Timber iQ December 2019 - January 2020 // Issue: 47 | Page 34

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Timber in Africa is used extensively in the building of lodges.
To erect a timber framed lodge is much easier than to do it
with brick and concrete,” comments Boshoff.
Boshoff adds that timber construction in Africa also
contributes positively to a country’s local economy. He
explains local timber forests have multiple advantages for a
local economy. “Firstly, they benefit from growing the trees
then from selling the logs to the lodge builders,” he says.
Lodges built from locally sourced timber have a knock-on
effect on the communities in which they are built as
employment opportunities become available. Apart from
lodges and houses, timber is also used to build much-needed
infrastructure such as bridges.
Onyegiri and Ugochukwu mention reusability as an additional
advantage. They explain that timber from doors, windows
and old barns have been successfully reused for
construction. Unlike other materials, timber is easy to remove
and reinstall for construction purposes. The reuse of timber is
very important, especially for rural areas which are found in
most African countries where building resources may be in
short supply.
Another advantage of timber is that it is biodegradable.
Onyegiri and Ugochukwu explain materials that are
biodegradable can decompose naturally when discarded.
They add that organic materials such as timber, decompose a
lot more easily than other materials such as steel and
concrete. Most of the traditional African building materials
such as timber and thatch are able to decompose, which is
also good for the environment.
In addition to being cost-effective, Adedeji and Ogunsote add
that alternative building technologies such as cross laminated
timber, are also energy efficient.
CHALLENGES WITH TIMBER
CONSTRUCTION IN AFRICA
Compared to the rest of the world, the African continent is still
fairly behind in terms of timber construction. “The rest of the
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DECEMBER 2019 / JANUARY 2020 //
www.timberiq.co.za