Introduction
Looking at the timber framed buildings comparing with traditional brick built structures
Assessing the sustainability, costs, build time, sourced materials, and which is possibly suited to the UK climate.
Literature review
For many years there has being many diverse methods of construction brick being the modern method of construction especially in the residential housing sector. This form of construction offered a strong, long-lasting dwelling which will supposedly last for many years to come (figue1)
Today the brick built house has competition from other methods of construction, timber framed is widely used by many construction companies and is seen as a more time and cost effective construction method Timber frame housing is not a new concept. (Anon., 2015). (Figure 2)
Throughout history it was one of the most commonly construction materials and examples of timber framed houses from the 12th century are still used today. Softwood based timber housing systems date back to the 1780’s with many examples positioned along the East and Southern coasts. Of the uk So why change about that we no longer see timber framed construction as a sustainable form of construction , over 70% of houses in the world are constructed using this method Great Fire of London put increased pressure due to rebuilding works and the preferred timber used was oak and took many years to grow . The result was a change of attitude and timber took a burner for a while hence now this method is now seen by many as the way forward in the construction of houses. This proposal is set out to ultimately discover weather timber frame provides a time effective solution to other traditional methods of construction.
The more extreme the climate, we have to rely on the building to protect us from the weather the demand for more sustainable energy efficient homes is extremely important today. There is a strong case to investigate why the timber frame approach is the way to go but there are other issues like are supply of timber most our timber is imported into the uk from all over the world could we address this problem with with proper management of our own forests, according to the forestry commission the uk import – 6.4 million cubic metres of sawn wood (+17%); – 3.3 million cubic metres of wood-based panels (+10%); – 10.7 million cubic metres of wood pellets (+45%); – 7.3 million tonnes of pulp and paper (+1%); – The total value of wood product imports was £7.2 billion (+7%), (+1%). (Darot, 2014)
UK Import Value
(Darot, 2014)
UK Export Value
(Darot, 2014)UKCIP conducted a piece of work in 2009 to project how the climate may change in
2020, 2050 and 2080 and below shows how they project the weather could change
over the next 70 years in North Yorkshire.
2020 Yorkshire and Humber Climate Projections
The estimate of increase in winter mean temperature is 1.3ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean temperature is between 1.3 – 1.4ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean daily maximum temperature is 1.7 –
1.8ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean daily minimum temperature is 1.5ºC.
The estimate of change in winter mean precipitation is 5%.
The estimate of change in summer mean precipitation is 6% – 5%.
6
2050 Yorkshire and Humber Climate Projections
The estimate of increase in winter mean temperature is 1.9ºC – 2.5ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean temperature is 2.2ºC – 2.6ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean daily maximum temperature is 2.9ºC –
3.5ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean daily minimum temperature is 2.4ºC –
2.9ºC.
The estimate of change in winter mean precipitation is 9% – 12%.
The estimate of change in summer mean precipitation is –15% -18%.
2080 Yorkshire and Humber Climate Projections
The estimate of increase in winter mean temperature is 2.5ºC – 3.6ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean temperature is 2.5ºC – 4.2ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean daily maximum temperature is 3.4ºC –
5.6ºC.
The estimate of increase in summer mean daily minimum temperature is 2.8ºC –
4.7ºC.
The estimate of change in winter mean precipitation is 12% – 20%.
The estimate of change in summer mean precipitation is –17% -28%.
6. Summary of key risks to North Yorkshire County Council from a
changing climate
Regional and local climate data has been collated to provide likely scenarios for key
services (receptors) and is presented in table 2 below.
Severity and likelihood of incidents was scored by service representatives during the
interviews and workshops and these have been multiplied to give the colour-coded
level of risk. The table gives the service type, the likely impact and consequences of
future climatic conditions and a risk rating for now, 2020, 2040 and 2080.
The risk of negative issues is quantified as follows:
1-9 = low (green)
10-15 = medium (amber)
16-25 = high (red)
The opportunity for positive outcomes is indicated as follows:
Pale blue indicates a low level of opportunity
Dark blue indicates a high level of opportunity
Could these factors have a negative effect on the production of timber frame structures due to our high import levels, making it more expensive? Or are there more telling factors that drive the publics’ opinion in to choosing the brick method of construction over timber. Sustainable homes clarifies that timber is possibly the only real renewable source used within the construction industry Timber construction it’s the only environmentally friendly material available claiming low carbon neutral properties the manufacture of wood products normally requires less energy than that of its competitors manufactured brick has to be made, stone quarried, and cement quarried and mixed producing large amounts of co2 into our atmosphere contributing to global warming.
Timber Frame Timber frame systems have always been popular with self-builders because they are fast and convenient. With the main components assembled in the factory and transported to the site, reducing waste another benefit is one company deals with everything concerned with the new build. However Many self-builders also like the idea where the main frame is constructed from a sustainable resource where the timber source is guaranteed to have come from renewable sources, carefully managed forests. However, if timber frame is your choice you should remember that the law of diminishing returns applies: the energy savings achieved by super-insulated walls are surprisingly small and should be balanced against not just installation costs but loss of internal floor space in situations where the planners dictate a maximum area for the footprint of the house.
The benefits of timber framed construction
Quick build times, reducing site costs , quick and easy to weather proof allowing the early introduction of other trades low energy usage having used locally produces materials, incorporate the use of recycled materials for example hard-core, timber, and slates. There’s also the benefit of reduced waste due to the fact that most of the structures are factory made, the structure also if designed right will last well beyond its 60 years life span the end product produces high energy efficiency fast to heat engineered to the exact measurements and can still use traditional procurement methods
The disadvantages of timber frame construction
There are a lack of building teams that can build these structures Lack of experience in construction methods, there is transportation and carriage cost, there is also the problem of leaving the structure open to the elements which could then lead to future decay issues, all timber used should be adequately fire protected.
Advantages of Masonry Walls
Masonry built properties regarding skills and materials are readily available in the UK. Masonry cavity walling is almost certainly the cheapest system for your new self-builds – although the difference is marginal on a one-off house and so relative cost should be considered in the context of the other pros and cons
Masonry built structures gives a building a feeling of solidity, as the blocks provides a high level of acoustic mass, helping to eradicate noise outside the building. Building internal stud partition walls from masonry, as opposed to timber stud walls covered with plasterboard, will further enhance the feeling of solidity and provide sound proofing between rooms. The high strength of masonry walls allows the option to use concrete upper floors, r than conventional timber floor joists. This provides low acoustics between storeys, as well as making it possible to build first floor partition walls in solid masonry, rather than in timber studwork, extending the qualities of solidity and sound deadening to upper rooms. Dense blockwork also provides a solid fixing for built-in furniture, kitchens wardrobes curtain rails, pictures etc. With the addition of steel, however, ordinary dense concrete blockwork is a poor insulator and so in order to meet the energy requirements, insulation has to be added into the wall structures. It is possible, however, to achieve extremely high levels of energy efficiency using masonry construction. One way of improving the thermal performance is to use lightweight concrete blocks – also known as air Crete. These have a proportion of air added into the mix manufacture, creating tiny air bubbles which act as an insulant. The disadvantage is that the more air that is added into the blocks, the weaker they can become. This can be a big problem when it comes to fixings are often necessary to fix heavy furniture or curtain rails.
Masonry structures are the oldest structures. These are structure built by using masonry units with mortar. The masonry units may be:
Clay Bricks
Concrete
Stone
Bricks
Brick is a solid unit of building having standard size and weight. Its history traces back thousand years. Clay bricks made of fired clay. The composition of clay varies over a wide range. Usually clays are composed mainly of silica (grains of sand), alumina, lime, iron, manganese, sulphur, and phosphates, Clay bricks have an average density of 125 pcf. Bricks are manufactured by grinding or crushing the clay in mills and mixing it with water to make it plastic. The plastic clay is then moulded, textured, dried, and fired
Bricks are manufactured in different colours, depending on the fire temperature during manufacturing. The firing temperature for brick manufacturing varies from 900°C to 1200°C (1650°F to 2200°F)
Concrete Blocks
Structural Clay Tiles
Stone
1. As a Structural build Unit
Since the clay bricks or burnt bricks are strong, hard, durable, and resistive to abrasion and fire.
Buildings
Bridges
Foundations
Arches
Pavement (Footpath, Streets)
2. as an Aesthetic Surface Finish
Bricks can be used in different colours, sizes and orientations to get different surface designs.
In Pavements
As Facing Brick
For Architectural Purposes
3. As a Fire Resistant Material
Advantages of Bricks
Economical (Raw material readily available)
Hard and durable
Compressive strength is good for basic construction
Different orientations and sizes give diverse surface textures
low maintenance cost is required
Demolishing of brick structures is very easy, less time consuming and hence economic
Recyclable
fire resistant
Produces less environmental pollution during making
Disadvantages of Bricks
Time consuming
Cannot be used in high seismic zones
Some bricks absorb water easily.
Very Less tensile strength
Rough surfaces of bricks may cause mould growth
Bricks can discolour over time.
References
http://www.cyprus-property-buyers.com/
http://www.aboutcivil.org/
http://www.the-self-build-guide.co.uk/masonry-construction.html
http://thisisbuildingmaterials.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/pros-and-cons-of-brick-and-block.html