Canadian Wood presents its first webinar on ‘Structural Applications of Wood’

India has a long-standing wood culture, where solid wood has been predominantly used in re-man applications such as joinery, furniture, doors/windows, and mill work etc. however structural applications that were largely limited to posts-and-beams and roofing etc. are interestingly finding favor with many a present-day architects/designers, real estate developers and hospitality industry of late. The joys of designing with this eco-friendly material are being rediscovered for its beauty, benefits, and ease of working. FII-India, popularly known as Canadian Wood has been actively promoting building with wood in India, for the last couple of years using wood legally sourced from the sustainably managed forests of B.C., Canada. It works closely with architects, developers, contractors, and hospitality professionals and assists them with their projects. As a part of this continued effort, Canadian Wood recently organized the first ever webinar on structural applications of wood on 27^th May 2020. Many eminent architects, doyens of the real estate and hospitality sectors joined the first webinar on Wood in Structural Use in India. They were taken through the various structural projects that Canadian Wood has been part of with its partners and allies. The webinar presenter Peter Bradfield, technical advisor of Canadian Wood introduced the audience to the many features and benefits of building with wood by providing specific examples as proof of concept. The content also included the different techniques of building with wood. Some of these were displayed earlier this year at the Indiawood trade show at Bangalore in Mar. 2020. Spruce-pine-fir (S-P-F) one of the many Canadian wood species was discussed at large mainly due to its great strength, dimensional stability and outstanding working properties that makes it a popular choice the world over for structural applications. Designers and builders can rely on it for consistency, precise dimensions, and ready availability. The other species of Canadian Wood like western hemlock, yellow cedar, Douglas-fir, and western red cedar were also discussed with respect to their unique properties and suitability for a variety of applications. Douglas-fir too presented itself as a suitable species for structural applications especially where glulam posts-and-beams are involved. Western hemlock, steadily gaining popularity with interior designers and architects across India due to its excellent working properties was showcased ideal for solid wood manufacturing through beautifully crafted pieces of furniture that were almost ‘work of art’. Western red cedar known to be naturally resistant to termite, rot and decay was showcased at its best through outdoor applications like pergolas, cladding, decking and furniture. Yellow cedar due to its natural resistance to decay was presented as ideal for doors/windows and door/window frames. Speaking about the webinar Mr. Peter Bradfield, Technical Advisor at Canadian Wood said, “In India there is a lack of technical knowhow and experience when it comes to building with wood, especially certified softwood from B.C., Canada. Canadian Wood can help architects, developers, builders and PMCs with technical assistance, sourcing of wood and even project management. Canadian Wood can recommend India or British Columbia based CAD services specialists to produce detailed plans, shop drawings and BOQs and can suggest specialist timber structural engineers who can assess projects on a fee for service basis and produce detailed foundation, seismic, wind-load and connection drawings to ensure a structure meets building code standards”. Topics like safety and stability of wooden structures, its proven ability to withstand extreme weather conditions and seismic performance were also elaborated upon at the webinar. Commenting on the webinar, Mr. Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, FII India, stated, “Under the new normal, social distancing is a reality that is here to stay for some time. Accordingly, FII India views ‘webinars’ as an important and strategic tool to stay connected with its target audience and meet and greet them on a knowledge sharing platform. This first of a series of webinars planned by Canadian Wood was on “Wood in Structural Application” which will be followed by webinars on other relevant topics to its target audience. Going forward you can look forward to webinars on Furniture Manufacturing and Doors & Window manufacturing etc. in addition to a highly focused follow-up webinar on Wood in Structural Use detailing various techniques of building with wood.” Asserting on the importance of the topic of the first webinar he added, "In India, we are experiencing a growing interest amongst leading architects, real estate developers and hospitality professionals in resorts, villas and country homes made in wood. Canadian Wood recognises this growing trend and is sparing no effort to educate the market on how to build with wood. At the same time handholding and supporting the contractors and fabricators on the three popular techniques of building with wood: 1) Tongue and Groove (T&G), Wood Frame Construction (WFC) and 3) Posts-and-Beams; besides interior and exterior use of wood in more mainstream re-man applications.”