Summary
¦ KVH, Duo/Trio beams, glulam and cross-laminated timber are being promoted to the UK.
¦ Germany is still Europe’s largest sawn timber producer.
¦ German timber exporters have supported the development of marketing platform Wood Germany.
In the UK, great demands are placed on modern building structures and materials, for example in the context of sustainable or green building. Architects, building planners as well as decision-makers in the real estate sector and project development are particularly appreciative of the fact that contemporary wood construction and high-quality refined timber products are able to meet the highest demands for technical performance, profitability, energy efficiency, aesthetics and sustainability.
As Germany is a global leader in wood construction technology and innovation, its timber products continue to be in high demand in the UK. German design solutions that are particularly sought after in this country include sophisticated and energy-efficient residential buildings, modern industrial and commercial buildings, as well as representative commercial and public buildings with aesthetically attractive roof structures. In addition to KD sawn timber and planed products, imported modern solid timber products include refined building materials such as KVH solid construction timber, glulam and cross-laminated timber.
Engineered products
Solid structural timber (KVH) is a technically dried and engineered wood beam using finger-joints. Produced under quality-controlled conditions, KVH meets higher requirements than conventional structural timber, is S10 graded (equivalent to C24) with a low moisture content (15% +/-3%), which combines to make the wood very stable. It is suitable for all applications in modern residential timber construction and is available as KVH-Si (for visible use) and KVH-NSi (for hidden use).
Balcony glulam (Duo/Trio beams) is a refined solid wood product that features a very high degree of stability and an attractive surface. It is produced under quality-controlled conditions from two or three technically-dried planks or square timber which are glued together on the parallel.
German glulam is a high-quality solid wood product that can be used as a high-stress and far-spanning building component, particularly for roof and hall structures. It is particularly stable, visually attractive and produced under quality-controlled conditions by gluing together at least three technically-dried and finger-jointed boards or board layers on the parallel.
Cross-laminated timber is a solid wood product used as supporting and bracing components in wall and roof structures. It consists of board layers which are glued in a crosswise manner.
Because of the importance of the wood industry in Germany – the country has Europe’s largest wood resource (3.4 billion m³) and largest production of sawn timber (2009: 20.5 million m³ including planed products) – the industry supported a joint marketing institution, the German Timber Promotion Fund, for many years. Based on an international marketing programme by the name of German Timber, (which was managed by the author of this article) the institution also undertook intensive marketing efforts in the UK. However, the marketing institution was forced to discontinue its activities in June last year for technical reasons.
In spring this year Wood Future (Zukunft Holz GmbH) was created with the objective of continuing selected task areas and projects of the German Timber Promotion Fund. Wood Future is supported by the German Forest Council (Deutscher Holzwirtschaftsrat) and the German Wood Council (Deutscher Holzwirtschaftsrat). The institution is still being developed, and to date offers mainly technical information and advice on the issue of timber construction in Germany.
Another institution founded in the spring is Wood Germany, the new international B2B marketing platform for the German wood industry. It offers a variety of information on issues of innovative wood construction, modern timber products and the advantages of using wood from sustainable forestry.
Industry involvement
In the near future, the German timber industry’s export-oriented companies and institutions will partner with Wood Gemany. The new organisation will also work closely with Wood Future, other industry associations and responsible government authorities. A number of excellent contacts have already been established and the internet portal www.woodgermany.com went live last month.
There are plans to develop additional information and service offerings, such as information brochures, and to develop a presence at trade fairs.
Wood Germany’s aim is to continue making a contribution towards promoting a dialogue and close working relationship between British experts and decision-makers, and the German timber industry.
For more go to www.woodgermany.com.
