Researchers at Edinburgh Napier University’s Centre for Timber Engineering have been awarded £150,000 to help boost the use of home-grown timber in UK construction.
The money has come from 10 UK timber and forestry companies and the Forestry Commission. It will be used for a range of research projects, including investigation into the properties of Sitka spruce.
The focus will be on how the timber’s performance is affected by the way the forest is managed, with the aim of “encouraging trees to grow wood with the properties engineers value most – as well as identifying which trees produce the best construction timber so that they are not simply used for lower value uses., such as wood fuel”.
Dr John Moore, principal research fellow at the CTE, described the funding as “fantastic news”.
“It is heartening that, despite the current difficult market conditions, these companies are prepared to invest in research which will play an important role in ensuring the future of the forestry industry,” he said.
