Advice
Technical paper: assessing carbon impacts of timber
Assessing the carbon-related impacts of timber is complex. Timber Development UK and its Sustainability Group commissioned Jane Anderson to write a Technical Paper on the topic. Anderson is a world-renowned expert on Embodied Carbon, Life Cycle Assessments and Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) for the construction industry. She is the UK expert on CEN/TC350/WG3, which developed EN 15804:2011, the European Standard
ECSA clarifies CPD for retired registered persons
Ivan Horner, the Manager of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at the Engineering Council of South Africa (ECSA), issued a notice on 2 November highlighting the CPD requirements for retired registered persons. It is compulsory for all registered persons, whether retired or not, who carry out or consult on any engineering work must renew their registration at the end of the
A practical guide to climate-resilient buildings & communities
According to the Notre Dame Global Adaptation Index (ND-GAIN), countries at the highest risk of climate change are in Africa and South/Southeast Asia. While their capacity to prevent or cope with climate impacts is poor, these regions will host nearly all anticipated 2.5-million additional urban residents by 2050. Recent research predicts that by 2050, 1.6-billion urban dwellers will be regularly
GLULAM BEAMS MUST COMPLY WITH SA’S STANDARDS
All timber sold and used for structural purposes in South Africa must meet the strength requirements for stress grade 5 as a minimum. Timber and laminated beams that do not meet the relevant grade requirements are not legal or safe for use as structural timber. A glued laminated timber (glulam) beam is a structurally engineered wood product made by
Return to Work and Solidarity Fund
Dear members, The Return to Work and Solidarity Fund have developed a set of videos for use at workplaces to assist in preventing and combating the second wave of COVID-19 19 infections. These can be used free of charge in your organisations. Below is a link to the online videos (which are also included below). Kind regards, ITC-SA. https://www.return2work.co.za/behavioural-change-training/
Maintaining your roof: The importance of inspections
[Johannesburg, 5 June 2019]: Although the importance of a roof structure as a component of a building and its functioning cannot be overstated, it is possibly one of the most neglected parts of a building. While some roof systems call for less maintenance than others, all roofing systems should be checked periodically and maintained accordingly. The Institute for Timber Construction
Why is legal compliance regarding roof maintenance so important?
The roof is a structurally important and very costly component of a building and the average cost of a roof as a portion of the final building can easily exceed 25%. The costs associated with repair or replacement of the same roof structure will be even more than this due to the additional work required to establish structural integrity. This
Laminated timber viable for structural applications
[Johannesburg, 23 November 2016]: As a country whose available natural resources need to be conserved and used optimally, the South African construction trade can benefit from making use of laminated timber beams for structural applications. So says Abe Stears, Managing Director of the South African Technical Auditing Services (SATAS), who offer certification and inspection services for the timber, chemical, metallurgical
Your roof: Getting it right
Your roof is a structurally important and very costly component in any construction project. The average cost of a roof as a component of the final building cost can easily exceed 25% of the total cost. The cost of repair or replacement will be more than this quoted percentage due to the additional work that will be required to establish
Safety overhead: The importance of roof maintenance
[Johannesburg, 12 October 2016]: Although the importance of a roof structure as a component of a building and its functioning cannot be overstated, it is possibly one of the most neglected parts of a building. While some roof systems call for less intense maintenance than others, all roofing systems should be checked periodically and maintained accordingly. The Institute for Timber
