Government adviser launches National Structural Timber Specification

The specification document is designed to help level the playing field and better enable timber to compete against steel and concrete in construction.

Mr Hansford praised timber in construction, calling it the “oldest building material”, which he said was “beautiful” and “sustainable”.

“This new government is very keen for industry to lead itself, to step up to the plate,” said Mr Hansford.

“By developing this specification you have done just that.”

Mr Hansford explained that the specification fitted in with the aims of the Construction 2025 programme, which looks at how the building industry can be transformed to be world class.

“It seems to me that timber is a construction material which ticks many of the boxes in helping to achieve this vision.”

And he said that timber contributed to developing a low carbon economy, by reducing CO2 emissions during the construction process and in the operating life of the building.

Arup’s timber specialist Andrew Lawrence said the specification had been trialled on a project and had saved a lot of time and money.

The NSTS will focus on structural uses of kiln-dried softwoods for use in three main areas.

The first is light-frame construction – usually known as ‘timber frame’ – the main application for this being housing. These can be ‘open panel’ and ‘closed panel’ as well as floor cassettes.

It also includes heavy-frame construction – typically glulam and other engineered timber post and beam structures – as well as panel construction (typically cross-laminated timber and structural insulated panels).

A PDF of the specification can be downloaded free from the TRADA website here for people who register.