Talking Timber – Showcasing the Wonder of Wood in a Webinar Series

The construction sector and built environment are responsible for 39% of global energy-related carbon emissions. Of this, 29% comes from operating buildings – heating, cooling, and lighting – while 11% comes from producing building materials and the construction process itself.

South Africa’s limited use of wood products has triggered a need for a discussion to promote a wood culture and reposition locally and sustainably grown timber as a key building material.

There is also an economic imperative to increase the use of local timber products. A growing awareness would boost demand for timber, benefitting sawmillers – which are often based in rural areas – and the broader forestry supply chain.

Using modelling analyses of South Africa’s log resource availability and the potential environmental benefits of timber construction, researchers at Stellenbosch University argue that the country has sufficient local timber resources to support an entirely wood-based residential construction market.

However, the world is biased towards the tried-and-tested materials of steel and concrete.

Encouragingly, a report by Gresham House expects timber consumption to rise by 3.1% per annum over the next 30 years, driven by urbanisation and decarbonisation.

Sawmilling South Africa, in partnership with the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, the University of Pretoria, and Stellenbosch University, has hosted 16 webinars since 2021, covering a range of topics aimed in particular at architects and structural engineers.

These webinars are bridging industry knowledge gaps by highlighting technical concerns like structural integrity, acoustic performance, thermal efficiency, fire, moisture, and sustainable sourcing.

The webinars position timber as a credible, modern building material rather than just a traditional option.

Complementing these webinars is the Wood App. The Wood App was initiated to help support the growth and development of a South African wood-building culture through online educational resources. The initiative is being coordinated by the Department of Forest and Wood Science at Stellenbosch University. Various subject experts developed the individual online courses. Financial support from Sawmilling South Africa, the South African Wood Preservers Association (SAWPA), and the Fibre Processing and Manufacturing (FP&M) SETA made the creation of the Wood App possible.

For anyone in forestry, construction, architecture, or property development, this is a valuable resource to learn how timber can be used safely, efficiently, and sustainably in modern construction.

The webinars are made available via a dedicated YouTube playlist.