Mass timber buildings are rising across New Zealand, with architects, engineers, and construction professionals recognising an uptick in the volume of engineered wood products (or EWPs) used in projects – thanks largely to prescriptive design methods and lower-cost wood products.
That is according to a new study of Building Research of NZ (or BRANZ), published every second year; which found that 55% of all respondents had identified a sizable increase in the number of engineered wood products used on building projects over the past three years.
It comes as the country’s first all-timber structural building is rising fast in Tauranga. Wood Central understands the project uses 2000 tonnes of mass timber, including cross-laminated timber, glulam, and laminated-veneer lumber, and 134 piles of up to 24 metres of wood in the largest all-timber installation in New Zealand history.
In addition, several other mass timber projects are emerging across New Zealand, including Fisher & Paykel’s award-winning global headquarters, Scion’s Innovation House, which was crowned the world’s most iconic building in a lavish ceremony in Dubai, and the University of Auckland’s Social Sciences building, which former Prime Minister Chris Hipkins hailed as “the most environmental building this country has ever produced.”
Asked why they were opting for engineered wood products, respondents highlighted product performance (70%) and environmental impact (66%) as key reasons, with speed of construction also playing a part for 48% of respondents. And when it came to the perceived advantages of using timber products, building aesthetics, structural performance, and carbon sequestration were the major drivers for choosing the materials.
For Mark Ross, the CEO of NZ’s Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association, the findings support the global pivot away from carbon-intensive building materials, with a focus instead on greener, cleaner and more sustainable building materials:
“The timber we are talking about is renewable but has environmental advantages over steel and concrete regarding carbon storage and durability.”
Mark Ross, the CEO of New Zealand’s Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association
According to the report, engineers and architects were most interested in the materials, giving EWP an overwhelmingly “somewhat” to “largely” favourable rating. However, the industry still has several challenges, namely keeping materials dry and meeting requirements for storage on site.
“Communication between all parties on building sites is vital to plan for moisture management and having sufficient space to accept component assignments,” BRANZ said. In addition, respondents overwhelmingly said there was a need for greater education and learning options to help develop a better technical understanding of EWP in the market today and better inclusion in current building regulations.
