Nonconventional timber construction

Abstract Timber is a truly amazing and diverse material. Although it is one of the oldest building materials known to humans, there has been a renaissance in its use since the later part of the 20th century, and it is emerging as THE material of choice for many new buildings that would have previously been constructed from ‘traditional’ engineering materials, such as concrete, masonry and steel. The chapter presents an overview of timber – its use historically, a basic understanding of material properties and how these effect the performance of timber, some exemplar case studies of modern applications, and some thoughts concerning sustainability and how timber is likely to be used in the future.