Timber Offsite and Modern Methods of Construction‐ Associate Professor Robert Hairstans, PhD, BEng(Hons)

What?

A

B

C D

A – Panelised Construction 2‐dimensional (2)B – Modular/Volumetric 3DC – Hybrid 2D + 3DD – Sub‐assemblies and components

Forms of Offsite ConstructionOffsite Construction

Hairstans, R. (2016) “Building Offsite” Journal of the National Institute of Building Sciences, Vol. 4. No. 2

Government Publication (2013) Strategic Review of the Offsite Construction Sector in Scotland. 

Value:

Quality Customer Satisfaction

Technical

QA = higher levels of thermal and acoustic performance, investment in R+D

quality assurance, reduced snagging + defects.

consistency of process, improved quality, predictable product behaviour.

Waste Flexibility

Time

concurrent activities, ‘just‐in‐time’ principles

CAD/CAM optimisation; 20 and 40% waste reduction (WRAP, 2008).

Efficiency:

product family architecture, standardisation, mass customisation 

Environmental Economic

Social

“construction culture”, safe, clean, job security, flexible work patterns

local labour, local supply chain, economic viability 

efficiency, qualified supply chain, optimisation, enhance performance

Sustainability:

Quality Customer Satisfaction

Technical

Waste Flexibility

Time

Environment Economic

Social

Holistic knowledge set:

Quality Customer Satisfaction

Technical

Waste Flexibility

Time

Environment Economic

Social

Optimization:

Lars Stehn, Professor and Head of Timber Structures at Lulea University of Technology, Sweden: "I find this book very interesting, well written, covering the important aspects and has been long awaited as an inspirational source." 

Chapter 15: “A Scottish perspective on timber offsite construction.“ Hairstans & Sanna 

Why?

“The upturns of UK productivity in construction tend to coincide with economic slowdowns. This indicates that in high output periods, less productive workers enter the industry and dilute overall productivity. This is noticeable in construction due to labour still being the dominant determinant of overall unit productivity; whereas in other industries, automation effectiveness is much more significant.” (The farmer review of the UK construction labour model –modernise or die, 2016)

“In the next decade, digital manufacturing technologies will allow companies to connect physical assets by a “digital thread”—unleashing a seamless flow of data across the value chain that will link every phase of the product life cycle, from design, sourcing, testing, and production to distribution, point of sale, use, servicing and potentially reuse.” (A Manufacturing Future for Scotland, 2016)

“provides a compelling framework for re‐thinking how businesses operate in the 21st century.

It aims to eradicate waste, not just from manufacturing processes, but also

systematically throughout aproduct’s life‐cycle.”

Circular economy – an industrial system that is restorative by design

Developments / Opportunities?

a) Nail Lam – acoustic profile b) Timber as an aggregate

e) Fixing connectivity

c) Cellulose insulation

f) Plate connectivityd) OSB profiling

Closed Panel Timber Systems

Outreach: Software for impact

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

Main member to side member

Multimember Tension splice External cladding

Panagiotis, P., Menendez, J. & Hairstans, R. (2015) "The Potential, Requirements, and Limitations of BIM for Offsite Timber Construction" International Journal of 3‐D Information Modelling, Vol 4, Issue 1, ISSN 2156‐1710, Pg 54 ‐ 70

Solid Laminate Timber Systems

Brettstapel / Dowel‐laminated timber (DT)

Cross Laminate Timber (CLT)

• Crawford, D., Hairstans, R. & Smith, R. (2013) "Feasibility of Cross‐Laminated Timber Production from UK Sitka Spruce" COST Action FP1004 Focus Solid Timber Solutions – European Conference on Cross Laminated Timber, Graz University of Technology, 23‐24 May 

• Crawford, D., Hairstans, R., Smith, S. & Papastavrou, P. (2015) "Viability of cross‐laminated timber from UK resources”,  Institution of Civil Engineers ‐ Construction Materials , Vol 168, Issue 3, ISSN 1747‐650X, Pg 110 ‐ 120

Yoker 7 Storey Accommodation

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5

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20

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0 50 100 150 Ax

ial Force

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Reading number

End gauge 1 Centre gauge 1

Case Studies

Scotland – Scottish Parliament USA – Seattle “Bullet Building”

England– BSkyB Building

Australia – Melbrourn, 10 storey CLT

2012 “Finding the Forest Through the Trees”FFTT: Mass Timber solution for tallbuildings:• A “strong column – weak beam” balloon‐

frame approach using large format MassTimber Panels as vertical structure, lateralshear walls and floor slabs.

• The “weak beam” component is made ofsteel beams bolted to the Mass Timberpanels to provide ductility in the system.Concrete is used for the foundations up tograde.

• No further concrete is necessary in thesystem unless selected for architecturalreasons.

• Conceptually engineered to 30 storeys inheight for the high seismic areas likeVancouver.

Solid panel core and intersecting ductile steel link beams

Glulam curtain wall and podium base

UBC – 53m high, 18storey builidng Amsterdam – 73m tallConstruction to begin 2nd half of 2017

Employer:• Improve competitiveness and productivity• Ensure relevant pathways into industries are in place• To attract new talent into an industry or region• To retain and train existing staff

• Share best practice from previous experiences 

University:• To extend the diversity and relevance of the curriculum• To differentiate their offer from other universities• To increase student employability through work‐based practice• To raise their profile and increase income diversity

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Intelligent natural capital • Intelligent assets are reshaping humans’ ability to 

manage the Earth’s natural capital.• IoT‐ driven insights into the complex dynamics of 

natural resources are enabling conventional agricultural systems to significantly increase asset productivity while simultaneously enabling the regeneration of land. 

• Technological and system advancements have the potential to sectors to increase production

• while minimising resource use and environmental damage.

2015

2016

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Offsite HUB (Scotland)

be:+ technical+ accelerated+ international

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Jonathan Fellingham Managing Director at Donaldson Timber Engineering

Wojciech has created the opportunity for DTE to make informed decisions through his research on subjects that we lack expertise, which we previously relied upon anecdotal evidence. This allows us to make better strategic business decisions.“

CSIC / DTE £166k Horizon 2020 £230k

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Trial fabrication

Structural Testing + Analysis

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