FEATURES
Putting timber first
Efforts at promoting timber as an economical and sustainable building material in South Africa , are gaining momentum , and universities in the country are playing a leading role , writes Leon Louw .
The Department of Trade , Industry and Competition ’ s ( dtic ) renewed drive to create demand for timber as a viable building material comes at the perfect time for the construction sector in South Africa . With a huge backlog of housing in South Africa , timber has the potential to play a critical role as a construction material in tandem with traditional bricks and mortar . This does not mean that timber should only be used for roof trusses or window frames , though .
With international trends and technology such as Cross Laminated Timber ( CLT ) and Laminated Veneer Lumber ( LVL ), timber should be recognised as a primary construction material on par with steel , concrete and cement . Moreover , its use should not be limited to affordable housing . CLT , LVL and other timber products are used across the world in amazing designs and even in multi-storey buildings , and there is no reason this should not happen in South Africa .
Although government ’ s recent drive to create demand is laudable , Universities in South Africa have been researching and promoting the benefits and applications of timber in construction for many years . The University of Stellenbosch has produced world-class scientific papers , focused specifically on forestry and timber , over the years . More recently the University of Pretoria has done some sterling work regarding timber in engineering , while the University of Limpopo , the University of KwaZulu-Natal and the University of South Africa ( UNISA ) have all introduced a multi-disciplinary approach to making timber part of their engineering faculties .
AT THE FOREFRONT OF INNOVATION
Timber iQ recently visited the University of Pretoria ’ s ( UP ) state-ofthe-art Engineering 4.0 facility , which focuses on research on smart transport , cities , and infrastructure .
In a significant move and to emphasise the increased importance of timber in the South African engineering space , UP and York Timbers , created the York Wood Engineering Laboratory , which now stands alongside a concrete laboratory , a National Roads Reference Laboratory , and an Accelerated Pavement Testing ( APT ) Track , at the forefront of innovation and new technology in engineering .
ALL IMAGES : © LEON LOUW
The University of Pretoria ’ s brand-new state-of-the-art engineering 4.0 facility , which focuses on research on smart transport , cities , and infrastructure .
18 APRIL / MAY 2021 // www . timberiq . co . za