Project

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

Project Description:

This project aims to develop a novel framework for collation, integration, and visualisation of material flow and resource utilisation data in the timber construction value chain.

Expected outcomes of this project include an enhanced capacity to identify and communicate:

  1. Current resource consumption rates and projected supply shortfalls;
  2. Opportunities for improved fibre recovery and reduced stem consumption per sqm. of timber construction; and
  3. Future construction supply impacts from changes in dwelling type composition, construction practice, and timber market share, including comparison between to current baseline consumption scenario from i) and identified improved efficiency scenarios from ii).

Expected deliverables of this project include an interactive website with geospatial visualisations of project data and scenario analyses; open-source code base for future website extension or customisation; and open-source data sets.

Objectives

  1. Construct interactive value chain mapping tool with forecast resource availability (forest), production (manufacture), and consumption (building) data
  2. Use as-built manufacturing data to establish detailed understanding of timber consumption by building type
  3. Establish potential improvement in fibre recovery from miller-to-fabricator data share and coordination
  4. Establish project-specific timber utilisation measures to support resource-efficient specification, material providence measurement and certification, and stakeholder communication
  5. Investigate novel methods for automated identification and verification of timber building completions

Targeted industry focused outcomes

  • TimberTracker: An interactive web tool for mapping timber supply, demand, and utilisation, progressively enhanced with building-specific consumption data, fibre recovery scenarios, material provenance tracking, and regional build completion estimates.
  • Publications: Peer-reviewed articles and technical reports informing best practices across the timber construction value chain.
  • Open-Source Code: Publicly available data and tools to support industry adoption and model replication.

This project is delivering an open-data framework and interactive tools to map the forest-to-building timber value chain, enabling government and industry to understand the resource impacts of choosing timber, optimise resource use, anticipate supply shortfalls, and improve fibre recovery across construction types.

The impact will be measured by regular engagement with industry, government, and academic stakeholders to share insights and applications and project feedback meetings with project partners.

Resources

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

Objectives/Deliverables

  • Stage 1: Incorporating consumption and production data (Obj. A).
  • Stage 2: Updated with accurate timber consumption data per building type (Obj. B).
  • Stage 3: Updated with scenario analysis for potential improvements to miller and fabricator fibre recovery ratios (Obj. C).
  • Stage 4: updated with geospatial material providence visualisation (Obj. D).
  • Stage 5: updated with data-driven and region-based building completion estimation (Obj. E).

Project Leader/s

Joe Gattas

Theme Leader - Innovative Solutions; Node Leader - Manufacturing Innovation & Value-Chain Innovation

The University of Queensland

Project Staff

Lingju Wu

Research Assistant

The University of Queensland

Project Investigators

Joe Gattas

Theme Leader - Innovative Solutions; Node Leader - Manufacturing Innovation & Value-Chain Innovation

The University of Queensland

Dan Luo

Node Leader - Value-Chain Innovation; Project Leader

The University of Queensland

Mateo Gutierrez

Partner Investigator; Executive Board Member

AKD Softwoods

Kim Baber

Project Leader; Chief Investigator

Bond University

Neil Logan

Partner Investigator

BVN Architecture

Harrison Brooke

Partner Investigator

Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia (EWPAA)

Benoit Gilbert

Chief Investigator; Project Leader

Griffith University

Katie Fowden

Executive Board Member

Hyne / XLam

David Zhang

Partner Investigator

Multinail Australia Pty Ltd

Diego Elustondo

Partner Investigator

New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited (Scion Group).

Henri Baillères

Partner Investigator

Scion New Zealand Crown Research Institute

Elizaveta Graevskaya

Affiliate Investigator

New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited (Scion Group)

Romain Meot

Partner Investigator

New Zealand Institute for Bioeconomy Science Limited (Scion Group)

Lead Project Partner Organisation

Project Partners