Survey of key decision-makers involved in the construction of multi-storey timber buildings in Christchurch during 2013 and 2014

The updating of the New Zealand timber designstandard and supporting documentation wasconsistently seen as a very high priority by thosesurveyed. Completing this action will provide benefitsfor reducing the cost of design and construction,and will assist the uptake of the new technology byreducing uncertainty and professional risk.The four buildings studied in Christchurch representa significant increase in the practical experiencerequired to build engineered timber buildingsefficiently and competitively. It is important that thismomentum is maintained so that the full benefits ofbuilding in wood are realised. Many of the respondentsto the survey made the point that costs will reduceas more buildings are built. One of the engineerscommented that while the first building took longerand required a higher level of expertise, the next onewould not.Post-tensioned timber technology for multi-storey buildings is generally seen as innovative,environmentally friendly, and a good fit with thebranding of high technology companies. Respondentsfelt that more buildings should be built in wood, butnoted an industry-wide perception that building inwood entailed significantly higher costs. The woodindustry needs to be able to counter that perceptionwith clear and simple messages based on theexperience to date. It is important to ensure that costcomparisons are made on a like-for-like basis – thenew low-damage timber technology produces a high-performance building, and the cost comparison shoulduse an equivalent specification in concrete or steel. Itwould also be helpful to raise the level of the debateby highlighting that the best buildings are alwaysgoing to be a composite of a variety of materials – a“wooden” building also uses steel and concrete.The aesthetic appeal of a wooden building for tenantsand their clients was identified a number of times,and the benefits for the workplace during constructionare also a common theme. One builder cited “thecalming effect that timber has on people” on thebuilding site. Another builder said the building sitewas “usually very quiet on site. Nice environment towork in. Quality and safety are improved…” Buildersand subcontractors providing services and fit-out forthese buildings tend to find working with wood helpfuland easy.The fabrication industry needs to develop therequired skills and experience to support the designand construction of timber buildings. The steel andconcrete industries - who are the competition forwood – have much more experience in meeting thedemands of the construction industry, and should bethe benchmark for the wood fabrication industry.The adoption of this New Zealand technologydevelopment which utilises a New Zealand-grownresource with strong environmental credentials,requires the removal of some significant barriers andbetter understanding of benefits. Facilitating designand fabrication, and promotion of the benefits ofwood construction to owners and occupiers are thekey enablers of increased adoption of this technology.