The GreenBeams Project

Structural & civil consultants

S&CC started the GreenBeams project to study several hardwoods including beech, ash and sycamore, which have no designated structural properties in Eurocodes or the previous BSs. This has allowed S&CC to go onto design negative carbon structures in chunky local hardwoods to store sequestered carbon.  

Testing timber

S&CC gained a Sustainability Grant in 2007 for the GreenBeams project

  • Testing covered beech, sycamore, and ash. 
  • Gained expertise in selecting trees, sawing beams to minimise cracking, grading, testing full scale beams and curing with stress relief various British hardwoods.
  • Design and fabrication of a 100kN mobile test rig to proof load critical timber members in 6m lengths for serviceability and strength. 
  • Confirmed TRADA 1960’s data (now lost) that all had similar strength to oak.
  • Proved that the market was prepared to pay a 300% premium for air-dried timber.
  • Curing times for 250mm width was 1.5 years (cf 25 years for oak).

Swinton Estate

Shortlisted for 2024 TechFest Award

Between 2022-24 in collaboration with the Swinton Castle Estate, Structural & Civil Consultants utilised the knowledge of the GreenBeams Project. The Swinton Estate wanted to create a low carbon building using their own resources.  They were aware of our specialist knowledge of timber frame construction using hardwoods and commercial softwoods, alongside our expertise in historic forms of constructions.

The project involved GreenBeams going into the Swinton Estate woods with the woodsmen to select 21 beech and sycamore 35 year-old tree thinnings for the main structural elements.  Diseased trees with Sudden Larch Death were used for joists and stud walls. The timber was therefore saved from the estate’s biomas boilers and sent to saw mills. The structure has been assessed as having a carbon footprint of negative 9.7tonnes CO2e.