Author: Kelly Rischmiller

ARC Advance Timber Hub Project “An Open-Data Framework for Forest-to-Building Value Chain Mapping” is addressing a major challenge for Australia’s forest and wood products sector: how to better understand, visualise and coordinate data across the entire value chain – from forest resource through processing to buildings.

Project Leader, Associate Professor Joe Gattas, from The University of Queensland School of Civil Engineering, presented at the FWPA Webinar – Navigating a Changing Landscape: Challenges, Opportunities, and Innovation in the Timber Industry, on the 21^st April 2026.  Below is a summary of the projects research outlined in the webinar presentation.

Why this research matters?

Research and data relevant to timber supply, processing and use are currently spread across many institutions, projects and datasets. This makes it difficult for industry, government and researchers to:

• See how domestic timber resources are really being used
• Identify inefficiencies and lost opportunities across the supply chain
• Test how changes in forestry, processing or building design affect outcomes such as resource efficiency, supply resilience and local manufacturing capability

This project responds by creating an open, integrated data framework that supports clearer communication, better decision‑making and more coordinated action across the sector.

What the project has achieved so far?

Measuring Timber Consumption

Early work has explored different ways to measure timber consumption in buildings.

• A geospatial “Timber Tracker” mapped timber volume per building across regions, helping separate housing density from timber use. While visually powerful, it offered limited insight for decision‑making.
• A “trees per building” material flow analysis followed timber from forest through sawmilling into a typical house, revealing the significant gap between the timber seen in a finished building and the processing effort required to produce it. This highlighted how grade recovery and product choices significantly affect resource efficiency.

Together, these early studies helped reframe timber use as a system‑wide issue, not just a building‑level metric.

Complementary Models

The project has now progressed to linking two complementary models:

• A production model, tracing timber from forest resource to recovered products, including sawn timber and co‑products such as panel products and mill residues.
• A consumption model, tracking how much timber is used by different building types.

By linking these models, the framework can trace timber flows from forest resource through to specific building outcomes, bridging established construction markets (such as lightweight timber framing in detached and low‑rise housing) with mass‑ and hybrid‑timber applications.

Frame-and-Truss Fabrication Data

A major advance has been the use of detailed frame‑and‑truss fabrication data, developed in collaboration with industry partner Multinail.

Using data from 53 real residential projects, timber use has been analysed by:

• Structural subsystem (walls, floors and roofs)
• Component type
• Size, length and grade of timber

The findings – now being prepared for publication – shows where timber is used within typical housing and confirms the dominance of machine‑graded pine (MGP). This level of detail enables far more accurate modelling than previous high‑level estimates.

What-If Scenarios

With production and consumption models now linked, the framework can be used to explore “what if?” scenarios. For example:

• How would changes in framing design alter sawmill input requirements?
• Could fibre or grade substitution increase timber use while reducing overall processing effort?

This capability gives sawmillers, fabricators and builders a shared, evidence‑based platform for practical discussions about improvement, and provides the foundation for commercial case studies being taken forward with industry partners.

What is next?

The next phase of the project will focus on:

• Finalising and publishing the detailed fabrication data analysis
• Applying the framework to additional building types, including mass‑ and hybrid‑timber projects
• Working with industry partners to test real‑world scenarios to support investment and design decisions

By making timber flows clearer, comparable and open, the project is helping industry and policymakers understand how changes at one point in the system affect the whole – supporting smarter use of Australia’s domestic timber resources.

Learn more

Conference Paper: TIMBERTRACKER: AN OPEN-SOURCE WEB FRAMEWORK FOR VISUALISING SUPPLY AND DEMAND IN FUTURE CONSTRUCTION TIMBER VALUE CHAINS

For further information or to follow project progress, visit the project page:
An Open-Data Framework for Forest-to-Building Value Chain Mapping – ARC Advance Timber Hub

An Open-Data Framework for Forest-to-Building Value Chain Mapping

 

Through its project Performance of Building Components – Fire Safety Design of Open Plan Timber Compartments, the ARC Advance Timber Hub is addressing a critical knowledge gap in the fire safety design of modern mass‑timber buildings: how exposed timber ceilings behave in large, open‑plan compartments such as offices and commercial buildings. These spaces are increasingly common, yet current fire design guidance is largely based on testing of timber in floor‑like (face‑up) orientations, not ceilings.

The project, led by Associate Professor David Lange and incorporating the research work of PhD candidate Josh Madden, from The University of Queensland School of Civil Engineering, brings together researchers and industry partners to generate new, design‑relevant evidence to support safe, performance‑based fire engineering solutions for timber buildings. Associate Professor Lange presented to ARC Advance Timber Hub Stakeholders a project update via a webinar series on the 26^th May 2026.

Project Design

The project focuses on a key gap in fire design guidance, which is in understanding how timber ceilings ignite and how flames spread once ignition occurs in large spaces, without significant internal separation, such as offices and commercial buildings.   The project is designed to provide the experimental evidence needed to reduce the uncertainty of how timber behaves through a unique multi‑scale experimental program with three key test areas:

1. Bench‑scale testing

Small‑scale laboratory tests are being used to study:

• Ignition delay and critical heat flux of timber in both face‑up and ceiling (inverted) orientations.
• The influence of gas flow velocity, representative of ceiling jets, on ignition and flame spread.

2. Intermediate‑scale compartment testing

The research then scales up to a one‑eighth scale compartment, allowing rapid testing of many variables under controlled conditions. These tests examine:

• Fire size and flame impingement on ceilings
• Ventilation and ceiling jet velocities
• The influence of ceiling obstructions (e.g. beams)
• Different fuel types and fire scenarios

A controlled gas burner is used to generate repeatable fire plumes, with detailed instrumentation measuring temperatures, gas velocities and heat fluxes beneath the ceiling.

3. Full‑scale fire testing

Full‑scale compartment tests are being prepared at the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) live fire and heavy rescue training facility at the Queensland Combined Emergency Services Academy (QCESA), located on Whyte Island at the Port of Brisbane. These tests focus on fire dynamics rather than structural performance, using full‑size CLT ceiling panels to confirm that the mechanisms observed at smaller scales remain valid in realistic building conditions.

A total of 32 CLT slabs donated by Next Timber are being heavily instrumented with thermocouples and heat‑flux sensors. The full‑scale program is designed to validate the experimental framework and provide confidence for real‑world application.

Key findings to date

Results emerging from the project demonstrate that:

• Orientation matters: Timber ceilings behave differently from timber floors. Critical heat flux for ignition is similar for both orientations; however ignition occurs later and more variably when timber is installed as a ceiling.
• Ventilation and ceiling jet velocity are critical: Flowing hot gases significantly increase flame attachment and flame spread along ceilings.
• Multi‑scale consistency is achievable: The same governing fire dynamics can be observed from bench scale through to full scale when experiments are carefully designed.

Industry engagement and outcomes

This project has strong and ongoing industry involvement, with partners contributing to experimental design, interpretation of results and application to practice. Key outcomes to date include:

• Peer‑reviewed journal papers accepted in Fire Safety Journal on timber ceiling ignition and fire safety strategy.

1. ORIENTATION EFFECTS ON THE IGNITION OF MASS TIMBER CEILINGS: A BENCH-SCALE INVESTIGATION
2. THE FIRE SAFETY STRATEGY

• Conference presentations in Australia and internationally:

1. IGNITION OF A TIMBER CEILING: ANALYSING CONVECTIVE AND RADIATIVE HEATING EFFECTS
2. COUPLING FIRE AND MASS TIMBER STRUCTURES: A CHALLENGE FIRE SAFETY DESIGNERS MUST ADDRESS
3. BURNING BEHAVIOUR OF A TIMBER CEILING: A BENCH-SCALE INVESTIGATION
4. A METHOD TO STUDY IGNITION OF INVERTED COMBUSTIBLE SURFACES
5. RETHINKING FIRE SAFETY FOR TIMBER BUILDINGS: IGNITION, SPREAD, AND PERFORMANCE-BASED DESIGN

• Regular project meetings that keep industry partners closely engaged as results emerge.

The project team is continuing testing through 2026, with design‑focused guidance and publications expected as results are consolidated.

Learn More

For further information or to follow project progress, visit the project page:
Fire Safety Design of Open Plan Timber Compartments – ARC Advance Timber Hub
https://www.advance-timber-hub.org/project/fire-safety-design-of-open-plan-timber-compartments/

 

 

Timber buildings have long defined Brisbane. From the classic Queenslander home to the bones of the Teneriffe woolstores, wood has been at the heart of the city’s built environment for over a century.  

With the eyes of the world turning to Brisbane for the 2032 Games, we have an opportunity to combine this heritage with cutting-edge construction technology to demonstrate mass timber construction to a global audience.  

Timber is a renewable resource, it stores carbon rather than releasing it, and when a timber building is designed and built properly, can be disassembled and reused for future projects. It is one of the few ways the built environment can actively reduce emissions.  

But the window to influence the design and procurement for Games construction is closing. The barriers to building infrastructure projects out of timber are no longer technical, they are commercial and procedural.  

Instead, the holdup is now in ensuring decision makers have the confidence across five key areas: program and delivery certainty, cost escalation and commercial risk, supply capacity and sequencing, procurement integrity and compliance, and risk allocation across design, manufacture and construction.  

These are problems the industry can solve but require a different approach than showcasing designs.  

The Australian Research Council Research Hub to Advance Timber for Australia’s Future Built Environment (ARC Advance Timber Hub) researchers are creating new and innovative ways of utilising timber to increase modularity, to be designed for better disassembly, as well as improving procurement frameworks and supply chains.  

The proof that timber works for major buildings already exists locally and globally. In Australia, the new Sydney Fish Market, University of the Sunshine Coast’s Moreton Bay Campus, and Boola Katitjin at Murdoch University (the southern hemisphere’s largest timber building) have been leading the way.   

On a smaller scale, projects like QFES North Coast Regional Headquarters – Maryborough Fire & Rescue Station and Inala Infill Apartments show modern timber construction is taking place in government infrastructure and social housing across  South East Queensland.  

Globally, the Paris Games proved that timber was a viable product for Olympic infrastructure. The Paris Olympic Aquatics Centre is a timber-led hybrid structure that successfully hosted major sporting events in a high-humidity environment.  

We have already convinced designers. It is the decision makers, who tend to navigate back to the materials they are used to, that we still need to convince. We are moving from a period of education and advocacy to enabling decision making. Changing the conversation from ‘can timber do this?’ to ‘this is how you manage a timber build.’ 

To help change this conversation, The University of Queensland is hosting the Queensland Timber Trajectory forum in June. It will feature presentations and discussions from architects, engineers, designers and suppliers that answer the questions clients ask – why timber, and how to resolve any cost and procurement challenges.  

Brisbane has been building with timber for over a century. In 2032, it has the chance to show the world what that looks like at its best. We have the technology; we just need to make the decision.

This article was originally written as a Thought Leadership piece for the Property Council Australia by Dr Paul Matthew, The University of Queensland, School of Architecture, Design and Planning.  It has also featured on WoodCentral: Queensland Has the Technology to Build the 2032 Games in Timber

Featured image is the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services North Coast Regional Headquarters and Maryborough Fire and Rescue Station, and is courtesy of Baber Studio. Photography by Christopher Frederick Jones.

 

The ARC Research Hub to Advance Timber for Australia’s Future Built Environment (ARC Advance Timber Hub) has played a leading role in the development of FWPA Standard T01 Methods of test for mechanical fasteners and connectors Part 1: Category A & B Fasteners.  Published by the Forest and Wood Products Association (FWPA), Standard T01 provides an updated and reliable framework for testing and determining the characteristic capacities of timber connections. It gives industry up-to-date methods to test how timber joints perform; including nails, screws, bolts and dowels used in sawn timber and engineered wood products.

Research leadership and industry collaboration

FWPA Standard T01 was developed through a FWPA‑funded ARC Advance Timber Hub research project, connected to Hub Project Performance of Building Components – Connection Systems for Extended Building Life, titled “Testing and characterisation of laterally loaded connections made from engineered wood product timber members, joined with steel dowels and bolts”. The project was supported by the Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA) and undertaken by the ARC Advance Timber Hub at The University of Queensland, School of Civil Engineering.

The research was led by Professor Keith Crews, Director of the ARC Advance Timber Hub, who played a pivotal role in coordinating the technical program and guiding extensive engagement with industry stakeholders, manufacturers, engineers and testing laboratories throughout the development of the standard.

The ARC Advance Timber Hub acknowledges Professor Keith Crews’ leadership in advancing this work over the past six years, culminating in a standard that represents a significant step forward for Australia’s timber engineering sector.

Learn more

The FWPA Standard T01 is located on the WoodSolutions website.  The release has been promoted by FWPA and Wood Central, highlighting its importance in strengthening confidence in timber fasteners and connection systems across the industry.

• WoodSolutions overview:
  https://www.woodsolutions.com.au/fwpa-standard-t01-methods-test-mechanical-fasteners-and-connectors-part-1-category-b-fasteners
• FWPA announcement:
  https://fwpa.com.au/news/fwpa-releases-new-fastener-testing-standard-to-strengthen-confidence-across-the-timber-industry/
• Industry news coverage (Wood Central):
  https://woodcentral.com.au/fwpa-standard-t01-timber-fasteners-connectors/

 

The ARC Advance Timber Hub Project “Role of Moisture in the Long-Term Performance of Mass Timber Building Elements” is addressing the issue of how moisture affects the durability, mould risk and long‑term performance of timber building elements under Australian conditions.

This project is supported by PhD Candidate, Paulo Silvares, at the University of the Sunshine Coast, whose research is focused on “Integrated Assessment of Hygroscopic Behaviour and Mould Growth in Construction Timber”, under the supervision of Project Leader – Professor Tripti Singh and Project Chief Investigator – Dr Zidi Yan. Paulo updated ARC Advance Timber Hub Stakeholders on the research via a webinar presentation on the 19^th May 2026.

Why this research matters

Timber products such as Cross Laminated Timber (CLT), Glue Laminated Timber (GLT/Glulam) and solid timber elements are often exposed to rain, humidity and temperature fluctuations during transport, storage and construction. Even temporary exposure can result in:

• Cracking, warping and dimensional instability
• Increased risk of surface mould growth
• Aesthetic, health and indoor environment concerns
• Costly delays, remediation and reputational impacts

These risks are particularly significant in Australian climatic conditions, which are highly favourable for fungal growth.

Project focus and approach

Project focus is on the understanding of how moisture enters, moves through and remains within timber systems, particularly during the construction and storage phase. The research combines:

• Laboratory testing of moisture uptake, drying behaviour and dimensional stability
• Accelerated moisture cycling experiments to assess durability and damage mechanisms
• Evaluation of protective systems, including membranes, tapes and coatings
• Outdoor exposure trials to compare laboratory results with real environmental conditions
• In‑situ monitoring, using sensor data from buildings such as the University of the Sunshine Coast Moreton Bay Campus

A key objective is to provide industry with best practice guidelines for moisture management during construction and post-construction.

 Key insights to date

• No single “safe exposure time” exists
  Timber performance is strongly influenced by humidity, temperature and ventilation. Time‑based assumptions alone are not reliable predictors of mould risk.
• Protective membranes reduce risk but are not fail‑safe
  Damage during handling and installation, partial coverage and limited breathability can allow moisture to enter and become trapped within timber elements.
• Timber species drying behaviour can differ
  Radiata pine has shown variable drying behaviour, compared with eucalyptus.
• Standard test methods adaptation needed
  Existing accelerated ageing methods were not designed for modern membrane‑protected timber systems. Adaptation is required to better reflect realistic construction exposure while still providing meaningful comparative data.

Next steps

The project is now moving from exploratory testing into more refined experimental and predictive stages, including:

• Ongoing outdoor exposure trials and data comparison
• Further testing of commercially supplied timber and protection systems
• Detailed analysis of drying behaviour, shrinkage and moisture retention
• Development of predictive frameworks to support decision‑making in construction

Industry impact

Ultimately, the project aims to deliver practical, evidence‑based guidance that will help industry:

• significantly enhance the resilience and longevity of timber buildings by addressing the critical issue of moisture intrusion
• understand moisture ingress pathways and implications
• adopt proactive measures for moisture exclusion and management.

The ARC Advance Timber Hub is delivering new insights to support the confident use of long span timber and hybrid floor systems in commercial and multi storey buildings.

Through its project Innovative Long Span Timber and Wood Based Hybrid Floors for Vibration Performance and Acoustic Compliance, the Hub is addressing one of the key challenges facing modern timber construction: ensuring floors are comfortable for occupants while meeting vibration and acoustic requirements, particularly as spans increase and structures become lighter.

Professor Hassan Karampour – Griffith University, alongside project PhD Candidate Adam Faircloth, convened a highly engaging and collaborative project team workshop at Northrop Consulting Engineers in Sydney on the 13th of May 2026 to share findings from an integrated program of laboratory testing, field measurements, occupant perception studies and industry engagement.

Key technical insights emerging

1. Real world building performance is critical

Field testing has demonstrated that:

• Floor vibration performance often improves substantially after fit out, furniture and occupancy are introduced
• Laboratory only assessments can over predict vibration issues if real building conditions are not considered
• Performance evolves over the building lifecycle, highlighting the importance of testing at multiple stages

2. Human comfort does not always align with traditional checks

Studies conducted as part of the project show that vibration measures accounting for duration and cumulative exposure correlate more strongly with occupant feedback. A central finding of the project is the mismatch between:

• Conventional vibration limits based on peak acceleration, and
• How occupants perceive comfort and annoyance

3. Effective performance improvements do not require heavier floors

The project provides strong evidence that vibration and acoustic performance can be significantly improved through targeted, practical interventions, including:

• Improved connections
• Access floors and floating floor systems
• Targeted damping solutions

4. Vibration and acoustics must be addressed together

The project has confirmed that vibration and acoustic performance in timber floors are inherently linked, particularly in long span and lightweight systems where low frequency behaviour governs both occupant comfort and sound transmission. Footfall induced vibration not only affects perceived floor stiffness and comfort but can also generate structure borne noise, contributing to acoustic non-compliance if not adequately addressed.

Importantly, this project is being delivered in close alignment with the ARC Advance Timber Hub project “Influence of CLT Manufacturing Variables on Vibration and Acoustic Performance,” which investigates how CLT properties and manufacturing parameters affect vibration, acoustics and damping.

Industry relevance and impact

The findings are contributing to the development of evidence-based design guidance and tools that will support engineers, architects and builders in optimising timber floor systems, reducing risk and increasing confidence in long span timber applications.

The outcomes are particularly relevant to commercial offices, education buildings, residential developments and public infrastructure, where occupant comfort and acoustic performance are critical.

Next steps

Over the next phase, the project will focus on:

• Additional testing of completed and occupied buildings
• Refinement of vibration and acoustic prediction models
• Development of clear, practitioner focused design guidance
• Contribution to future Australian standards, guidelines and best practice documents

Article Promotion

This article has been referenced in the Timber & Forestry ENews 900th Edition on page 11 – New long-span floor research

 

Modern methods of construction delivering speed and certainty

Inala Infill Apartments provides a clear example of how MMC and prefabricated timber systems can de‑risk delivery and improve productivity in mid‑rise residential projects. XLam CLT panels, manufactured to precise dimensions using computer numerical control (CNC), minimised waste and enabled rapid on‑site assembly.

A key outcome was construction speed: installation of the CLT floor panels for 6 apartments took just 6 hours, reducing overall construction costs and site disruption. These efficiencies highlight the commercial advantages of mass timber for projects operating under tight budgets and delivery timelines.

 

Biophilic benefits and healthier living environments

Beyond embodied carbon and construction performance, the project demonstrates the health and wellbeing benefits of exposed mass timber. CLT ceilings are left visible throughout the apartments, reducing reliance on plasterboard and paint finishes and significantly lowering volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions at occupation. This contributes to improved indoor air quality and long‑term occupant comfort.

The architectural design integrates biophilic principles through strong visual and physical connections between timber structure and landscape. Courtyards, walkways and close connections to gardens are coordinated with exposed timber surfaces, reinforcing nature‑based relationships and supporting resident wellbeing.

Passive design supporting operational performance

The apartments are configured to maximise passive environmental performance, reducing operational energy demand. Each dwelling includes dual balconies, enabling effective cross‑ventilation and passive cooling. The layout supports “diurnal migration”, allowing residents to move between balconies to occupy cooler areas of the apartment throughout the day and reducing reliance on mechanical systems.

The building is 100% electric, exceeds minimum insulation requirements, and was assessed using NatHERS, confirming performance beyond minimum energy‑efficiency standards. This demonstrates that mass timber and passive design strategies can be effectively combined in real‑world housing delivery.

Responsible timber sourcing and supply‑chain outcomes

All timber used on the project was sourced from Australian Chain of Custody certified plantations, with CLT and GLT supplied by Hyne Group (ARC Advance Timber Hub partner). For every tree harvested, another is planted, ensuring long‑term carbon sequestration and supply continuity. For more info on Hyne’s timber growth and manufacturing process, visit: https://tour.hyne.com.au/

 

Inala Infill Apartments provides a replicable model for low‑carbon, mid‑rise housing. The project demonstrates that CLT and mass timber are no longer niche solutions, but commercially viable systems capable of delivering speed, certainty, sustainability and social value at scale.

The House of the Year award reinforces a growing industry message: when combined with thoughtful design and modern methods of construction, mass timber can redefine how housing is delivered in Australia – for governments, developers and communities alike.

Further Information

Inala Infill Apartments: https://www.baberstudio.com.au/inala-infill-apartments/

2026 Greater Brisbane Regional Architecture Awards | ArchitectureAu

2026 QLD Regional Award Buildings that Breathe – Australian Institute of Architects

For the latest updates from the ARC Advance Timber Hub, we invite you to read the ADVANCE TIMBER HUB NEWS.

This issue highlights national and international recognition of Hub‑led research, progress across multiple project nodes, and the achievements of our researchers and higher degree by research candidates. Together, these updates reflect sustained momentum across the Hub, including growing contributions to policy, practice and capability building, and strong engagement with industry, government and the broader community.