A Handbook for the Sustainable Use of Timber in Construction

Book Description There is a growing interest in the use of wood in new building, not least because it has low embodied energy and it is an infinitely renewable resource. Despite a great deal of innovation in the use of wood in construction in recent years, the fundamentals of using this natural material have not really changed: the different types of wood have different properties and differing responses to the environment in which they are used. When used correctly, wood is an excellent building material but when inappropriately specified or used, it may cause problems.  Poor understanding of the properties of wood and the many species and grades that are commercially available can result in this versatile material performing below expectation, and certainly less well than could have been achieved with greater understanding about how best to use it.

How Wood Works is a combination of the author's two previous books, into one comprehensive volume. Revised and updated material to deal with the essentials of structural design and building in timber, in a sustainable manner while reflecting on changes in Standards and other Regulations and expanding on certain technical areas – such as more detailed wood science and wood structure.

Content

PART ONE - How Timber Works: Wood as a Material – Its Main Processes and Uses
1. Wood as a Material
2. More on Wood – With Some Comments about Timber Trading
3. Two Fundamental Factors in Using Wood: Fire and Water
4. Specifying Timber: For Indoor or Outdoor Uses – With Some Information on the Biological Attack of Wood
5. Wood Preservatives and Wood Finishes
6. Timber Quality: Defects in Wood and Grading for Appearance
7. Strength Grading and Strength Classes
8. Wood-Based Sheet Materials
9. Principles of Timber Engineering (by Iain Thew)

PART TWO - Using Timber and Wood-Based Products in Legal and Sustainable Way
10. Some Things You Should Know About Wood, Trees, and Forests
11. The Concept of ‘Sustainability’
12. Voluntary Timber Certification Schemes
13. UK Government, EU, and Other Countries’ Regulations: Legally Trading in World Timbers
14. Softwoods Used in Construction – With Their Main Properties and Sustainability Credentials
15. Some Hardwoods Used in Construction – With Their Main Properties and Sustainability Credentials
16. The Use and Reuse of Timber and Wood-Based Products: The Carbon Cycle, End-of-Life Disposal, and Using Wood as Biomass
17. Energy Considerations: Other Construction Materials Compared with Wood