10 | Tech News
New report sparks WPA response on flame retardant treatment
The Wood Protection Association (WPA) is calling on timber cladding designers to improve their knowledge about the specification of flame-retardant treatments, in response to the publication of a report on fires involving thermally modified wood.
The organisation released a statement after a report on the Collaborative Reporting for Safer Structures UK (CROSS- UK) online platform expressed concerns about the behaviour of thermally modified timber in fire and flame retardant testing certification.
“Flame retardant treated wood for external use should meet the requirements of both a suitable reaction-to-fire classification report and a durability of
reaction-to-fire classification report,” said the WPA.
“Specifically, the WPA recommends that FR products are applied under quality- controlled factory conditions. This is to avoid the quality issues that can arise from FR liquids being applied on site, which the WPA does not recommend.”
“There are many unknowns when treating wood cladding with liquid flame retardants by brush or spray on site, including the impact of different weather conditions,” added Matthew Powell, chair of the WPA’s Flame Retardant Committee. “This is why the WPA recommends only using cladding treated with proven flame-retardant products applied under controlled factory production processes.”
Tweddle Holdings acquired in MBO
Founded in 1989 by Derek and Andrea Tweddle, Tweddle Fabrications has grown into a well-established design, engineering, and manufacturing company, providing steel fabrication and custom machinery solutions to clients locally, nationally, and internationally.
Tweddle Fabrications also encompasses the Agriquip and Duraquip brands. Cumbria Profiling, which launched in 2000, has become a provider of laser, plasma, and flame-cut parts, serving a diverse range of engineering firms across the UK.
Above: Joe Watson (left) and Derek Tweddle
Timber treatment technology specialist Tweddle Holdings and its subsidiary holdings have been acquired in a management buyout. Managing director Joe Watson assumed ownership of the Kirkbride-based firm and said he, the management team and skilled workforce were set to lead the companies into a new chapter.
The deal includes Tweddle Fabrications, Cumbria Profiling, Timbertex, The Space Station Storage, and their joint venture stake in Timber Treatment Solutions.
The Timber Treatment Solutions venture, in collaboration with French company Métallerie du Sud Lorrain (MSL), delivers advanced timber preservation equipment to the construction, wood products, and landscaping sectors. It is a key part of a long-term growth strategy focused on expanding global sales, with a particular emphasis on Europe, Scandinavia, and emerging markets in North and South America, as well as eastern Europe.
Combining over 60 years of expertise, MSL and Tweddle Fabrications specialise in the design and fabrication of automatic dipping tanks, pressure treatment plants, and incising machinery under the Excalibur brand.
“Fire classification reports relating to factory applied flame retardants give building designers confidence about the performance of the materials they specify,” said the WPA. “Standards tests and classifications of the effects of external weathering on the performance of flame retardant treated wood have been in place for 30 years in the US (ASTM D-2898), 20 years in the Nordic region of Europe (NT FIRE 053) and for seven years in Europe (EN 16755).”
Information about the specification of flame retardants for wood is freely available on the WPA website (www.
thewpa.org.uk) and through a webinar, which is in conjunction with Timber Development UK.
Arbor invests £1m in treatment technology
Arbor Forest Products has invested £1m in low-pressure treatment technology at its North Lincolnshire site to support the growing demand for offsite construction. “This investment goes beyond expanding our treatment capabilities; it’s about future-proofing our business to meet evolving construction demands,” said Phil Yell, operations director at Arbor Forest Products. “The addition of our low-pressure treatment tank aligns perfectly with the rapid growth of offsite construction, enabling us to offer timber specifically optimised for this market. Coupled with our extensive high-pressure treatment capacity, this facility enhances our flexibility to meet diverse construction needs.”
Above: Arbor Forest Products operations director Phil Yell with the new tank
□ A team of researchers in Scotland is supporting a clean tech start-up to transform low-value co-products from the forestry sector into eco- friendly alternatives to chemicals found in everyday items. Sonichem’s ambition is to reduce the reliance on petrochemical-derived ingredients in industries such as cosmetics, packaging and pharmaceuticals.
TTJ | January/February 2025 |
www.ttjonline.com
Tech News
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