient truth The facts are by now well-known. The Government needs to build 300,000 new homes in England per year while achieving zero carbon emissions by 2050. Construction 2025, a joint government and industry strategy, has also outlined targets for the UK construction sector, including halving construction-related emissions and project delivery times, and reducing construction costs by a third, by 2025. These are all ambitious goals and ones that put the industry – in its current state – in a difficult predicament given its reliance on concrete, “the most destructive material on Earth,” according to The Guardian last year. The solution: timber In stark contrast, according to the APPG’s report, if 270,000 of these new homes were to be built by the timber industry, three million tonnes of carbon dioxide would be absorbed and stored each year and build times would be 30 per cent quicker. The report goes on to argue that using timber in construction is central to meeting emissions targets and urges the government to implement the recommendations of the Climate Change Committee by increasing the use of timber in construction. Sustainability credentials aside, the human cost of the housing crisis absolutely cannot be ignored. As the report notes, “the housing crisis in the UK has a fundamental and negative effect on our quality of life. A lack of affordable housing is consistently linked to poverty, poor mental and physical health.” Timber can and should undoubtedly play a central role in solving this profound problem. Success in creating a flourishing housing industry, and in turn, a flourishing timber industry, would be felt right across the country. So, what action can be taken? Embrace offsite timber frame construction Throughout the 1950s and 1960s the UK building industry moved towards industrialised forms of building, and in the early ‘80s prefabricated housing became dominated by timber frame systems. Timber framed dwellings steadily grew to around 30 per cent of the new build market until negative media coverage and the public’s continued general suspicion of modern construction methods contributed to a significant downturn in production. Until recently, this stigma has remained, although in Scotland, incidentally, where timber frame was and still is well-respected, production was hardly affected at all and to this day timber frame accounts for 75 per cent of all new houses in Scotland. Shifting mentalities Quite rightly, we’re now seeing a shift in mentality throughout the rest of the UK, especially given timber frame’s ability to facilitate affordable homes. It’s a method that combines speed, quality and efficiency; all of which contribute to affordable, low carbon, efficient homes. Today’s offsite timber frame homes – thanks largely to technological advances – are also high-quality. Offsite construction’s controlled approach to planning and constructing buildings significantly minimises any room for error, and gives opportunity for new eco-friendly process planning, designing and installing within a much-reduced time frame and budget. The factory setting allows better quality control of materials, chain production setups and easier implementation of processes and manufacturing methods. Research published by WRAP also demonstrates that the use of timber frame construction components can reduce the amount of waste generated on site by up to 40 per cent. Currently, timber frame construction accounts for just 15 per cent of UK housing output, according to the NHBC. Benefits outlined above, coupled with the fact that government housing targets simply cannot be met through traditional methods alone, makes me confident that this figure will increase exponentially in the years to come. The government’s ban on combustible materials No current conversation about timber is complete without comment on the government’s catch-all ban on combustible materials. At the end of 2018, as part of fire safety improvement measures intended to prevent another tragic blaze like that seen at Grenfell Tower, the then Housing Secretary, James Brokenshire, introduced new legislation banning combustible materials on new high-rise homes above 18m. The government is now considering lowering the height threshold for combustible materials to “at least 11m,” according to current Housing Secretary, Robert Jenrick. Architects, builders and suppliers of timber and engineered timber products are now looking at what the future holds for mass timber builds following this catch-all ban and, in particular, the specification and use of cross-laminated timber (CLT) as a strong, lightweight structural component for multi-floor structures. While there’s no question that these restrictions are intended to enhance occupant safety, we mustn’t lose sight of CLT’s inherent benefits; benefits that have made it an increasingly popular choice for structural components since its introduction into the UK in 2004. It’s easy to transport and modify, it minimises noise pollution on site and it’s highly cost-efficient to produce and use. Structural timber and CLT products also have very predictable charring rates. When exposed to fire, the load-bearing core of a beam or truss will remain intact while the char layer remains to protect it. The char forms an insulation layer preventing an excessive rise in temperature within the unburnt core. The core continues to function, providing a predictable period of fire resistance. I’ll conclude with a quote from Andrew Waugh of Waugh Thisleton Architects, one of the UK’s leading proponents of timber construction: “The reality is the evidence says we’ve got 12 years left to sort out climate change – we’ve got to start changing the way we do things. And we’ve got to keep pushing the message about the safety of CLT. It’s not only quicker to put up; it’s safer, healthier, lighter and locks away carbon.” Presently, the Structural Timber Association, amongst others, is currently augmenting its already extensive
A major new facility for UK timber trade has opened up on the River Medway in Kent following a £27m investment by operators Peel Ports. The site at Wellmarsh provides scope for storage, processing and handling of all timber types. The facility is based at the Port of Sheerness, which is the largest terminal of its kind in the UK, handling 1.1 million tonnes of timber and forest products a year. The port already has 40-acres of timber storage facilities and Peel Ports’ investment takes it to a total of over 50 acres. The secure base is used to supply factories, production lines, construction projects and retailers, with rapid access to London via the M2 and M20. There is a further option for international distribution. The Port of Sheerness has 11 metres of water depth with no tidal restrictions or lock system, allowing for unrestricted 24 hour berthing. Port Director Richard Goffin said: “This investment is a direct response to the interest we’ve had from throughout the construction sector in using the Port of Sheerness as the ideal location for serving the south-east construction market. As well as supporting the local business community, we’re also proud to have created a number of new permanent jobs at the port, underlining the role we play as a major employer in the region.”