ROBERTSON TIMBER ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE IN OFFSITE TIMBER ENGINEERING

ROBERTSON TIMBER ENGINEERING EXCELLENCE IN OFFSITE TIMBER ENGINEERING

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE IN PRECISION ENGINEERED TIMBER A statement from Mike Turner, Managing Director, Robertson Timber Engineering; For more than 30 years, our business has been a market leader in the offsite construction, design, manufacture and erection of precision engineered timber. We have ISO 14001 certification and are active members of the Structural Timber Association and TRADA. Our production facilities in Elgin, Moray and Seaham, County Durham have a combined annual capacity of around 30m. Our clients extend across a wide range of industries, including national house builders, hotel chains and construction firms. We develop strong relationships with our clients, working closely with them to achieve successful results. In every instance, our mission, objectives and vision are unwavering: To design, manufacture and build the finest quality timber frame structures. To support our customers with sector-leading expertise at every stage of the process. To use only natural materials and work innovatively with our customers and suppliers in securing a sustainable future. To champion innovation, we form close alliances with customers who are advocates of modern methods of construction (MMC), offsite manufacturing (OSM) and timber-frame technology. To guarantee an excellent customer experience, we employ top industry experts and invest in the continued development of our teams, so that our clients are supported through every stage of the process. To ensure sustainability for our business and the communities we serve, we work continuously to improve our products and the processes that support their delivery. MIKE TURNER, MANAGING DIRECTOR, ROBERTSON TIMBER ENGINEERING 1

OUR SERVICES: A TRUSTED TURNKEY SOLUTION At a time of increased scrutiny and emphasis on build quality, offsite timber engineering presents an excellent solution. It retains the best of traditional building methods and values, and combines them with the enhanced quality control that accompanies cutting-edge production in a factory environment. Many of our clients are making the move from traditional builds to modern methods of construction, which can be a steep learning curve. That is where Robertson Timber Engineering s expertise comes in. Our integrated supply and erect service means that the client and their design team are supported at every stage of the process. The result is a seamless and comfortable turnkey transition into a modern, cost-effective approach to project delivery. WE DELIVER EXCELLENCE: ON SITE, ON TIME AND WITHIN BUDGET Precision engineering and fast offsite construction are key advantages in our methods of timber frame manufacture. Whatever your market private homes, affordable housing, education, healthcare, leisure and hospitality or commercial we aim to make sure you excel. Over the last thirty years we ve been designing, manufacturing and erecting meticulously engineered timber for national housebuilders, hotel chains and construction companies. We re a committed member and leader within the Structural Timber Association, which leads the industry on quality, health and safety, technical advances and customer service. Speed is one of our particular strengths. It takes only one to two days to erect a typical timber-frame home, enabling tradespeople like electricians and plasterers to start work earlier in the build process. Energy efficiency is built in. The insulation is contained within the depths of the structure, timber being far more effective and much thinner (by as much as 50mm) than its masonry counterpart. Heat retention is far superior, because timber does not soak up heat like masonry. Timber-frame structures are also sealed to prevent the intrusion of moist air. And it s a fact that timber-frame homes can retain energy efficiency at this high level for upwards of sixty years. What about noise and sound insulation? No problem. There are many effective ways to deaden sound, and we re expert in them all. Sustainability is a crucial benefit. In 2004, more than 25% of carbon emissions in the UK were generated by housing. The Kyoto protocol set strict targets of carbon reduction. Dwellings built in timber frame can result in a substantial saving compared to the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from masonry manufacture. Unlike building materials such as bricks, blocks and concrete, timber is renewable. In fact, it s one of the very few renewable resources in the industry. When a tree is felled, another is planted to replace it. The capacity of trees to absorb CO 2 helps to reduce the level of global warming. And, in contrast to other industrial processes, there s minimal waste. Even our sawdust is used for chipboard or paper production. 2

Sustainability Timber is possibly the only renewable resource in the construction sector and contains less embodied energy than comparable building materials. Sustainable Homes Ultra-precision engineering With every feature precisely in place, the offsite construction process results in products of exceptional quality. Today s advanced, computer-numerical-controlled factory methods make for higher accuracy and fewer defects, as well as greater safety. Speed of build The timber frame for a typical home can be erected within as little as one day, significantly improving build programmes. Maximum efficiency, minimised costs With lower site overheads, reduced need for foundations, and lower scaffolding costs, significant savings are made. Fire safety solutions Following the STA guidance documents on fire mitigation, we now have solutions for treating timber-frame buildings to reduce fire risk. Flame-retardant timbers and non-combustible sheet materials are incorporated into the design for maximum safety. Strength and durability Timber-frame homes, properly built, have the same life expectancy as masonry homes. For proof, look at all the centuries-old timberframe structures in the UK and the rest of the world, still standing as great visitor attractions. Airtightness Heat is most often lost from a building by uncontrolled ventilation. Timber frame is significantly more airtight than solid or cavity masonry. Reduced waste Offsite fabrication can reduce the amount of waste generated on site by 40%. Ease of transportation Timber-frame materials are lighter than bricks, blocks and concrete, and are suitable for transportation even to the most remote sites. 3

WEEK 20 WEEK 7 COST ADVANTAGES OF TIMBER FRAME We believe no other method of building construction matches the economic benefits of timber frame. The reasons are straightforward. Speed of construction is a vital cost-saving factor. Using offsite manufacture and innovative build methods, the timber frame of a typical home can be erected in as little as a day. With the structure made windproof and watertight, and with accuracy down to the millimetre, the path is quickly cleared for fitting out and cladding. In addition, faster speed of build reduces scaffold hire periods, and makes for shorter build programmes. There is more control over quality and waste is reduced considerably. All of this provides savings on prelims for the main contractor. Transportation is fast and trouble-free. Lighter than concrete and bricks, our timber-frame materials can be delivered speedily to any site in the UK, regardless of the terrain. SPEED OF BUILD Compared to a traditional build, a timber-frame project can be 38% faster. There is no drying-out time, and timber frames can be assembled all year round, even in adverse weather conditions giving you greater programme certainty. COMPLETION TIMEFRAME 14-16 WEEKS* 26 WEEKS OVERALL SAVINGS CASH BENEFIT INTEREST SAVINGS PRELIM SAVINGS TIME/PROGRAMME SAVINGS REDUCED FOUNDATIONS WEEK 21 WEEK 19 WEEK 18 WEEK 22 WEEK 23 WEEK 17 WEEK 16 TIMBER-FRAME PROJECT WEEK 24 WEEK 25 WEEK 1 38% FASTER WEEK 15 WEEK 26 WEEK 14 WEEK 13 TRADITIONAL PROJECT WEEK 2 WEEK 12 WEEK 3 WEEK 11 WEEK 4 WEEK 10 WEEK 5 WEEK 9 WEEK 6 WEEK 8 PROJECT COMPLETION 4

Today, the vast majority of new-build homes in the UK are built with a timber frame, as the industry tries to catch up with the 70% of the global population that has already adopted timber frame homes as standard Building Construction Design, June 2017 MANUFACTURING Robertson Timber Engineering has two highly automated production facilities, one in Scotland and one in England, producing precision-engineered timber to the highest standards. Our head office is a centre of excellence for estimating, project management, design, and research and development. PRODUCTS Robertson Timber Engineering offers a variety of high-quality engineered products, each tailored to suit the individual client s needs. Our offering is extensive, incorporating open, hybrid and closed panels including large-panel formats with a choice of solutions for insulation and fire protection. We are also able to offer panels complete with factoryfitted windows and doors, so that even more quality is ensured offsite. 1 OPEN PANEL Timber frame can be designed, manufactured and delivered to suit a range of building structures. We provide a structural engineered service and will work closely with your design teams to come up with the required designs solutions to make timber frame work for you. This can incorporate a range of materials including glulam, Cross-Laminated Timber (CLT), structural steel and timber panels. 2 CLOSED PANEL In addition to traditional open panels, we can now offer a closed panel solution. These panels include a variety of insulation types to meet the different U-value requirements. In addition to this, we can fit the service battens internally, with external cladding boards fitted in the factory along with the external window and doors, allowing the building to become watertight very early in the build process. 3 CASSETTES We also offer roof and floor cassettes that can be fully insulated in the factory. This provides a great solution for speeding up the erect process, while reducing the need for fall arrest equipment, as the cassettes can be landed from podium scaffolds. 4 ROOFING 1 3 2 4 In our engineered timber frame solution, the roof design is incorporated into the same package. This ensures that the building is designed to incorporate any loadings that need to be factored in at an early stage, such as photovoltaics and mechanical plant. In addition to this, we are now assembling roofs on the ground-bearing transfer slab and lifting them into place in one operation, reducing the need for working at height. 5

SUPPLY CHAIN Working in close partnership with our supply chain partners of all sizes and across all our regions we make sure that the work we do is innovative, productive, and sustainable. We are committed to working fairly with our supply chain and developing lasting relationships that deliver true benefits to the wider community. As part of our Chain of Custody Policy Statement our materials are sourced sustainably from reputable companies and we are committed to avoiding the use of wood that has been: ACCREDITATIONS Illegally harvested or originates from controversial sources Sourced from areas where traditional, civil, or social rights are violated Harvested from threatened, old-growth forests with high conservation value 6

BIM INTEGRATION An inherent part of our timber offsite manufacturing process is the use of building information modelling (BIM) as a process management and information-sharing tool. Our use of BIM helps us deliver buildings in the most effective way, from inception to manufacture in our factories and assembly on site. Our commitment to BIM in conjunction with lean manufacturing processes saves time, costs and waste, and allows for efficient service clash detection. Overall, BIM is integral to our work ethos of innovation, productivity and sustainability. DIGITAL TOOLS BIM is intrinsic to the highly efficient production of our timber closed panels through an Offsite Manufacturing (OSM) system. Prior to factory production, informed decisions can be made with the use of data integrated in a 3D design model. The data allows for: Automatic scheduling of material quantities providing an early estimation of costs, resulting in greater cost certainty; COLLABORATION BIM implementation and execution plans are used to ensure that information is coordinated, timely and in an accessible form with agreement on deliverables, to make sure the projects progress as planned. We can use IFC design files as a base to develop our production drawings, allowing for collaboration between design and manufacture. Parametric design, allowing for ease of design development and automatic updating of cutting lists this saves time and reduces the potential for error; Clash detection, mitigating the risk of on-site issues; Component manufacturing and building tolerances integrated into the collaborative design development process; Calculation of optimal joist dimensions to reduce waste; Scheduling of materials to plan ahead and order supplies; Production of saw cutting lists for optimisation with factory machinery; Calculation of panel weights to plan for optimal delivery and erection on site; Continual assessment of our planned and actual outputs, so we can make improvements where necessary as part of a feedback loop. Our integrated and quantified process meets BIM Level 2 and aspects of Level 3. The process saves both time and costs, allowing for speed of delivery to site and ultimately delivering end product value. FUTURE DEVELOPMENT Going forward, we are planning to build on our production system by automating processes further from digitally managed build programmes, to long-term management. Model data is planned to include carbon emissions, fabric performance values, scheduled maintenance, health & safety information, product codes and more. This will allow us to reach 4D BIM and beyond. 7

INCREASING SUSTAINABILITY, REDUCING WASTE As the environmental impact of construction materials becomes increasingly evident, the argument for adopting a fabric-first approach using timber frame gets more compelling. Timber is a vital renewable resource and effectively a carbon neutral material, even allowing for transport. No other commercially available building material produces such low amounts of carbon dioxide. Timber frame results in very good U-values. This can be further enhanced by improving the levels of insulation and installing breather membranes in the factory. There is a solution for every type of build. Timber engineering facts About 45% of the UK s CO 2 emissions come from buildings. People have been building with timber for thousands of years. Timber is ecological and sustainable and a truly renewable building material. Timber is grown quicker than it is used. Most of the main timber-supplying countries have long-standing policies to re-grow more timber than is felled. If new trees are planted to replace those harvested, timber will continue to be available. Timber is milled all over the world and is often used close to where it is produced. This supports local economies and reduces the energy needed to transport materials over long distances. With timber frame construction, on-site waste can be reduced by as much as 40% compared to masonry methods. If all UK houses built since 1945 had been timber frame, more than 300 million tonnes of CO 2 would have been saved. Timber structures reduce the use of energy and help slow down global warming. Timber is made from carbon drawn from the atmosphere. This carbon would otherwise be adding to the greenhouse effect. Using timber in buildings stores the carbon for as long as the building stands or the timber is used. In comparison, strength for strength, concrete uses five times (and steel six times) more energy to produce than timber. 70% of homes worldwide are constructed using structural timber. It takes very little energy to convert the wood in trees to the timber used in building. This means that the embodied energy in timber is low. In fact, it is the lowest of almost all common building materials. Timber is a natural insulator and can help to reduce energy consumption when it is used in windows, doors and floors. A timber frame allows more space for insulation than a brick building, and wood itself also has natural thermal insulating properties. Of course, a better insulated home requires less energy to heat and cool, which typically means less fossil fuel use. Build times are quicker with timber. A timber frame can be partly pre-cut, modulated and built to precision, increasing the speed of build compared with a brick or stone build. Time is also saved since less building debris is left behind to clear. A quicker build clearly saves time and money for both domestic and commercial property owners. Building with timber is also a less specialised and expensive skill. A typical timber-framed house saves four tonnes of CO 2 compared with an equivalent masonry house. 8

1 Timber frame can be wind and water tight within one day. 4 A timber-frame house can save up to four tonnes of CO2. 5 Timber takes five times less energy to produce than concrete. 38% Timber frame build can be up to 38% faster than traditional methods. 40% Offsite manufacture can reduce site waste by 40%. 9

Client locations Group Office Production Facility/Office Sales Office 10 Perimeter Road, Pinefield, Elgin IV30 6AE Admiralty Way, Seaham, County Durham SR7 7DN Tel: 01343 549786 Email: offsite@robertson.co.uk Tel: 0191 349 8670 Email: offsite@robertson.co.uk 10 robertson.co.uk/timber-engineering