There is a growing interest in the use of wood in new building, not least because it has low embodied energy and it is an infinitely renewable resource. Despite a great deal of innovation in the use of wood in construction in recent years, the fundamentals of using this natural material have not really changed: the different types of wood have different properties and differing responses to the environment in which they are used. When used correctly, wood is an excellent building material but when inappropriately specified or used, it may cause problems. Poor understanding of the properties of wood and the many species and grades that are commercially available can result in this versatile material performing below expectation, and certainly less well than could have been achieved with greater understanding about how best to use it.
Wood in Construction focuses on the basic properties of wood and the appropriate use of timber and wood-based materials, showing in clear, non-technical language, how to avoid making expensive mistakes.
It describes the main reasons why things can go wrong when using wood and shows how to avoid or minimise problems, thus reducing the difficulties for the architect, engineer or designer, builder or building owner. Based on the author's extensive experience within the timber and construction industries, this book is technical enough to explain why things should be done in specific ways, but more importantly the author demonstrates, in a friendly and ultimately practical way, how best to use wood in the real world.
Wood in Construction - How to Avoid Costly Mistakes focuses on the basic principles and appropriate use of wood in construction and illustrates how to avoid or minimise problems, to ensure that wood performs as expected when used in a construction application. Based on the author's extensive experience of manufacturing processes and practical applications in the timber, construction, joinery, shop-fitting and furniture industries, Wood in Construction provides a guide to using wood in building in the real world. It describes the main causes of difficulty when using wood, and shows how to avoid or minimise problems, reducing the difficulties for the architect, engineer or specifier, builder and building owner.
Technical enough to explain why things should be done in specific ways, but also practical enough to demonstrate how to use wood correctly and avoid doing the wrong things, this is an invaluable resource for construction specifiers (architects, engineers), carpenters, structural engineers, building surveyors, small/medium sized builders.
Jim Coulson
Bauausführung Bauingenieur- u. Bauwesen Civil Engineering & Construction Construction Ingenieurholzbau Timber Construction