Engineered wood solutions continue to be one of the timber sector's real success stories and bring strength, flexibility and aesthetics to building design.
Some of the leading thinkers, commentators and industry specialists will be gathering to discuss cross laminated timber (CLT), Glulam and other solid timber solutions and its role in sustainability and low carbon design at Timber Expo this year.
Precision factory-controlled manufacturing means reliability, cost certainty and speedy delivery of this natural renewable resource. A number of high profile projects using solid wood will be under the spotlight in Session 3 of the Timber Talks programme Organic Mechanics: connecting engineering and a renewable resource.
Gavin White, Associate and Structural Engineer at Ramboll will be discussing a key project in the UK. "The University of East Anglia (UEA) is recognised for delivering low carbon buildings that push the boundaries of current construction methods, Building 57 was no different," says Gavin. "An in-depth carbon study was undertaken by Ramboll for UEA and it was determined that a hybrid construction of cross laminated timber (CLT) and precast concrete planks was the lowest carbon once the operational energy of the building was considered.
"The coming together of all the typical construction materials in this manner has never before been undertaken. This therefore presented unique challenges when dealing with the interfaces between materials. Connecting a 13m span precast plank into a CLT box is not an easy problem to resolve!"
Alongside presentations on what the prospects are for UK-grown glulam and CLT from David Crawford, Research Consultant at Edinburgh Napier University, Andrew Waugh, Partner at Waugh Thistleton will explain the successes of building taller still with CLT, Richard Harris, Professor of Timber Engineering at University of Bath, will present a case study on the HIVE project and Andrew Lawrence, Associate Director at Arup will discuss the Life Cycle Tower and the commercial feasibility of high-rise timber.
Organised by TRADA, the Timber Talks programme has drawn on feedback from previous events and fresh market research. From niche areas to leading trends, Timber Talks will deliver an unrivalled collection of presentations over eight free modules from nearly 50 speakers. The free seminars will be spread over eight specialist streams chaired by a leading figure in the timber industry.
The Timber Talks programme will take place in two bespoke Seminar Theatres created for Timber Expo. The Solid Wood Theatre - built by B & K Structures - will showcase the strengths of timber and advanced closed panel timber technology and show why solid wood use is beginning to soar in the UK. The Fabric First Theatre - built by leading timber frame specialists Frame Wise - will extoll the virtues of building with an airtight building envelope in mind and its superior thermal properties - making it ideal as the basis of a modern energy efficient building.
Timber Expo takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) Birmingham 24-25 September with over 5,000 visitors expected including architects and designers, engineers and contractors, local authorities and a wide range of those working in the built environment.
