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Marine Civils by David Foxwell

New research project to shed light on lesser known timbers

01 Oct 2008

New research into the properties of alternative timbers will help those in the marine and freshwater construction industry make their work more sustainable, claims the Environment Agency in the UK, which is working with HR Wallingford and TRADA Technology to provide better, clearer information on commercially available, but lesser known hardwoods such as Basralocus, Dahoma and Cloeziana.
Ongoing research will seek to establish alternative types of timber for structures such as coastal protection groynes.
Ongoing research will seek to establish alternative types of timber for structures such as coastal protection groynes.

Typically, freshwater and marine construction work involves the use of a small number of tried and tested timbers, such as Greenheart, Ekki and Opepe. This puts pressure on supplies and strain on the environment. By providing information on the properties of less regularly used but promising hardwoods, the study hopes to encourage the use of a wider range of legal and sustainable timber in construction.

In the past construction professionals have been limited in their choices due to a lack of information and the cost of finding out more. Now, however, the project partners are thoroughly testing a range of lesser known hardwoods that may be suitable alternatives to more popular species which could become scarce if over-exploited. This means looking at the wide ranging factors that affect performance, such as engineering properties and abrasion resistance such as the effects of pebble and tide action on the timber.

The new research will build on the results of previous studies and is being undertaken in three distinct phases:

  • Phase 1: Preliminary research to identify a long list of candidate timber species. These will then undergo laboratory screening to determine their resistance to abrasion and the timber eating crustacean commonly referred to as gribble (Limnoria spp). Trials in a Portuguese lagoon will test exposure to the timber boring mollusc, shipworm (Teredo spp).
  • Phase 2: The five best performing timbers from phase 1 will undergo testing in accordance with the relevant British Standard so that their strength properties can be determined.
  • Phase 3: Live projects to assess and evaluate the performance of the five timber species in structures such as lock gates, fenders, landing stages and beach groins.

Phase 1 is expected to be completed by November 2008 and data resulting from Phase 2 will be widely published in around Autumn 2009.

The research programme commissioned by the Environment Agency will use a combination of laboratory trials and full scale strength testing. The outcomes will allow selected lesser known timbers to be used confidently in coastal and river structures. The findings from this research will not only benefit the marine construction industry but also the wider construction industry within the UK.

Funding has been contributed by the Environment Agency, TRADA Technology, British Waterways, The Crown Estate and Volker Stevin Ltd. Timber samples have been given by Ecochoice UK Ltd and Aitken & Howard Ltd, with Ecochoice providing expert knowledge on lesser known species, their commercial availability and performance.

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Ongoing

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