News & Events

16/10/2024 - Fabrication of CLT panels for racking tests

As part of the MODCONS Project, full-scale 2.4 m × 1.2 m CLT panels will be subjected to racking loads using the frame at the University of Galway, which can apply a horizontal load of up to 200 kN and vertical point loads ranging from 1–5 kN.

Boards of C16 Irish Sitka spruce with nominal cross-sectional dimensions of 100 mm × 35 mm, for panels comprising 20 mm thick layers, and 175 mm × 47 mm, for panels comprising 40 mm thick layers, have been used to manufacture the CLT panels. The boards had been stored and conditioned to 12% moisture content and planed to the desired thicknesses of 20 mm and 40 mm and widths of 80 mm and 160 mm.

Ireland does not have a CLT manufacturing unit, so members of the Timber Engineering Research Group manufactured the panels. The panels were glued together using a one-component polyurethane (PUR) adhesive and pressed at Polymer Alloy Technology t/a PALTECH in Clara, Co. Offaly.

25/09/2024 - EPA Circular Economy Conference 2024

On 25th September 2024, the Timber Engineering Research Group (TERG) at the University of Galway was represented at the EPA’s Circular Economy Conference, held at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. This event brought together professionals from government, public sector offices, and academia, showcasing successful case studies of Circular Economy implementation.

Muhammad Khizar Barakzai, a postgraduate researcher with TERG, attended to further his research on Green Public Procurement and its role in fostering a Circular Economy in construction. The conference provided valuable insights into sustainable practices and highlighted the opportunities for integrating circular principles into procurement processes.

30/08/2024 - 31/08/2024 - CERI 2024 Conference

The Timber Engineering Research Group PhD researcher Song Ge presented his research, “A Top-down Approach to Decide the Embodied Carbon Caps for Irish Residential Buildings”, at the CERI 2024 Conference in Galway, Ireland.

This research developed upfront embodied carbon caps for new housing construction in Ireland from 2023 to 2030 by allocating the national carbon budget. The proposed top-down approach significantly reduces the time needed to collect or conduct large numbers of building LCA studies in the bottom-up approach. Although there is some uncertainty, the developed caps highlight approximate targets to which the upfront embodied carbon of new Irish houses needs to be reduced.

29/08/2024 - 30/08/2024 - CERI 2024 Conference

The Timber Engineering Research Group (TERG) at the University of Galway participated in the Civil Engineering Research in Ireland 2024 (CERI 2024) Conference, held on 29–30 August 2024 at the University of Galway. This event, organised by the Civil Engineering Research Association of Ireland (CERAI), attracted a wide range of participants from government, public sector offices, and academic institutions.

CERI, the premier biennial event organised by CERAI, brings together leading researchers, professionals, and policymakers to share advancements in civil engineering. CERAI plays a crucial role in promoting research and collaboration within Ireland’s civil engineering community.

Muhammad Khizar Barakzai, a postgraduate researcher with TERG, delivered an oral presentation titled “Development of List of Product and Services in Construction for Ireland”. The presentation focused on sustainable construction practices and their integration into the Irish market, with an emphasis on fostering a greener, more circular economy.

Mohammed Zajeer Ahmed, PhD student on the OPPS4GPP project, presented a review on green public procurement in the construction industry. The presentation highlighted various drivers and barriers of GPP implementation and the importance of price during the tender selection stage.

29/08/2024 - 30/08/2024 - CERI 2024, Galway, Ireland

Timber Engineering Research Group’s PhD researcher Rimjhim Kashyap presented her research on the feasibility of commercially available Rothoblaas connectors with Irish-grown C16 grade CLT (cross-laminated timber) at the Civil Engineering Research in Ireland conference, organised at the University of Galway.

Rimjhim won the Best Student Presentation Award in the Structures stream. The paper presented is listed below and can be viewed on our website:

Kashyap, R., O’Ceallaigh, C., McGetrick, P.J., Sheridan, C., Grogan, N. and Harte, A.M. (2024). Experimental and numerical analysis of CLT-to-CLT connections in a multi-storey modular building using Irish timber. Proceedings of the Civil Engineering Research in Ireland (CERI 2024), Galway, Ireland.

29/08/2024 - 30/08/2024 - CERI 2024, Galway, Ireland

Kamran Ali Bhatti, PhD researcher with TERG, presented a conference paper titled “Recent developments in novel steel connections including intermeshed steel connections” at the CERI 2024 Conference in Galway, Ireland.

This research is part of the ARISE Project, Assembly Robotics Innovation in Steel Buildings Erection, where the current focus is on numerical modelling of intermeshed steel connections to determine the most effective design of ISCs for future small- and large-scale experimental work. The paper is available online through the Conference Proceedings and Programme of the Civil Engineering Research Association of Ireland.

Bhatti, K.A., Duggan, R., Burke, R., Laefer, D.F., Al-Sabah, S., Shah, S.N.R., Goggins, J., Schultz, A., McPolin, D. and McGetrick, P. (2024). Recent developments in novel steel connections including intermeshed steel connections.

24/07/2024 - 26/07/2024 - ARISE Annual Meetings, Queen’s University Belfast, UK

TERG participated in the ARISE Annual Meetings at Queen’s University Belfast, UK, from 24th to 26th July 2024.

19/06/2024 - 21/06/2024 - COST Action HELEN Training School in Zagreb, Croatia

The Timber Engineering Research Group PhD researcher Song Ge attended the second training school held by COST Action HELEN in Zagreb, Croatia. This training school discussed various topics related to the life cycle assessment of high-rise timber buildings.

Through attending this training school, Song Ge gained useful knowledge related to his project, the SAOLWood project, and found that the promotion of high-rise timber buildings has general challenges across Europe, not only in Ireland. A lack of customised LCA information for timber products is one of the existing challenges, which the SAOLWood project is helping to address in the Irish context.

14/02/2024 - Small-scale testing for MODCONS project completed

Small-scale testing of CLT connections has been completed for the MODCONS project. Rothoblaas Titan F angle brackets have been used for the connections. Finite element analyses of these connections are being carried out using ABAQUS, and the numerical models will be validated using experimental results. These results will then be translated to full-scale racking tests of CLT panels.

2024 - OPPS4GPP publication in Cleaner and Responsible Consumption

Ahmed, M.Z., O’Donoghue, C. and McGetrick, P. (2024). Green Public Procurement in Construction: A Systematic Review. Cleaner and Responsible Consumption, 100234.

View publication

30/11/2023 - Opps4GPP Project team attend EPA Green Public Procurement 2023 event

On 30th November 2023, the  University of Galway's Timber Engineering Research Group (TERG) participated in the EPA-Ireland’s Green Public Procurement in Practice Conference, held at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin. 

The conference brought together key stakeholders from the government, public sector, and academia to discuss and share best practices in Green Public Procurement (GPP) initiatives. The conference showcased case studies of GPP in action, emphasizing sustainable procurement strategies and fostering collaboration between key sectors. 

Among the highlights, Muhammad Khizar Barakzai, a postgraduate researcher from the University of Galway, presented a poster titled "Opportunities for Green Public Procurement in Ireland to Improve Implementation of Circular Economy Practice in Construction."   

In addition, Mohammed Zajeer Ahmed presented their theoretical framework to support understanding the difference between traditional and green public procurement. The poster provided a broad and generic perspective of the procurement process in the construction industry.  

04/10/2023 – 05/10/2023 - COST Action HELEN Training School on Holistic Design of Timber Connections

Timber Engineering Research Group’s PhD Researcher, Rimjhim Kashyap, attended the first training school of COST Action HELEN on Holistic Design of Timber Connections on 4–5 October 2023 at the Rothoblaas Headquarters in Cortaccia, Italy. Speakers from across Europe, Canada, and Australia discussed various topics, including the design provisions of Eurocode 5, experimental and numerical analysis of CLT connections, seismic design, blast-resistant design, robustness in design, fire-resistant design, and the design of connections for disassembly and reuse. Rimjhim represented Ireland alongside participants from all over Europe.

11/07/2023 - ICASP14, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland

The Timber Engineering Research Group researchers presented their work at the 14th International Conference on the Application of Statistical and Probability in Civil Engineering in Dublin. The conference was hosted by Prof. Alan O’Connor (Trinity College Dublin) and Prof. Vikram Pakrashi (University College Dublin). The session on Timber engineering – structural reliability, probabilistic modelling, and environmental assessment was chaired by Prof. Gerhard Fink and Prof. Jochen Köhler.

The papers presented are listed below and can be viewed on our research website: Publications

O’Ceallaigh, C., Harte, A.M. and McGetrick, P.J. (2023). Predicting the long-term creep behaviour of glued laminated elements. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Application of Statistical and Probability in Civil Engineering (ICASP14), Dublin, Ireland.

Kashyap, R., O’Ceallaigh, C., McGetrick, P.J. and Harte, A.M. (2023). Review of the Performance of CLT Wall-to-Floor Connections for Multi-Storey Modular Building using Irish Timber. Proceedings of the 14th International Conference on Application of Statistical and Probability in Civil Engineering (ICASP14), Dublin, Ireland.

10/07/2023 - RTÉ Brainstorm article “Why your new house should be a timber house” published

Timber Engineering Research Group’s PhD Researcher Rimjhim Kashyap, who is working on the MODCONS project, published an article for RTÉ Brainstorm titled Why your new house should be a timber house. The article gives an overview of how the increased use of timber in construction is the key to meeting housing demand and being environmentally sustainable. The article also highlights the Timber Engineering Research Group’s ongoing research using Irish-grown timber in the manufacture of engineered wood products, and the work to establish reliable data on Irish-harvested wood products to better predict the environmental benefits of using Irish-grown timber.

The article is available to read here: https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2023/0710/1393714-ireland-timber-houses-buildings-environmental-sustainability/.

10/07/23 - Minister of State Hackett visits the Timber Engineering Research Group

The Timber Engineering Research Group was honoured to welcome the Minister of State with responsibility for Forestry Pippa Hackett at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. Dr. Patrick McGetrick presented the work that the group has been doing over the past few years and the future plans for research and education in the field of timber engineering at University of Galway. The visit included a tour of the facilities, the display and applications of different engineering wood products, in particular cross-laminated-timber -CLT- and ended with a demonstration of a four-point bending test of a Sitka spruce beam.

During her visit, the Minister announced a call for expressions of interest to join a new Timber Working Group in Construction. This group will examine how to increase timber in construction, and maximise the use of Irish timber in the homes and buildings of the future. Professor Annette Harte and Dr. Patrick McGetrick stated: “I am delighted to have the opportunity to host the Minister today and demonstrate the excellent work that is currently taking place in timber research in Ireland. We welcome the establishment of the new Timber Group in Construction and will be delighted to assist in its work”.

02/07/23 - IALCCE 2023, Milan, Italy

The Timber Engineering Research Group PhD Researcher Song Ge recently presented his ongoing work on the SAOLwood Project at the 8th International Symposium on Life-cycle Assessment in Civil Engineering. Song presented his paper on the "Development of lifecycle inventory for timber products to support the circular economy in construction" and had the opportunity to meet and discuss sustainable practices with leading experts in the field of life-cycle assessment in civil engineering. The paper can be downloaded using the link below.

Ge, S., McGetrick, P.J., O’Ceallaigh, C., Harte, A.M., (2023). Development of lifecycle inventory for timber products to support the circular economy in construction. Proceedings of the 8th International Association for Life-cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE 2023) Milan, Italy. Download

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22/06/23 - World Conference on Timber Engineering 2023

The Timber Engineering Research Group attended the World Conference on Timber Engineering 2023 in Oslo Norway on the 19-22 of June 2023. The conference was the first in-person meeting of the series since 2018 and provided much-needed sharing of knowledge and networking within this fast-moving industry. The Timber Engineering Research Group had the opportunity to present a series of papers from our recent European and Nationally funded research projects:
The papers can be viewed and downloaded below:

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Gil-Moreno, D., Ridley-Ellis, D., & Harte, A. M. (2023). Considerations for grading species combinations. The example of Douglas fir with larch in Ireland and UK. In A. Q. Nyrud, K. A. Malo, & K. Nore (Eds.), Proceedings from the 13th World Conference on Timber Engineering (2023) (773-779) Download

Chúláin, C.U., Gil-Moreno, D., Llana, D.F., Plos, M., Turk, G., Hogan, P., Harte, A.M., (2023). EMBEDMENT STRENGTH OF RECOVERED SPRUCE AND OAK. Proceedings from the 13th World Conference on Timber Engineering (2023), Oslo, Norway. Download

21/03/23 - National Construction Summit 2023

The Timber Engineering Research Group were in attendance at the "National Constriction Summit 2023" at the Sports Ireland Campus, Blanchardstown, Dublin, Ireland on the 21/03/23. Dr O’Ceallaigh’s presentation entitled “Timber Construction: A Carbon Mitigation Strategy” was focused on presenting the ongoing challenge to reduce the carbon footprint of construction and the opportunities for timber to not only achieve this goal but also store carbon in the process. The presentation was attended by foresters, building design and contracting professionals, architects, and members of academia. The ongoing work in the MODCONS Project was presented with a focus on the developments within the Irish forest sector, the increased interest in timber as a structural material, and the development of mass-timber products from Irish-grown resources allowing timber to compete with steel and concrete in large and tall modern buildings.

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23/11/22 - Build with Wood - The Pathway to Net Zero

The Timber Engineering Research Group were delighted to attend the "Built with Wood" Conference hosted by Coillte at Beyond the Trees Avondale at Avondale Forest Park, Co. Wicklow. The “Build with Wood – The Pathway to Net Zero” conference saw timber frame producers, construction professionals and policymakers gather to discuss the growing industry and focused on barriers to the increased use of timber in construction and how we can increase the percentage of timber frame housing from 20 to 80% in the Republic of Ireland and utilise sustainable timber solutions to address housing needs while also cutting the use of more carbon-intensive materials.

Professor Annette Harte of the Timber Engineering Research Group took part in a discussion panel and highlighted the ongoing research at the University of Galway focused on structural timber design, timber characterisation,  engineered wood product development and industry R&D projects that are supporting the industry as we transition to a low-carbon society. 

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23/06/22 - ForestValue Conference 21-22 June 2022 in Skellefteå

Prof Annette Harte and Dr Patrick McGetrick of TERG recently attended the ForestValue Conference in Skellefteå in Sweden, from 20-22 June 2022.  The event brought researchers together from across the fields of Timber Engineering and forest product research in Europe, facilitating valuable discussion on the current and future direction of research in this area. Prof. Harte presented TERG's research as partners on the InFutureWood project, outlining the development and testing of engineered wood products fabricated from recovered timber, and design for deconstruction and the reuse potential of timber in structural applications.
The event was hosted by RISE and held at the Sara Cultural Centre, one of the world's tallest timber buildings, reaching 20 storeys (80 m in height) constructed entirely in Cross-Laminated Timber as the primary structural material, including lift shafts and stair cores, with the timber sourced locally from forests in the region. The building meets all required building regulations [including fire safety and European standards] and hosts a cultural centre, library, multiple conference rooms, a large theatre and a hotel, with 205 prefabricated timber modules forming the hotel rooms.
Skellefteå is known as the "City of Wood" and has reached this status through government implementation of a national strategy for timber in construction, including financial support. The Sara Cultural Centre, the city of Skellefteå and the government strategy serve as demonstrators of best practice in timber construction that Ireland can emulate. For example, in addition to the Sara Cultural Centre, there are several examples of medium to high-rise structures such as the 7-storey modular timber building development Alvsbacka Strand, completed in 2011: https://www.trastad.se/projekt/alvsbacka-strand-i-skelleftea/.

TERG's ongoing research on the development of CLT fabricated using Irish timber has confirmed the suitability of Irish timber to be used in the construction of mid-rise buildings of this type in Ireland. Further information can be found via our publications and current MODCONS Project page

27/05/22 - Rothoschool - Ireland

The TERG Research Group were invited to participate in the first Rothoschool in Ireland which saw leading experts in the timber industry from Ireland and Europe speak on the hottest topics in mass timber construction. The Timber Engineering Research Group presented the ongoing work of the MODCONS Project to over 55 engineers, architects and contractors interested in upskilling on mass timber construction.  The Mass Timber industry is fast developing worldwide, and the Rothoschool allows professionals to come together and get informed, creating valuable networking opportunities and enriching their knowledge.

 

01/02/22 - Architecture Ireland issue focused on Wood

The TERG Research Group were delighted to contribute to the RIAI Architecture Ireland journal issue focused on all things "Wood"  and the emergence of sustainable construction materials to improve the built environment. The article written by Prof. Annette M Harte and Dr Conan O'Ceallaigh entitled "Development in Engineered Wood - Paving the way carbon construction" discussed the development of mass timber engineered wood products that can achieve the structural requirements of modern construction rivalling more commonly used construction material, such as concrete and steel, while offering significantly improved environmental performance.

The article is free to view here (Page 11): Link

07/12/21 - DAFM 2021 Competitive Research Call

The TERG Research Group were delighted to join Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, T.D., and Minister of State Martin Heydon, T.D,. at the launch of the 2021 Competitive Research Call where funding for the "Sustainable Construction and Assessment of the Full Lifecycle Impact of Irish Harvested Wood Products (SaolWood)" project was announced.  The project, coordinated by Dr Patrick McGetrick of the Timber Engineering Research Group, NUI Galway, addresses the challenge of minimising the carbon footprint of construction projects, promoting greater use of sustainable timber solutions in place of high embodied carbon materials. The overall objective is to deliver a comprehensive whole lifecycle assessment quantifying the environmental, economic, and social impacts of the use of locally sourced Irish wood products in the built environment, including the creation of a new national lifecycle database for these products.

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12/08/21 - WCTE 2021, Santiago, Chile  ‌

The TERG Research Group was delighted to attend and present our research at the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) 2021. This conference is devoted to the development of knowledge on all aspects related to the innovative use of timber in construction with a focus on timber engineering with participants from all over the world. The conference provides a forum for leading academic scientists, researchers, scholars and young scientists to exchange knowledge and facilitate discussions of research topics in wood mechanics and timber engineering.

The ongoing research activities of the Timber Engineering Research Group related to timber quality and engineered wood products were presented at this conference and the following papers can be downloaded below:‌‌

• O’Ceallaigh C., McGetrick P., Harte A.M., (2021) The Structural Behaviour of Compressed Wood Manufactured using Fast-grown Sitka Spruce. In Proceedings of the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) 2021, Santiago, Chile 9-12 August. Download
• O’Ceallaigh C., Gil-Moreno D., Ridely-Ellis D., Harte A.M., (2021) Perception and Use of Timber in Construction: A Case Study of Ireland and the UK. In Proceedings of the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) 2021, Santiago, Chile 9-12 August. Download
  
• Gil-Moreno D., Ridely-Ellis D., Harte A.M., (2021) Test Machine Effect in the Determination of Modulus of Elasticity for Strength-graded Timber. In Proceedings of the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) 2021, Santiago, Chile 9-12 August. Download
  
• O’Ceallaigh C., Mosheni I., Mehra S., Harte A.M., (2021) Numerical Investigation of the Structural Behaviour of Adhesive Free Connections Utilising Modified Wood. In Proceedings of the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) 2021, Santiago, Chile 9-12 August. Download
• O’Ceallaigh C., Conway M., Mehra S., Harte A.M., (2021) Modified Wood as Compression Reinforcement of Timber Perpendicular to the Grain. In Proceedings of the World Conference on Timber Engineering (WCTE) 2021, Santiago, Chile 9-12 August. Download

The Timber Engineering Research Group could not have carried out this research or produced these articles without the support of our funders, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) which is gratefully acknowledged.

26/03/21 - Wood Awards Ireland 2020  

The TERG Research Group was delighted to receive our Award in the Innovation Category at the Wood Awards Ireland 2020 for our work on Cross Laminated Timber (CLT) manufactured from Irish timber performed by Dr Conan O'Ceallaigh and  Prof. Annette Harte. This project demonstrated the potential to use Irish C16 Grade timber to manufacture structural panels for construction purposes. The Wood Awards Ireland 2020 is organised by the Wood Marketing Federation and Forest Industries Ireland and supported by the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland and the Society of Irish Foresters is to promote excellence in wood construction and design. 

For more information: CICLT Project.

12/12/19 - 2019 Competitive Research Call Launch with Minister Creed  

Prof. Annette M. Harte, leader of the  Timber Engineering Research Group of NUI Galway met with Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed at the launch of the 2019 Competitive Research Call where funding for the "Modular mass timber building for the circular economy (MODCONS) project was announced.  The project will focus on the design, development and experimental testing of sustainable modular timber building solutions to support national needs while also creating export opportunities in the sector. The proposed modular building solution will maximise the use of Irish timber in cross-laminated panels for walls and floors and will be optimised for structural integrity, fire, acoustics and vibration. 

18/11/19 - Engineers Ireland Article on Sustainable Timber Construction

The WoodProps Programme team published an article in the Engineers Journal entitled "Sustainable timber construction: Exploring engineered timber as a climate-friendly building solution". The article highlights the potential to use timber in construction with an emphasis on reducing the environmental impacts of construction, storing carbon within the structure we build and recent advances in engineered wood products that have allowed this material to rival steel and concrete to create larger more environmentally sustainable buildings.

View the Article Here

18/11/19 - WoodProps visit Medite

The WoodProps team were invited to visit and tour the facilities at Medite in Clonmel, Co. Tipperary on the 29th of April 2019. Medite is a market leading manufacturer of sustainable timber construction panels, and is renowned for delivering high-quality products through customer-led innovation utilising Irish grown timber. The ongoing research activities of the Timber Engineering Research Group related to timber quality and engineered wood products were discussed, as well as the innovative products of Medite and Smartply. Further discussion focused on challenges facing the timber industry and activities to promote the use of timber products in construction.

31/10/19 - WoodProps Seminar

The WoodProps Programme team organised a seminar on the sustainable use of timber in construction on the 31 October in the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. The event was attended by over 80 members of the construction industry including architects, engineers, contractors and regulatory personnel.  Chaired by Des O'Toole of Forest Industries Ireland, attendees heard from Researchers Dr. Conan O'Ceallaigh and Dr. David Gil-Moreno of the WoodProps programme, experienced engineers such as Bryan Carroll of Punch Consulting Engineers and John Spittle of Weihag Glulam Manufacturer and architects, Diane Harrington of Bucholz McEvoy and Mike Haslam of Haslam & Co. Architects. The conference heard how CLT and other engineered wood products such as glulam are transforming medium to high-rise buildings in Europe and how their use is increasing in Ireland with examples presented by the speakers.

Article "Building High in Engineered Sitka Spruce" in the Farmers Journal (Click here)

For those who missed the event, please find the presentations from the day on the WoodProps Programme webpage

29/08/19 - Grading of Douglas Fir - TTJ Online

In the September edition of the Timber Trade Journal (TTJ) online, the ongoing work of the TERG team on the WoodProps Programme is presented. Pages 24-25 highlight the important work related to the machine grading of Irish and British Douglas fir. This research is focused on making more species available for the Irish and British construction markets. Incorporating new species into the market provides greater resilience to the forest stock, allows more choice for customers, and a product that may be better suited to particular applications.  Douglas fir, for example, has better mechanical properties and slightly higher durability performance when compared to more commonly graded Sitka spruce. For more information, please see the link to the article below.

Link: Article 

Pictured: TTJ Online Article

08/07/19 - Forest Industries Ireland Event

Prof. Annette Harte of the Timber Engineering Research Group was an invited speaker at Forest Industry Irelands event entitled, Forestry: Real Solutions to Ireland’s Climate Emergency on the 8/7/19 in The National Botanical Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin, Ireland. The event was attended by Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton and Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle alongside academic staff from Universities and Institutes of technology around Ireland, Forestry experts, Enterprise Ireland and Coillte. Prof. Harte discussed forestry practices in Ireland, the role of timber in construction and the potential for buildings to store carbon and offset carbon emissions associated with other commonly used construction materials.

Pictured: Prof. Annette Harte addressing the crowd during the panel questions.

17/06/19 - CompWood 2019

The Timber Engineering Research Group attended CompWood 2019 to present ongoing research on adhesive free timber buildings as part of the Interreg NWE funded AFTB project. CompWood 2019 is an International Conference on Computational Methods in Wood Mechanics – from Material Properties to Timber Structures which takes place in Växjö, Sweden, June 17-19, 2019. The conference is devoted to computational methods applied in the field of wood mechanics and timber engineering for research from material properties up to structural applications. The conference provides a forum for leading academic scientists, researcher scholars and young scientists to exchange knowledge and facilitate discussions of research topics in wood mechanics and timber engineering. Dr. Iman Mohseni presented a paper entitled "Numerical modelling of beam-beam connection systems using compressed wood plates and dowels". More info: Click here

30/05/19 - The National Forestry Conference 2019

The Timber Engineering Research Group exhibiting at the National Forestry Conference organised by the Wood Marketing Federation and the Society of Irish Foresters in Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, Co. Meath on Thursday the 30th of May 2019. The theme "Forestry as a Climate Change Solution" examined the role of the Irish forestry and forest products sector in mitigating climate change and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The event was attended by over 150 stakeholders within the timber industry. The Timber Engineering Research Group were also very pleased to have Minister of State, Andrew Doyle launch the online "Timber Information Resource Centre"; a source of scholarly and technical documents to inform architects, developers, engineers, product manufacturers and other industry stakeholders on all aspects of wood products and design. The "Timber Information Resource Centre", developed as part of the WoodProps Programme funded by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, is designed to be a living database updated frequently to keep pace with a fast-moving and innovative industry and is available to anyone interested in learning more about timber and its uses in construction. 

21/05/19 - Solid Wood Solution 2019

13/05/19 - TERG discusses WoodProps with Balcas

 The WoodProps team visited Balcas Sawmill in Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh to tour the facilities on the 13th of May 2019. Balcas is one of Britain and Irelands leading timber product suppliers. The ongoing research activities of the Timber Engineering Research Group related to the quality of Irish grown timber was discussed, as well as recent work characterising minor conifer species in Ireland such as Larch and Scots pine and most importantly, the recent development of machine grading settings for Douglas fir in Great Britain and Ireland.  These activities will demonstrate the potential for some minor conifer species to become viable alternatives to more commonly planted species and promote forest diversification in Ireland.

23/04/19 - Study on the timber quality of Irish Larch

 The WoodProps team within the Timber Engineering Research Group were happy to begin some important work on the timber quality of Irish Larch. The logs, provided by Coillte, will be processed by Murray Timber Group in Ballon Co. Carlow. The results of this study on Irish larch will be compared to tests on larch in the UK and used to establish grading machine settings.

Timber quality and the assessment of timber properties of Irish grown species, with a focus on timber grading and the uses of this natural resource for structural applications, are key priorities of the WoodProps Programme. Work by the WoodProps Programme contributed to the development of machine grading settings for Douglas fir and further studies on Scots pine will commence later this year. 

19/03/19 - TG1 Committee Meeting in NUI Galway

On Tuesday the 19^th of March and Wednesday the 20^th, the TG1 met in the Alice Perry Engineering Building at National University of Galway Ireland. This group is under the umbrella of the CEN TC124/WG2, which meets twice a year, and evaluates reports for new machine grading settings and for visual grading assignments according to the European standards.

These kind of reports are necessary to grade timber, and they include: the species or species combination, the country/ies or standardised areas where the species was sampled and to which the settings will apply, the strength class/es (or grade combinations), the cross sections tested and of course the machine used for the grading. The grading machine will need to be previously approved by the TG1, and this is another kind of report that TG1 assess every now and again as well as possible modifications in the functioning of the approved machines. A full list of approved grading machines can be found here.

Similar requirements apply to visual grading assignments to be included in EN1912, but they include visual grading rules instead of the grading machine. The third type of grading, output control machine grading, does not require TG1 approval because it is the sawmill who verifies the correct grade by testing pieces. The main standards used for grading are EN 14081, EN 384, EN 408, EN 14358, EN 338 and EN 1912. As well as the correct use of the standards, the TG1 assess potential issues not contained in the standards that may result in the unsafe grading of timber.

 Even though the group has been working for years, it is not clear to many, including Notified Bodies, what the TG1 does. If we use an analogy, TG1 is like the court that applies the laws created by the government, in this case mostly CEN TC124/WG2 but also CEN TC124/WG1. As the laws are not perfect, and there is always room for interpretation or it is difficult to legislate for all possible cases, the TG1 sometimes needs to create new rules, that are incorporated as additional “law” in a document known as “decision list”.

 In the last meeting in Galway, the TG1 assessed 29 reports, 10 of them for visual grading of tropical hardwoods. The meeting also served to discuss issues not anticipated in the current standards used for grading, and that typically constitute a future discussion at working group level CEN TC124/WG2 for revision of standards.

WoodProps Programme within the Timber Engineering Research Group currently plays an important role in the TG1, with David Gil-Moreno (National University of Ireland Galway) acting as the secretary since October 2018, and with Daniel Ridley-Ellis (Edinburgh Napier University), partner in the programme, as new convenor. The next meeting will be in Vienna, the 1^st and 2^nd of October. For more information on the TG1 please visit here. 

14/03/19 - The National Construction Summit 2019

Dr. Conan O’Ceallaigh presented the ongoing research of the Timber Engineering Research Group (TERG) at The National Construction Summit 2019 in Citywest, Dublin, Ireland on the 14/03/18. Dr O’Ceallaigh’s presentation entitled “The use of Irish-grown Timber in Construction: Research to Standards” was attended by foresters, building design and contracting professionals, architects, and members of academia. The ongoing work in the WoodProps Programme and the AFTB Project were presented with a focus on the developments within the Irish forest sector, the increased interest in timber as a structural material, the development of mass-timber products allowing timber to compete with steel and concrete in large and tall modern buildings.

22/1/19 - Knowledge Transfer Group for Forestry

 The Timber Engineering Research Group and WoodProps team were happy to attend the Knowledge Transfer Group (KTGs) for forestry in Ennis Co. Clare on the 22/1/19 and Carrick-on-Shannon on the 24/1/19. The aim of the KTG is to gather private forest owners to promote knowledge sharing and provide a forum to discuss best practice amongst participants in a sector empowering them to undertake appropriate management activities in their forests. Dr. David Gil-Moreno presented some of the ongoing work within the WoodProps Programme at NUI Galway. Timber quality and the assessment of timber properties was presented with a focus on timber grading and the uses of this natural resource. Recent work by the WoodProps Programme, which has contributed to the development of machine grading settings for Douglas fir was also presented. This means Douglas fir may now be graded to construction grade C16 timber creating a new market for this species demonstrating this species potential as a viable alternative to more commonly planted species and promoting forest diversification in Ireland. The WoodProps Programme is continuing to examine other minor conifer species in Ireland and look forward to working closely with private forest owners in the near future. 

28/11/18 - WoodProps Team visits Woodfab Timber

The Timber Engineering Research Group and WoodProps team visited Woodfab Timber Ltd., Aughrim Co. Wicklow and had a chance to tour their facilities. The meeting provided an opportunity to discuss the objectives of the WoodProps Programme and to discuss our ongoing research with conifer species grown in Ireland. The WoodProps team also gained valuable information from Woodfab Timber Ltd. related to their sawmill production of timber products and activities related to added-value products. 

29/8/18 - WoodProps Programme meet with Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine

The Timber Engineering Research Group welcomed the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) to the National University of Ireland Galway on the 29^th of August to discuss the ongoing research related to forestry and structural uses of engineered wood products. In particular, the activities of the DAFM funded WoodProps Programme were presented and the aims for the current year were discussed.
For more information on the objectives of the WoodProps Programme, Click Here.

7/6/18 - WoodProps Programme meet with Taylor & Boyd Design Consultancy

Dr Conan O’Ceallaigh of the Timber Engineering Research Group visited Taylor & Boyd, a design consultancy based in Belfast on the 5/6/18 to outline the objectives of the WoodProps Programme and the advantages of CLT construction. Taylor & Boyd has demonstrated a desire to establish themselves as a leader in the design of modern timber buildings. This ambition has been recently acknowledged by the RSUA Design Awards where their vertical glulam framed extension of a 1906 reinforced concrete mill, “The Weaving Works” was a winner (Link). As part of the WoodProps Programme, the motivation, benefits, and challenges of constructing with timber were discussed.  The outlook from Paul Taylor, Partner at Taylor & Boyd, was positive with increased interest growing in modern timber construction in recent times. Further communication with Taylor & Boyd into the future will allow both parties to develop and disseminate expertise in modern timber building design.

Pictured (Left-Right): Paul Taylor, Partner, Taylor & Boyd and Conan O’Ceallaigh discussing the ease at which CLT structures may be constructed and the potential for CLT construction in Ireland.

6/6/18 - WoodProps Programme at the SIRT Seminar

The Timber Engineering Research Group will present part of the ongoing research in the WoodProps Programme at the seminar hosted by SIRT (Strategic Integrated Research in Timber) in the Construction Scotland Innovation Centre (CSIC) on the 06/06/18. David Gil-Moreno's presentation “Broadening the range of commercial species-Recent findings on the timber properties of five minor conifers” will address findings of his PhD thesis and WoodProps research. In particular, David will present some of the most relevant results of the key determining timber properties for grading of five minor species: noble fir, Norway spruce, western red cedar, western hemlock and Douglas fir.

30/5/18 - National Forestry Conference: Forestry as a central pillar in the bioeconomy

The Timber Engineering Research Group will be attending the National Forestry Conference. The Conference entitled "Forestry as a central pillar in the bioeconomy" organised by the Wood Marketing Federation and the Society of Irish Foresters will take place in Johnstown House Hotel, Enfield, Co. Meath.

The conference, chaired by Dr Sandra O'Connell, Director of Architecture and communications, RIAI and Fergal Leamy, Chief Executive, Coillte will feature presentations from leading Irish and international speakers on the role of forests in a sustainable bioeconomy, and the applications of timber and use of engineered wood in high rise buildings.

Follow for more information National Forestry Conference

2/5/18 - WoodProps Programme at the National Construction Summit 2018

Dr. Conan O’Ceallaigh presented the WoodProps Programme objectives at The National Construction Summit 2018 in Citywest, Dublin, Ireland on the 02/05/18. Dr O’Ceallaigh’s presentation entitled “The Rise of Modern Timber Buildings: Research to Standards” was attended by foresters, building design and contracting professionals, architects, and members of academia. The presentation outlined developments within the Irish forest sector, the increased interest in timber as a structural material, the development of mass-timber products allowing timber to compete with steel and concrete in large and tall modern buildings.

31/8/17 - Talking Timber, Teagasc, Ballyhaise, Co. Cavan

16/5/17 - Ministerial Announcement at The National University of Ireland, Galway

Dr Annette Harte and the Timber Engineering Research Group at The National University of Ireland, Galway were very happy to welcome the Minister of State for Food, Forestry and Horticulture, Andrew Doyle TD to announce a three-year initiative to characterise the strength properties of Irish timber for European regulatory authorities. 

Read More: Minister Launches Initiative at NUI Galway to Support Irish Timber Industry