Engineered Wood Products (“EWPs”) represent the future for the building and construction industry. They are sourced from a renewable resource, have sound environmental credentials and are fully sustainable. In a carbon constrained economy the future for EWP looks promising as they have much lower embodied energy values and are thus more carbon friendly.
Being engineered, these products are designed to meet structural requirements. Demand for engineered structural timber in Australia has grown by approximately 20% per annum over the last five years and is expected to continue to increase in the future (source: BIS Shrapnel 2004, 2005 and 2007 — see graph/image at right). Engineered wood products are increasingly replacing traditional sawn timber in a range of building applications. Factors driving this shift include:
- supply restrictions for solid large section structural timber without defects;
- volatile pricing for solid timber;
- timber quality problems, due to the irregular properties and natural defects of sawn timber even “ accredited” plywood has failed;
- environmental issues — native hardwood allocations have been reduced by up to 80% in Western Australia and 50%- 60% in Victoria in the last 10 years;
- growing performance reliability assurances required by end users; and
- increased use of pre-manufactured components and timber panels in housing construction.
BIS Shrapnel and URS have previously completed a comprehensive assessment of the market of ESL® and ESB®, which supports the significant market potential for the project both in Australia and internationally. BIS Shrapnel is a firm of leading market researchers and economists with specialist knowledge and experience in forest management and inventory, resource modelling, feasibility studies, wood processing, market analyses and forecasts. BIS Shrapnel’s detailed report included inter alia:
- a review of wood products currently in the market;
- details of existing engineered timber processing facilities, production costs and product pricing in Australia and internationally;
- an analysis of potential end uses and markets for ESL® and ESB® in Australia and overseas; and
- forecast demand, price and quality competitiveness of ESL®, ESB® and I-Beams.
