Seminar looks at breaking down timber barriers

Boosting timber specification in construction was the core theme of the latest Wood Talks seminar o by Wood for Good at the Building Centre in London.

The event, which attracted an audience of over 100 from the timber, construction and specification sectors, was titled “Wood from beginning to end – bridging the supply chain” and looked at both barriers to specification and latest projects and initiatives which are boosting timber’s outlook in UK building.

Timber Trade Federation chief executive John White presented the new Wood for Good Timber Manifesto, which is being targeted at politicians and other decision makers, urging them to follow a seven-point plan to increase wood use, including cutting VAT on sustainable wood products to 10% and the introduction by government of a “wood first rule” to make it the primary material for public projects.

Engineer Richard Harris of Bath University highlighted the lack of specific timber training in engineering degree courses – just a matter of days for a CEng degree course taking a number of years – and Dr Andrew Pitman of TRADA then highlighted how the organisation is tackling this through its university liaison programme.

Andrew Wylie of engineer Buro Happold raised the importance and capacity of timber products providing time and cost as well as environmental benefits, while surveyor Ben Randall focused on the need for accurate methods of making whole life cost comparisons between all building products, looking in particular at the use of cross laminated timber.

Wood Awards judging chairman and architect Michael Morrison focused on examples of wood achieiving its true constructon potential in the UK with a presentation on this year’s Awards winners.

"What is becoming increasingly clear is that architects, engineers and builder/contractors want timber supplies who not only thoroughly understand their products, but can effectively pass that understanding right the way down the supply chain," said Mr White.

"The Wood Talks seminars, like this one, play an important role in bringing that supply chain together and enabling the industry to get to know exactly what is needed from them. Issues were raised in "Wood from beginning to end", which I got the impression at least some among the timber trade representatives in the room were previously unaware of.

"Speakers and questions from the floor also raised once more the view that we are still a disparate industry. Again, the Wood Talks events form part of the effort to overcome that and bring the industry together to network with the rest of the supply chain."