Between 20 and 24 June 2010, the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) was held in Riva del Garda, Italy. A prestigious date in the timber calendar, this biennial event brought together key representatives from countries with a strong background in timber building. As an established producer of Accoya®, a high technology wood that is experiencing an increased amount of international enquiries for use in external structural applications, Accsys Technologies PLC exhibited Accoya® at the conference to offer expertise in production techniques and sustainability within the timber industry.
The 2010 WCTE served as a successful forum for dialogue between engineers, technicians, researchers and managers. Attendees discussed new technology advancements and developments within the industry. Alongside this traditional focus, however, WCTE 2010 placed an increased emphasis on sustainability and green building.
John Alexander, Head of Product Development said, “National and regional procurement agencies at the conference confirmed that timber has a positive reputation due to its green credentials and aesthetic qualities.” Mr Alexander went on to say that, “The flexibility of timber was also recognised as a benefit by these groups. For example, using timber as a replacement frequently allows for the utilisation of existing foundations that would otherwise require a rebuild.”
A perceived drawback to timber, which was challenged at the event, is the concern amongst building professionals that durability is an issue in timber engineering. As a manufacturer of a recognised Class 1 durable wood, Accoya® consistently challenges this perception with projects such as the heavy traffic Sneek Bridge and the Almeira Bridge, which is currently being constructed. Both achieve the Netherlands required service life for heavy load, main road bridges of 80 years. These projects prove that high technology wood can thrive in applications that were previously the reserve of concrete and steel.
There was a great deal of academic interest in Accoya® wood, suggesting great minds of the future understand the appeal of high technology sustainable timber. Test sample requests were received from American, Brazilian, Canadian, Chinese, Japanese, Australia and New Zealand universities, in addition to a number of enquiries from European institutions.
An extensive range of applications were examined at the conference, including: the use of timber for hydraulic, multi-storey and composite structures, for use in historic buildings and in earthquake engineering bridges. The technical sessions also held detailed discussions on performance, reliability, grading, fire resistance, and joints and connections sustainability.
With over 650 attendees, WCTE 2010 proved to be a world stage for the latest technological advances, research findings and design innovations in the sphere of Timber Engineering. The next World Conference on Timber Engineering will be held in the southern hemisphere for the first time, hosted by New Zealand and Australia in Auckland, 2012.
For more information, including international stockists, please visit www.accoya.com
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