Government outlines timber roadmap for more timber use in construction
The government has launched a new timber roadmap which aims to increase the use of structural timber in the construction of homes and other buildings.
The new plans form part of the wider aim to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by utilising materials which have a lower carbon footprint.
According to the government, approximately a quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions are from the built environment and larger buildings can store up to 400% more carbon when built out of engineered timber products rather than concrete.
The Timber in Construction Roadmap sets out the vision to increase the use of timber in construction, whilst also presenting valuable opportunities for economic growth, rural jobs and levelling up.
Currently only 80% of the timber the UK currently uses is imported. Increasing domestic capacity will create new green jobs in the forestry and wood processing sectors, which contribute over £2bn to UK economy.
The key actions the new roadmap sets out include improving data on timber and whole life carbon, promoting timber as a construction material, boosting skills, increasing the supply of timber products, addressing safety concerns and building a relationship with insurers, who have traditionally been less keen to insure timber frame buildings in the UK.
One body which has look to expand the use of timber in some of its buildings and refurbishments is Network Rail, whose station guidance issued in 2021 noted that timber was considered a modern method of construction – with an example given of Horrem station in Germany which was the first carbon-neutral train station built in the country, predominantly made from structural timber.
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Global engineering consultancy Arup has also investigated the use of timber in railway structures, working with the Copenhagen Metro Company (Metroselskabet) to see how far low carbon, reusable, recyclable and biodegradable materials could replace the carbon-costly norms. Using timber-concrete composities, it found that, compared to an all-concrete station, embodied carbon was reduced by half. It also found that the composites could provide a protection from water that underpinned a 100 year design life and 90 minutes of fire resistance.
Commenting on the government’s plans Structural Timber Association CEO Andrew Carpenter said: “The TIC Roadmap will be a beneficial driver in this effort, which is so vital to meeting the UK’s net zero carbon commitments, giving clarity and guidance to stakeholders throughout the construction industry.
Forestry minister Rebecca Pow said: “Investing in timber is investing in growth and levelling up. The built environment is responsible for a huge proportion of UK carbon emissions, and using home-grown timber in construction is key to reducing emissions.
“Promoting the use of timber as a building material is a key part of the government’s Net Zero Strategy. It will innovate the economy, play a role in creating green jobs and also help meet our tree-planting targets.”
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