Jan 27 2004
A European COST project is bringing together specialists from 18 countries to promote the use of innovative timber/composite elements and components.
The project will investigate aspects of their:
- design, manufacture and construction
- fire safety
- acoustic and thermal performance
- environmental impacts and durability
A growing number of innovative building forms are providing alternatives to traditional systems. Prefabricated components, composite elements and engineered wood-based products are increasingly available, often in combination with non-timber products. This four-year project will evaluate composite building systems that:
- are composed of at least two materials, one of which is timber based
- are produced by an innovative manufacturing process
- can be used in floors, walls, roofs or other structural elements in a domestic, commercial or industrial building.
Seminars will be held in the course of the project - plus an international conference in November 2006 - to facilitate the exchange of research findings, provide a forum for manufacturers and innovators, and encourage the development of added value products. A further workshop will address issues surrounding the European wide certification procedures (such as CE marking) of novel timber products. Comprehensive technical documentation will be produced and disseminated throughout Europe, to provide guidance and reference literature for designers, architects and engineers.
Source: BRE