Wood Technology battles blizzard to lay out aims

The launch conference of the Wood Technology Society (WTS) underlined its ambitions to develop its training role and help the timber sector work in conjunction with other materials suppliers to strengthen its market position.

The WTS is the successor body to the Institute of Wood Science and forms part of IOM3 (the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining). Its inaugural conference went ahead at the latter’s office in London despite the snow storms that hit the south-east last Tuesday and attracted over 30 people.

In his opening remarks, WTS president Charles Trevor said it aimed to become the “leading provider of educational resources for the timber industry”.

The organisation is involved with other timber sector bodies and the Sector Skills Council Proskills to develop National Occupational Standards for the industry. It is also updating its Foundation and Certificate courses to comply with the government’s qualification and credit framework.

“When complete, our revised courses will be up to date and indispensable as a means to enable the industry to compete in an increasingly hostile world,” said Mr Trevor.

The rest of the conference looked at new applications of timber and wood products and how wood and other raw materials can work in conjunction, an area where the WTS’s position within IOM3 can give it particular insight, said Mr Trevor.

Architect Andrew Waugh described how the nine-storey cross laminated timber Murray Grove apartment block came together, while James Broughton of Oxford Brookes University discussed the use of adhesive and steel reinforcement in timber restoration.

Other speakers included Geoff Rhodes, marketing and business development director of Coillte Panel Products, who gave details of the wood specifiers’ survey conducted under the company’s Medite 2016 Forum initiative. Described as one of the “largest ever quantative studies” of its kind, it found that 77% of respondents wanted to know more about latest timber products advances.