Engineering materials in flood and coastal defences

This project produced a manual about how to use timber to build flood defences, including the different types of timber available and responsible sourcing.

Documents

Engineering materials in flood and coastal defence: review of current knowledge - summary (33KB) PDF

Engineering materials in flood and coastal defence: review of current knowledge - technical report (496KB) PDF

Manual on the use of timber in coastal and river engineering - summary (34KB) PDF

Manual on the use of timber in coastal and river engineering - technical report (5.5MB) PDF

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Details

This new manual described and dealt with the main issues with using timber in engineering. It includes:

  • an introduction to using timber in coast and river engineering
  • a summary of some of the relevant natural characteristics of wood
  • descriptions of the properties of processed timber
  • a framework for selecting and buying timber materials responsibly - including recycled timber
  • discussions of designing and building with timber
  • guidance about different types of timber structures
  • guidance on monitoring and assessing existing timber structures
  • details on maintaining, repairing and enhancing timber structures - including maintenance practices

the appendices include:

  • one page summaries of properties for 76 potential timber species
  • a specification for building models

The project was started in 2001 and completed in 2005.

Updates to this page

Published 16 February 2021