Building design has certainly evolved over the years, with new technology constantly pushing the barriers of what can be achieved. Innovation, however, does not come without its challenges. The construction of state-of-the-art buildings with demanding sustainable design requirements often present specifiers with the vast task of finding a material that is able to cope.
Engineered timber certainly offers a breadth of design possibilities that have never been achievable using traditional steel or concrete construction methods. With the technology developing all the time, the environmental benefits and architectural visions for the future are virtually limitless.
Timber is more lightweight than traditional materials but just as durable. With extremely high load-bearing capacity, engineered structural timber products such as glulam and cross-laminated timber (CLT) offer specifiers the chance to really stretch their creative muscle, going far beyond the traditional rectangular shapes with which we are familiar.
Aside from the many environmental benefits, engineered timber offers a structural versatility unlike any other material lending itself to offsite construction. Less waste and a shorter build programme mean that it is becoming a popular choice for specification across the commercial, retail, public and residential sectors.
Full CNC operation offers accuracy of manufacture and fast installation programmes are realised on site as a result of the potential for panelised construction methodology. Added to that, timber will improve the look and feel of a building.
Glulam easily achieves long and short spans but reduces the weight of the structure when compared with using more traditional techniques.
Also there are the life cycle benefits of a renewable resource – a crucial element as products’ sustainability and embodied energy become increasingly important. CLT’s attributes in particular means that it is a highly viable option for specifiers, helping to keep costs down and improve resource efficiency.
The vast scope for creative building design offered by glulam and CLT makes them perfect for a wide variety of applications – and is even greater when combined with more traditional methods of construction, such as concrete or steel. The use of glulam and steel in a hybrid format realises both the aesthetic and commercial benefits to a structure, giving the stakeholders what they want to see at an affordable price.
Being able to link this where appropriate with CLT for the floor or roof, for example, further enhances the structure’s speed of installation, while at the same time removing less sustainable systems and greatly reducing wet trades.
Recognising that the UK construction market is not fully exploiting CLT and the benefits of this adaptable and highly sustainable material, B&K Structures has joined forces with Austrian engineered timber manufacturer Binderholz, to form the X-LAM Alliance – a working partnership that aims to support and advise the construction industry in maximising the benefits of this versatile material.
Ultimately, we must be committed to continually improving the scope of application for engineered timber and a large part of that is down to educating the UK market about its potential.
