PERSONALITY PROFILE
David Elliot Franco Piva Chris Greensmith
ALL PHOTOS BY MTFG
Brett Chrystal Emma Ayesu-Koranteng Fanie van der Westhuyzen
The founders of the Mass Timber Focus Group .
grids they can use , so they need a good understanding of the material . So , a few colleagues volunteered to join our voluntary group , to create online events for the local built environment professionals through awareness , education and partnering with international players . We recently delivered a number of presentations for the Green Building Council of South Africa , and were joined by Jamie Smylie from X-Lam , and Tessa Brunette from ARUP .
Through my research I realised that there was a growing trend around the world towards using timber as a sustainable means of framing mid-rise buildings . Unfortunately , the South African market still needs to become aware of the benefits of using timber as a building material .
The conundrum in South Africa , in addition to the awareness , is that mass timber only becomes competitive in cost once you have a mature supply chain . This creates the typical chicken-and-egg scenario in economics , where supply increases to meet increasing demand , and therefore attracts investment and competition . This is investment is critical to develop a competitive supply chain , as budget is always a key factor for adoption of new technologies . Local
forestry professionals have confirmed that local timber resources can be re-purposed from wood pellets and paper pulp to higher value Cross Laminated Timber or Glue Laminated Timber . The only way people will invest in these products , machinery , and technology , is if they know that there is a guaranteed and growing demand .
What is the mission of the group ? To accelerate the adoption of mass timber in South Africa by achieving four objectives as follows : 1 . Create awareness 2 . Deliver training 3 . Nurture international partnerships with locals 4 . Promote low-rise commercial pilot projects
There are already six volunteers in the group from various backgrounds across engineering , architecture , academia , and construction ; namely Franco Piva , Chris Greensmith , Brett Chrystal , Emma Ayesu-Koranteng , and myself .
When you talk about mass timber , what exactly are you referring to ? Mass timber is an abbreviation for massive timber , and is the collective name for a selection of engineered wood products that are used for the structural framing of buildings . Glulam is already available in South Africa in standard SABS sizes , but these glulam elements are much heavier . They are posts , beams , and floor plates . The latter is called Cross Laminated Timber ( CLT ) and has a few variations on the theme using nails or dowels . These floor plates can
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