In September, Timber Development UK became the largest timber supply chain body in the UK following the merger of the Timber Trade Federation and TRADA, bringing together more than 1,500 businesses. As TDUK looks ahead to the future of the timber trade sector, TDUK chief executive Dave Hopkins asks whether timber in UK construction has a larger role to play
Timber is considered a sustainable resource in UK construction- especially in the built environment. Unlike other materials, timber is renewable and generally produces less carbon during production than other resources such as steel and concrete.
The UK built environment is responsible for approximately 25% of total UK greenhouse gas emissions. With a legally binding target to reach net zero by the year 2050, the government has also committed to achieving 68% reductions in carbon emissions by 2030.
We now find ourselves at a unique moment in time with initiatives in areas such as sustainability and reducing embodied and whole-life carbon high on the agenda. This is forcing the industry into a period of unprecedented self-reflection as it reconsiders the type of materials used and the way buildings are built.
Benefits of timber in UK construction
Timber, especially modern engineered timber such as cross-laminated timber, brings several advantages, including being well suited to prefabrication and assembly offsite in factory conditions ideal for Modern Methods of Construction. It is also significantly lighter than concrete and steel making it easier to work with and more efficient to transport.
You can already see this in operation today through the trussed rafters, which are seen on building sites all over the UK.
Trussed rafters are manufactured offsite and transported to site, this not only eliminates the problem of storage but builders can add the trussed rafters straight on to the building – saving the time required to assemble and minimising the need for on-site corrections.
With the development of versatile engineered timbers, this principle can now be applied to many more construction activities, including frames, high-rise and modular construction products.
At the same time, wood is a natural material, aesthetically pleasing while providing comfort during seasonal changes because of its biophilic properties. The use of timber has also been proven to boost productivity and wellbeing, while being well-suited to trends around sustainability.
Barriers to mainstream adoption of timber construction
In England, wood tends to play a bigger part in interior design, from wooden furniture to fixtures and fittings. It is heading in a good direction; however, there are obvious obstacles to wider adoption such as a lack of incentives for use of timber for large-scale construction, regulations which favour concrete and steel and, most important of all, a skills gap for the use of timber.
If timber was to play a bigger role in UK construction, it is also important to consider the current state of the industry. The fragmented nature of the timber supply chain is a key issue that the formation of Timber Development UK will begin to address to help it compete with steel and concrete.
The UK will also need to ensure there is a steady supply of sustainable sources of timber when demand increases – and that the logistics are in place to ensure a net zero supply chain.
Upskilling for timber construction
Perhaps the biggest hurdle surrounding the use of timber in the UK is education.
With steel and concrete firmly embedded in UK construction, it is important to ensure engineers, architects and specifiers have a strong understanding regarding the use of timber, such as how to build with it, its properties and how it relates to existing Building Regulations.
Timber Development UK is working with Edinburgh Napier University and NMITE to provide extensive resources to designers and the industry at large, but it’s clear to us that a significant cultural shift will need to take place in the UK if timber is to become a first-choice building material.
New trends in timber construction
Recommendations on how timber can support a net zero industry were mentioned in the Building to Net Zero: Costing Carbon in Construction by the Environmental Audit Committee. The report included recommendations on mandating whole-life carbon assessments, which would give automatic incentives to the construction industry to start choosing lower-carbon materials and to adopt methods of construction to which timber is well suited.
It is also important to consider the trends we are seeing outside of the UK. We are seeing cities such as Amsterdam and Toronto putting in plans to build entire neighbourhoods from wood and we may begin to see this trend going mainstream in the next few years.
Taken together we see a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for utilising timber in UK construction to become a mainstream option. By forming the largest trade association for the timber industry, Timber Development UK is in a position where we can unite the sector to make this happen.
Dave Hopkins
Chief executive
Timber Development UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 3205 0067
