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INSIGHTS COMMENT Building-in cost benefits
As construction heads towards decarbonisation, choice of building materials is increasingly crucial. Andrew Carpenter of the Structural Timber Association (STA) outlines why timber provides built-in cost benefits
ost is one of the main considerations for architects and specifiers when choosing a building material. As building professionals are pressed to meet project budgets, opting for ‘traditional’ build materials like block and brick can be seen as short-sighted.
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Structural timber frame has many often overlooked underlying but tangible commercial benefits such as speed of build, superior quality, and sustainability. A number of these benefits are associated with the predictable and consistent nature of building structural timber frame off-site, these being two of the most sought after virtues within the construction sector, helping ensure buildings are constructed in the most time efficient and cost effective manner, and typically at least 30 per cent quicker than ‘traditional’ methods of construction.
Enhanced control
As prefabricated structural timber frame is manufactured in a controlled and precise manner using the latest industry methods and technology, frames incorporate innovations such as vapour control layers to increase durability and advanced breathable mem- branes with thermal, acoustic and fire protection inbuilt into the timber design.
This level of automation also means structural timber produced off-site can be monitored at every stage of its construction and is not reliant on a multitude of other trades. Consequently, health and safety costs can be reduced as a factory-based environment ensures safer working conditions and fewer height risks for employees than on-site production. An indoor production setting is also not dependent on favourable weather conditions. This is a substantial cost benefit given the UK’s fluctuating climate – strong winds or heavy rain and sub zero conditions have no effect on workers or the manufacturing process, leading to safer, better quality and more efficient and timely production. Furthermore, off-site construction helps ensure that architects’ plans are strictly adhered to, presenting the truest likeness to the original design. This means that there are fewer modifications to designs or unexpected financial costs. Additionally, timber’s plenti- ful supply helps to keep projects within predefined time remits and enables costs to be minimised. Timber is a readily available material that can easily meet industry demands whereas brick and block have recently suffered supply shortages which has resulted in a premium being placed on its price. In addition, there is an alarming shortage of bricklayers within the UK construction sector, with a recent Royal Institute of
Chartered Surveyors (RICS) survey revealing 60 per cent of respon- dents have difficulty in finding bricklayers for projects.
Reduced carbon
It is not just in the initial build phase that structural timber offers significant cost savings – the material’s inherent sustainability and structural performance allows forward-thinking architects to pass on cost savings to clients and users throughout the building’s life- time. Choosing timber can also bridge the performance gap and cut carbon emissions – a significant benefit since according to a
Banyan Wharf, Hackney – a development for Regal Homes built in cross-laminated timber
Off-site construction helps ensure that architects’ plans are strictly adhered to, presenting the truest likeness to the original design
Committee on Climate Change (CCC) study, CO2 emissions from
buildings make up a third of UK’s carbon footprint. Moreover, the energy used for construction of buildings constitutes approximately 15 per cent of the total energy usage, while heating and lighting during the building’s lifetime account for about 83 per cent. By contrast, buildings made from structural timber provide low
WWW.ARCHITECTSDATAFILE.CO.UK
ADF OCTOBER 2016
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