About the event

Structural timber offers significant benefits to our built environment in terms of sustainability, renewability and creating biophilic spaces. To realise successful projects in timber, and to take full advantage of it, we need to have a full understanding of its inherent material properties and use it appropriately.  

One major consideration is the response of timber to moisture, especially during the construction phase before the permanent weather protection measures are in place. 

In this event, Matt Caldwell will take us through the hazards and available mitigations for constructing timber structures in the presence of moisture.  

Learning Outcomes 

• Understanding the hazards of moisture during construction 
• What mitigation measures are available 
• How to design with construction-stage moisture in mind 
• Monitoring and recording moisture levels during and at the end of the construction phase

Architects – need to meet the new ARB CPD requirements on Environmental Sustainability? 

As of January 2024, all architects on the UK Register are required by the Architects Registration Board (ARB) to record and confirm participation in CPD to maintain registration. ARB’s CPD scheme is activity-based and is focused on learning outcomes. You can find out more about ARB’s CPD requirements here.

This course relates to environmental sustainability, which is one of the mandatory topics for the 2025 ARB scheme.

About the speaker

Matt Caldwell, MEng(Hons) CEng MIStructE - Associate Structural Engineer, Buro Happold

Matt is an Associate Structural Engineer at Buro Happold and a post-graduate researcher and visiting tutor at the University of Bath. In both roles Matt specialises in timber engineering and particularly in holistic design for longevity. 

Matt is the author of the TDUK ‘Moisture Management During Construction’ guidance document, which draws on more than 20 years of enthusiastic timber design experience on a range of project types and scales, as well as post-graduate research.