Timber construction

Timber construction is a traditional construction method that is growing increasingly popular again due to its sustainable properties. Volantis understands that timber construction can be a challenge in multiple ways. For instance, clients want firm structures, but they also want proper acoustics. For this reason, we involve specialists representing different disciplines in the process, so as to arrive at the best possible result.

Volantis is a great believer in sustainable practices and seeks to improve the efficiency and safety of construction processes by means of the latest green technology. Volantis has all the in-house expertise and experience required to make your project a success: Volantis specialises in the design, engineering and construction of complex timber structures.

The global construction industry emits nearly 40% of the planet’s annual carbon dioxide emissions. Given the dire climate change situation and the significant impact the construction industry has on the environment, we must urgently rethink the materials we use to erect buildings. Some people may be surprised to hear that large-scale use of wood might be part of the solution. Wood is a high-quality, natural and sustainable building material whose use emits far less carbon dioxide than traditional materials. People have used wood to erect structures for centuries. The substructures used in houses in city centres all over the Netherlands show the historical significance of wood. However, since the Industrial Revolution, we have largely replaced wood with stone and stone-like materials, metals and, more recently, plastics.

Using timber rather than stone as a construction material has many benefits. It takes less time to complete a building, the insulation rating is higher and it is more environmentally friendly, as wood is a renewable material and has a relatively low carbon footprint. Buildings made of wood store carbon dioxide. Using timber in construction allows this stored carbon dioxide to be contained in the building during the life span of the building, which may help reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

The main reason to use wood is because wood has excellent constructive properties. The strength and rigidity of the latest solid wood systems, such as cross-laminated timber (CLT), allow companies to meet or even exceed the requirements set out in the current Building Code with ease. In fact, thanks to its lightness and relatively high degree of strength, wood (and particularly optimised wood) is one of the most efficient building materials in the world, from a structural point of view.

Wood is renewable: it is a material that grows naturally and absorbs CO2 from the air, contributing to a sustainable balance in the world. For every tree felled, a new one has to be planted. Timber construction is therefore done in conjunction with sustainably managed forests, where new trees are continuously planted to keep the supply of environmentally certified wood high. Wood lends itself perfectly to recycling. When it comes to sustainable building and circularity, Volantis is ahead of their time. Volantis is committed to building as circular and healthy as possible, for a better climate and a better future.

There is more than enough wood to allow timber construction to grow substantially:

• 90% wood imports into the Netherlands come from Europe
• 6% wood comes from Dutch forests
• Annual wood supply: 22,500 billion m³
• Additional growth per year: 800 million m³ rhe
• Annual harvest: 490 million m³ rhe (approximately 61%)
• Increased volume of timber in forest per year: 310 million m³

Timber construction has many advantages, including the low volumetric mass of the material. This can bring savings in terms of transportation and handling, as well as foundations required during construction. Generally, foundations are smaller and/or simpler with timber construction, although in some cases, extra attention needs to be paid to the foundation construction, especially for tall and slender buildings.

It is important to note that the foundation is not always cheaper in timber construction projects, but it can be an opportunity or possibility. By reducing the use of concrete, CO2 emissions are reduced also alternative materials such as mixed aggregate, freestone or geopolymer can be used. This offers opportunities for an escape route from the nitrogen crisis. Some other advantages of timber construction:

• The lightness and flexibility of the material
• Timber construction is sustainable
• Wooden interiors deliver a better indoor climate
• Modular timber construction is already competitive with on-site concrete construction on a total investment cost basis

Good acoustics (sound isolation) can absolutely be realised in timber buildings. Since timber structures are lightweight, they absorb fewer vibrations and less sound than heavier construction methods. Considerable expertise is required to combine acoustic decoupling and rigid connections, but it can absolutely be done. Several solutions are available, such as stud walls erected in front of the actual walls, cavity walls, added floor layers and sound absorption panels. Combinations of these solutions can be used to prevent the transmission of vibrations. Use of such solutions will not only help you meet acoustics requirements, but will also result in building users being more appreciative of the acoustics of rooms with wooden walls and/or floors (for instance, there will be less reverb than in rooms featuring stone and stone-like materials).

Acoustical engineering is an essential component of the project. Volantis has learned that good acoustics are a first priority, immediately followed by fire safety requirements. Interestingly enough, proper acoustical engineering will make a building more fire-resistant, too. which goes to show that an integral approach creates added value.

Fire safety can be perfectly guaranteed in timber construction. Solid wood does not ignite easily: solid wood building systems such as CLT have a very predictable character in case of fire. The outer layer will char; the burn-in rate of this can be calculated. The layers behind it fully retain their structural capacity. Fire resistance can be increased by cladding with fire-retardant boards such as plasterboard, possibly supplemented by the use of sprinkler systems.

Volantis is a pioneer in timber construction and sustainable construction. What with the growing focus on sustainability and recycling, timber construction looks set to play a vital role in the construction industry in the years to come.

Volantis aims to help you realise the projects of your dreams, with due regard for sustainability and efficiency.

Choose Volantis as your partner in timber construction and experience for yourself the benefits of an integral and innovative approach.

‘Timber construction is a worthy alternative to traditional construction methods’ – Bram Niessen, Volantis Consultant