ABSP has released new guidance for equitable insurance in mass timber buildings through collaboration between construction teams and insurers
Since the Grenfell fire disaster, mass timber projects have found it difficult to secure insurance. There has been a substantial loss of trust in regulation caused by the cladding crisis.
The Mass Timber Insurance Playbook, published by ABSP, directly responds to these difficulties.
“This new guidance is incredibly important. There has been a lack of understanding of how risks are mitigated by design and construction teams, which have been holding back mass timber construction. Mass timber has been on the back foot, and insurance is by far the biggest thing making projects stall,” said Olly Booth, timber specialist and partner at property consultancy Gardiner Theobald.
What is mass timber?
Mass timber is a modern building technology that involves bonding, nailing, or fastening wood products in layers to create large panels, posts, and beams. These products are incredibly sturdy and flexible.
Mass timber can reduce the environmental impact of construction when compared to conventional materials such as concrete and steel. Mass timber is light and made of natural materials.
What is the purpose of the Mass Timber Insurance Playbook?
The document provides guidance for all parties involved in securing insurance. The advice concerns both the development and operation of projects. Insurance and building specialists contributed to the Playbook. It aims to help insurance and construction industry stakeholders understand each other’s language and priorities.
Current building safety regulations are primarily concerned with the safe exit of occupants from the building rather than the building’s ability to withstand damage itself. These concerns are addressed in the Playbook.
The guidance encourages early-stage engagement from all parties. It also includes an outline of all the risks for new buildings. A framework is incorporated in the Playbook, which offers project owners advice on demonstrating to insurers the way risk is being addressed. This will help insurers understand and assess the risk they are insuring.
The playbook is informed by guidance on the protection of buildings (BDM 01) from the insurance industry’s joint risk assessment authority RISC.
ASBP secured a grant from the Built by Nature Accelerator Fund to support the guidance.
The guidance contains contributions from experts in insurance and construction
Philip Callow and Jim Glockling were the main authors of the Playbook. Callow has worked in the global construction insurance market for 20 years as a broker and underwriter. Glockling has recently worked as the technical director of the Fire Protection Association (FPA). He has 30 years of experience in the commercial insurance industry. The project was by ASBP director Simon Corbey.
“Insurance industry concerns are not kneejerk. They are genuine concerns that need addressing. The problem is that stakeholders each speak a very different language, and not all stakeholders are engaged at the right time,” commented Glockling.
The guidance was peer-reviewed by RIBA. It has been road tested across four stakeholder engagement events. The Playbook will be officially launched at Zurich HQ in London on May 4 at an invitation-only event held by ASBP.
The document will be available to download for free from the ASBP and Built by Nature websites from May 5. A concluding free online event will go ahead on May 25 at 12 pm with contributions from the authors and contributors.
