THE ROADMAP TO BUILDING WITH STRUCTURAL TIMBER.

82% of the public supported the use of wood in construction as a strategy to meet the UK’s net zero commitments at the 2020 UK Citizens Assembly.

A lack of understanding and awareness of the properties of timber as a building material has been highlighted as a challenge with lack of knowledge around cost and maintenance requirements. Private developers and investors are increasingly interested in green buildings, including timber buildings. Industry and government can build on this momentum to promote the appropriate use of timber through already established industry initiatives, such as the Construction Leadership Council’s Construct Zero campaign which promotes low carbon construction more widely.

Increasing the use of timber in construction requires a skilled and competent workforce, confident in the use and application of a range of timber systems. Attracting new entrants and up-skilling and re-skilling the existing workforce is essential.

An increase in afforestation to meet the government’s target is likely to lead to around 1,400 new jobs needed in the nursery and forestry sectors by 2035. The government is working with the forestry sector to encourage new entrants while retaining professional foresters and support teams.

Likewise, engineering, architecture and design education providers are rising to the challenge of developing innovative and relevant training programmes.

Over the coming period, we need to increase skills. Improving visibility of forestry and timber construction as careers will help to expand opportunities for young people and for this industry as a whole.

The World Bank has forecast that global demand for timber could quadruple by 2050 with demand for timber in construction a key driver.

Increasing the supply of sustainable timber products and the development of a sustainable timber and wood processing sector will be important for increasing timber in construction in England. The UK is the third largest net importer of timber and wood products in the world so ensuring our imported timber supply continues to be sourced from sustainable forests is vital to benefit from carbon sequestration.
Increased timber construction in England is also an opportunity to increase demand for homegrown timber, driving more tree planting.

Timber frame structures have long been used in low rise construction complying with all UK Building Regulations and Standards. With robust approved procedures for fire safety, durability, and structural considerations light weight systems are recognised as a suitable solution for building under 11m.

There is an opportunity for newer engineered mass timber products to expand the use of timber beyond low-rise. The Government will work with industry, academia, and the Building Safety Regulator to further investigate outstanding fire safety, durability, and competence questions, and to better understand the longevity of engineered mass timber products in the UK. Approaches that may mitigate the risks include measures such as full encapsulation of timber to prevent contribution to the fuel load and using sprinklers to suppress the growth of fires.

For engineered mass timber buildings, key risks to be mitigated include fire and the potential impacts of water damage and durability. Evidence is needed of longevity of the engineered timber system without need for frequent repair or replacement. Insurers, lenders, and warranty providers need increased confidence in the use of engineered mass timber products, including how they are used, insured in international markets, and known claims data regarding how buildings perform in the event of a fire or flood.

While Building Regulations take cognisance of fire safety objectives, the insurer and warranty providers look to the wider impact of use of engineered mass timber or volumetric timber systems in terms of property damage and time taken to restore business function following an insurable event.

Increased use of timber in construction will involve the wood product sector continuing to innovate and produce cost-competitive systems that are high performing, reduce operational and embodied carbon emissions and maximise sustainability and resource efficiency.

We need to support further of-site manufacturing and use of digital technologies that can increase quality and reduce waste.

One housing project using a volumetric timber system constructed on top of steel frame stilts demonstrated a 50% faster build time compared to traditional construction methods, with the bulk of the build completed in the factory requiring minimal onsite work.