New WIS: Specifying British-Grown Timbers

TRADA’s new Wood Information Sheet (WIS) ‘Specifying British-Grown Timbers’ is a comprehensive overview of the British timber market, the products available and their uses.

The WIS is accompanied by a series of highly informative datasheets on the various species, such as sycamore, oak, ash and spruce, with details of the distribution, properties, uses and special considerations. “This new Wood Information Sheet will be a great help to designers and contractors in not only selecting the right timber species for the job,” said Charlie Law, BAM Construct UK Ltd and member of the UKCG Grown in Britain Task Group, “but also selecting the one that gives the most benefit to the UK forestry industry by specifically identifying those species that are grown in Britain.” British timber is used for a wide variety of products, although many people are still unaware that the timber they are using is from a British forest. British grown softwood timber represents a massive 40% by volume of all timber consumed in Britain; this will be used for an extensive range of products from fencing to packaging materials and pallets, joinery such as windows, doors, cladding and decking, and carcassing. There is also a well established and state-of-the-art wood panel industry in Britain. Domestic producers of particle boards – chipboard and oriented strand board (OSB) – provided 77% of all of these products used in Britain in 2012. With sustainability now high on the agenda, users of British timber are assured that all timber and timber products first placed onto the market in Britain are subject to the EU Timber Regulation, which requires timber to be sourced legally. In addition, around 44% of British woodlands are certified against the UK Woodland Assurance Standard, which is endorsed by FSC and PEFC. Most British-grown softwood is machine strength-graded to the C16 strength class because this is the most economically viable grade to produce. In the past, it was thought that British-grown C16 material was somehow inferior to equivalent grade softwood sourced from overseas. However, it is machine strength-graded and assessed in the same manner and to the same standards as that graded elsewhere in Europe and can therefore be regarded as equivalent material. Research is being undertaken at a number of British institutions to give a better understanding of a number of our commercial species. It is also examining how British-grown timber can be used in engineered timber products such as CLT, Brettstapel and stacked plank. While production of engineered wood products in British timber is still very much a niche activity, there are encouraging signs in this area and further research is supporting new developments.

‘Specifying British-grown Timbers’ is free for members and available to non-members for £15 in the TRADA Bookshop.

Did You Know…

• Many people are unaware that the timber they are using is from a British forest, yet over 40% of the total sawn timber and over 70% of the total particleboard consumption in Britain is sourced from Britishgrown timber.
• British-grown timber, in particular softwood, tends to be characterised by faster growth rates than seen in the same species grown in more northerly zones of the northern hemisphere where colder climate results in slower growth.
• In some cases this has an effect on durability as well as the timber structure, so it is important to specify not only the species but also the correct grade.
• C16 strength class material is suitable for use in a wide range of building applications and sourcing higher strength class material that has been imported may not be necessary.
• Many future opportunities for British-grown timbers are expected to be found in construction.

Britain has a temperate northern European climate and the tree species grown are similar to those grown across northern Europe and also in North America and in many cases are the same tree species. Using local materials, instead of imports, reduces the environmental impact that would have resulted from transportation of the material from another location.

Sawn Timber

A variety of products are manufactured from British-grown timber. There has been a steady increase in sawn wood output from British sawmills year on year for the last five years. In 2012, 180 active sawmills consumed a total of 6.2 million green tonnes of roundwood softwoods and 0.1 million tonnes of hardwood yielding a total of 3.4 million m3 of sawn timber. For softwood timber, this represents 40% by volume of all timber consumed in Britain and a wide range of sawn timber sizes, finishes and strength grades are produced.

Panel products

There is also a well established and state-of-the-art wood panel industry in Britain. Domestic producers of particle boards – chipboard and oriented strand board (OSB) – provided 77% of all of these products used in Britain in 2012. For medium density fibre board (MDF) the value was 53% of the total volume consumed. These boards are suitable for a wide range of applications including sheathing in timber frame construction, flooring and furniture.

Wood Fuel

Currently 1.4 million green tonnes of roundwood is used as wood fuel with nearly a third of this coming from broadleaved trees accounting for 75% of the Britishgrown hardwood usage in Britain. Some of this material is used for the production of wood pellets and briquettes which are made from both roundwood and sawmill by-products.

Engineered Wood Products

Britain does not currently have a well developed manufacturing sector producing structural engineered wood products such as glulam, parallel strand lumber, laminated veneer lumber, laminated strand lumber and cross laminated timber (CLT) utilising British-grown timber. However, relatively small-scale facilities exist for glulam production and I-beams are made using British OSB.

About TRADA

The Timber Research and Development Association (TRADA) is an internationally recognised centre of excellence on the specification and use of timber and wood products. TRADA is a company limited by guarantee and not-for-profit membership-based organisation. TRADA’s origins go back over 75 years and its name is synonymous with independence and authority. Its position in the industry is unique with a diverse membership encompassing companies and individuals from around the world and across the entire wood supply chain, from producers, merchants and manufacturers, to architects, engineers and end users.

TRADA’s Aim

To provide members with the highest quality information on timber and wood products to enable them to maximise the benefits that timber can provide.

What TRADA Does

TRADA seeks to achieve this aim through active and on-going programmes of information and research. Information is provided through their website, an extensive collection of printed materials and their training courses. Research is largely driven by the desire to update and improve their information so that it continues to meet their members’ needs in the future.

Technical Telephone Enquiries:

Tel: +44 (0)1494 569601

Email: advisory@trada.co.uk

Bookshop Enquiries:

Tel: +44 (0)1494 569602

Email: publications@trada.co.uk

This information has been provided by TRADA. To read the full text, visit www.trada.co.uk