Keltic Contractors

Fact: Timber is the most environmental building Material. Why?

Timber is a totally renewable resource; European softwood forests are growing by over 250 million m3 every year.
Waste efficient; the parts of the logs that are not used for timber are used for paper, chipboards, energy and many other applications.
Once used, the timber can then be recycled or biodegraded.
Trees produce oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, helping to reduce global warming.
So there really is no more environmentally friendly way to build!

Wood is good

Timber is an organic, non-toxic and naturally renewable building material.

Although worldwide, deforestation remains a significant issue, it is not caused by the European construction industry which mainly uses softwood.
Over 90% of all wood consumed in Europe is sourced from European forests.
UK timber frame uses 99% European softwood.
The more wood we use, the more our forests grow, because in Europe we are committed to planting more trees than we harvest.
Every year our forests grow by over 3,500 square miles – equivalent to an area the size of Cyprus.
Forests act as huge carbon sinks. The total carbon sequestered in Europe’s forests is over 9.5 million tonnes.

Whole life performance

Wood is effectively a carbon-neutral material (even allowing for transport).
Timber frame has the lowest CO2 cost of any commercially available building material.
For every cubic metre of wood used instead of other building materials, 0.8 tonne of CO2 is saved from the atmosphere.
77% of the energy used in the production of wood products comes from wood residues and recovered wood.
Strength for strength, concrete uses 5 times (and steel uses 6 times) more energy to produce than timber.
Waste and ‘end of life’ wood can be easily recycled.

Eco-friendly homes

A typical 100 square metre two-storey detached timber frame home contains 5-6 cubic metres more wood than the equivalent masonry house.
Consequently, every timber frame home saves about 4 tonnes of CO2 (about the amount produced by driving 14,000 miles).
In addition to these CO2 savings, the operational cost of a house can be reduced due to timber’s thermal efficiency.
If all UK houses built since 1945 had been timber frame, then over 300 million tonnes of CO2 would have been saved.
Most wood products, from timber frame systems to joinery, can help designers and developers improve their EcoHomes ratings.

Introduction

Timber framed construction in the UK is based on factory-made structural elements. The timber framed wall panels carry the loads on the building to the foundations whilst the outer cladding provides decoration and weather protection.

Cladding is a matter of choice; it can be brick, stone or lightweight claddings, such as timber boarding, tile hanging or render.

Factory production of the timber framed panels ensures that they are accurately manufactured to precise tolerances in a controlled environment away from the vagaries of the British weather.

The timber frame panels are rapidly erected on site and, with trussed rafters forming the roof, a weather tight building can be created in a matter of days. This enables work to continue in protected conditions within the building whilst the outer cladding and roof finishes are applied.

Timber frame is not just for houses; it is being used extensively for flats, schools, hotels, offices and sports facilities. Timber Framed Buildings up to eight storeys high can be constructed and, like all methods of construction, conform to the requirements of the Building Regulations.

Additional layers of insulation and board materials are added to provide higher levels of sound insulation and additional fire protection where required, e.g. party walls between houses and party walls between flats.

The choice of floor and roof construction for timber frame is the same as for other building types. Ground floors can be of concrete or timber. Intermediate floors are of timber joists or prefabricated panels. The joists or prefabricated panels are usually installed on top of the wall panels and provide a platform from which to build subsequent storeys – hence the term ‘platform frame'.

Timber frame around the world

In many parts of the world, timber frame is the norm – an engineered and proven system.
Over 70% of people in the developed world live in timber frame housing.
In the USA and Canada it accounts for 90% of low-rise buildings.
Timber frame is the most popular form of house construction in Scotland, thanks largely to its suitability for a cold climate where homes need to be able to be built fast, be very energy efficient and keep people comfortable throughout the year.
Timber frame housing is also used effectively in hot and humid climates, including parts of Australia, Malaysia and elsewhere – proof that it can cope with climate change in the UK.

UK market statistics*

Unprecedented success for Timber Frame in 2005 and growing

Timber frame housing grew by 15% in 2005, compared to a 2.0% decline for all other methods of construction.
Timber frame housing now has a 20% market share in the UK. With an increase of 2.4% on the year this represents the single biggest increase in market share since modern records have been kept!
By 2008 One in Four new homes will be timber frame.
Over 73% of new homes in Scotland are built using timber frame, up from 65% in 2004.
England market share rose from 10.7% to 13.3% in 2005.
Wales market share rose from 11.6% to 12.9% in 2005.
In Northern Ireland, market share increased from 7% to 7.7% in 2005.
Over half of all new social housing in the UK is timber frame- 58% in 2005
Rise in timber frame market driven by growth in detached dwellings and flatted developments. These two largest sectors now comprise 66% of all new buildings in 2005.

*Figures taken from UKTFA market report 2005, based on independently collected and analysed data from members.

Manufacturing capacity

The UK timber frame industry continues to invest in increased capacity to meet rising demand – production capacity was up by 13% in 2004.
The sector is worth nearly £425 million per year.
Continuing expansion of the timber frame industry is inevitably changing the structure of the industry – in short, there are more companies providing more volume.
It is estimated that the industry was working to a 92% utilisation rate in 2004.
The industry needs stable, sustained growth in the UK housing market to ensure the full benefits and efficiencies of its manufacturing base are realised.

Construction efficiency

Timber frame has 30% shorter, more predictable construction time than brick and block.
This means a faster return on investment, reduced disruption to local communities, and tidier, safer and more efficient sites.
A typical timber frame house can be weather-tight in less than 5 days.
Timber frame construction helps to promote greater partnering, better control and project savings through improved supply chain integration.

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References

Keltic Contractors can readily make recent references available to any prospective clients. References cover all aspects of erection, building & construction activities and carpentry.