The Timber Innovation Award, which is split into the two categories Innovative Product Development and Innovative University Timber Research, is part of the annual TTJ Awards. Winners were unveiled at the prestigious TTJ Awards dinner, attended by all the major players in the industry. Continue reading below for more information about the winners and the shortlist.
Innovative Product Development Winner
MDFR Recycling Technology by MDF Recovery Ltd: A continuous process for recycling MDF using electrical heating to break down the glue bonds which hold wood fibres together.
MDFR Recycling Technology won the Product Development category for creating the world’s first continuous process for MDF recycling using electrical heating to break down the glue bonds which hold wood fibres together.
Deploying a technique known as ‘ohmic heating’, which is common in large scale food-processing, the wood is shredded into tiny pieces and placed in a bath full of water before the electricity is applied. This frees the fibres from the resins and laminates, leaving a mush that then fluffs up after it dries.
In the Innovative Product Development category, the shortlisted entries were:
- ‘Hybris’ insulation by Actis Insulation: A flexible and easy to cut and fit insulation solution for timber frame manufacturing – either in the factory or onsite.
- ‘Sapisol’ by Simonin SAS / Cowley Timber & Partners: A load bearing, decorative timber system for floors, roofs and walls.
- ‘Hard Wax Oil’ by Chalkbarn Natural Products: A range of finishes for timber floors and furniture made using natural tree resin drying oils.
Innovative Timber University Research Winner
Edinburgh University's Agustin Dieste: Digitally fabricated reciprocal frame canopy.
Dieste, who describes his work as ‘creating a digitally fabricated reciprocal frame canopy’, impressed judges Andrew Waugh (Partner at Waugh Thistleton) and Michele Roelofsma (Senior Lecture of the University of East London) with his design for creating long spans, using short lengths of plywood and a new simple joint detail.
In the Innovative University Timber Research category, the shortlisted entries were:
- Daniel Blower, University of Cambridge: Carbon Fibre Connections for Super Tall Timber Buildings
- Alistair Bradley, University of Bath: The flood resilience of light frame timber structures
- Christopher Coleman, University of Suffolk: Is It Feasible to Specify Timber Instead of Steel When Framing Is Required to Resist Lateral Forces, within Domestic, Open-Plan Timber Construction?
Commenting on the shortlist, Rupert Scott, TRADA’s Membership and Marketing Manager, said: “This year’s shortlist presented a great range of solutions to different opportunities and problems to help the timber industry progress.
“We continue to be passionate about supporting innovation in any way that helps to maintain and grow the timber industry, which is why we are so keen to sponsor and run this award with TTJ.”
