STA launches timber structure thermal bridging guide. 3 hours The Structural Timber Association, with Timber Development UK, Swedish Wood and Knauf Insulation, and drawing on expertise from Studio Partington Architects and Briary Energy has launched a Structural Timber Thermal Details platform, a free library of psi values for timber frame construction. Psi values track heat loss through thermal bridging, such as through junctions and openings. The platform has over 1,500 details and associated psi values. It covers five generic timber frame wall systems, non-habitable and attic trussed rafter systems and I-Joists and metal web engineered timber floors. Details are presented for single family homes and multi-occupancy apartments. Paul Newman, Technical Director at the STA, said: "The launch of the STA Structural Timber Thermal Details website represents an important step forward in supporting energy assessors, designers, manufacturers and their wider project teams in delivering high-performance timber buildings. As energy efficiency requirements continue to evolve, the industry needs practical, reliable and easily accessible guidance that helps simplify the specification process and improve consistency across projects. "This platform provides a significant library of independently calculated thermal bridge details, together with the information needed to support compliance and design optimisation. By making these resources freely available, we hope to help the industry reduce design risk, improve building performance and encourage greater confidence in the use of structural timber systems." Construction news updates Thermal performance is a consideration for all forms of construction. All buildings must be designed to comply with the functional requirements of building regulations, as a minimum standard. The project, which is a collaboration between Timber Development UK, Swedish Wood and Knauf Insulation, using leading industry specialists, Studio Partington Architects and Briary Energy, initially focuses on timber frame systems. However, the website has been designed to accommodate other timber construction systems, such as SIPS, mass timber and proprietary systems, in the future. David Hopkins, CEO of Timber Development UK, said: "TDUK is proud to be supporting this project. There is an overwhelming need to improve the thermal performance of UK housing stock, to lower energy bills and reduce emissions. This set of details will provide housebuilders and designers with the information they need to do just that. They show the improved performance which can be achieved using timber systems and we hope more housebuilders will choose this approach to make new British homes fit for the future." Stephen King, UK project manager at Swedish Wood, said: "Swedish Wood regard the Thermal Details Platform project to be a great success. The management of the project and the willing and highly competent individuals who contributed to it have been seen to be first class. The resulting platform will no doubt be of great use to the subscribers both now and in the future."

Knauf Insulation launches carbon calculator. 11 June 2026 Knauf Insulation has launched a free, online embodied carbon calculator. In a single place, users can calculate the U-value of their chosen insulation - to reduce operational carbon - and the embodied carbon of the specified product. Diana Dzhambazova, regional sustainability manager at Knauf Insulation, said: "Regulation of embodied carbon is inevitable, but many specifiers are already being asked to calculate whole life carbon to meet client requirements, local authority expectations and emerging standards such as the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard. This calculator makes that process faster and simpler." Users can use the U-value calculator to determine the insulation required to meet target U-values on a project and generate an embodied carbon calculation for their chosen insulation. The tool can also be used as a standalone calculator. The calculator provides embodied carbon results by weight, area and total project size. Knauf Insulation's product range is assessed using the latest EN15804+A2 standard for EPDs, and the calculator links directly to the relevant EPDs to make it easier for users to verify and cross-reference the source data. Diana added: "Sustainability reporting must be rigorous, but it doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming. We're the first insulation manufacturer in the UK to launch a tool like this - our goal is to continue helping specifiers deliver more sustainable buildings."