Timber - a fashionable construction material

Abstract

Timber is the oldest construction material. Timber taken from well managed forests ,is the most sustainable construction material. It gives the minimum or no effects to environment when disposed as construction waste. The most attractive feature in structural timber , is the high strength to weight ratio of timber which can be used to transfer tension , compression and shear . Architects love to work with timber , as it has unique characteristics such as natural grain patterns, colours and colour variations, fine finishes and the various features of the species. When compared to other construction materials such as reinforced concrete or structural steel, solid timber members use for building industry such as columns, beams , floor boards etc has a limit for section sizes and length. The cost of large sections are more expensive than that of small sections. This limitation can be overcome with composite or built up timber sections. Timber has been used by Sri Lankan builders extensively during the ancient days. The main reasons are the availability in large quantities in our forests , convenience in shaping and connecting with nails or timber wedges and the skill in the trade given by forefathers. Their inventions were not limited to kitchen utensils, agricultural tools, transport facilities or recreational facilities. Ancient carpenters added beauty to their building construction by introducing fine details to timber members and connections. The new generation has realised the value of this natural material and the sustainability compared to other major construction materials. Therefore it is the duty of Engineers to use advance technology and find most efficient use in order to make them more cost effective. Some of the applications in this context are the use of built up members to replace solid sawn timber or proper connections to form large members out of small sections. This paper shall also discuss about Some of the efficient timber structural forms used by the author .