Can Accoya wood survive 2 years in the Thames?

Accoya fenders
Can Accoya wood survive 2 years in the Thames?
by Bryony Bodimeade|17 April 23|Build, Design
The moment of truth: stripping backthe surface moss and slime to revealwell-preserved Accoya wood Spoiler alert: yes it can. Accoya is timber that has been modified by a process called ‘acetylation’, which increases its durability, allowing it to resist rot and defy the elements. In 2020, the Environment Agency tested...
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Recycled Glulam
Can old timber be reincarnated…as glulam?
by Bryony Bodimeade|04 April 23|Build, Design
We all know that timber is a sustainable, biodegradable material. And we’ve all heard of things being made from reclaimed wood. But can we go further still? Could timber from old buildings have a second life – transformed into a structural timber product and reused? Simple Works are London-based structural...
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What should a contract cover when it’s a mass timber project?
by Matt Milton|03 April 23|Build, Design
What are the contractual considerations when embarking on a mass timber project? Adriano Amorese, Partner at Mishcon de Reya LLP, provides some thoughts on best practice. You have only to look at the volume and scale of mass timber projects coming through planning to see that things are changing. The...
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Pells Garden rain garden (Human Nature with Periscope)
The UK’S biggest timber development ever?
by Matt Milton|03 April 23|Design
The recently announced Phoenix Development in Lewes looks set to be the largest timber development the UK has ever seen. It is currently awaiting planning permission but, fingers crossed, it will provide 700 sustainably sourced timberframe homes. The developers, Human Nature, hope to kick-start a whole new revival in sustainable...
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Timber fire safety
How to minimise fire risks during construction
by Matt Milton|21 March 23|Build, Design
Are your timber projects as safe as they can possibly be while they are onsite? That’s when they are at their most vulnerable, as many fire protection measures aren’t necessarily in place yet. The new Timber Fire Safety webite - timberfiresafety.org - contains a wealth of essential information about ensuring...
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March house
After the rain: a flood-proof riverside home
by Matt Milton|11 March 23|Design
How a changing riverside landscape became a test bed for forward-thinking modular design. Designed by Knox Bhavan architects, March House was built using a prefabricated OSB cassette system which not only minimized use of steel and concrete but was, impressively, also made without any structural solid timber: the OSB cassettes...
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Wood Based Insulation
Wood fibre insulation: Why use anything else?
by Matt Milton|03 March 23|Design
Don’t just reach for the mineral wool. Wood fibre insulation has many advantages over its synthetic rivals. Insulation is about much more than cost and thickness. While mineral wool is an industry standard, wood fibre insulation is on the rise. In Europe about 10% of the entire insulation market is...
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Timber onsite
How to take care of your timber when it’s onsite
by Matt Milton|01 March 23|Design
Make sure all that lovely timber stays in tip-top condition after delivery. Here is a guide to storing your timber properly – preventing any compromises in its integrity and performance. There are many problems that can result from poor storage of timber onsite. Increased wetting of the timber, for example,...
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Low carbon
Low carbon can be low cost
by Matt Milton|24 February 23|Design
Carver Haggard keep things simple for an award-winning retrofit. The refurb and extension of 198CAL - an arts centre in South London – demonstrates that low-carbon solutions do not have to be expensive. TDUK members Carver Haggard picked up a RIBA Isometric drawing of 198CAL. Key: 1=Gallery, 2=Kitchen, 3=Archive, 4=Office,...
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OSB
Know your wood – OSB
by Matt Milton|24 February 23|Design
Each issue, we take a look at a particular wood species or wood product. This time it’s the turn of OSB, as we look at the past, present and future of this environmentally friendly strand-based engineered board. What exactly is OSB? Oriented strand board is a composite engineered wood panel...
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