In the quest for zero-carbon buildings, one of the most important decisions developers have to make is which building material to use in the construction process. But which is the most sustainable? Here, representatives of the timber, concrete, brick and steel sectors argue their casernAlthough new building products are beingrndeveloped all the time, natural timbernhas always been an indispensable component of the building industry.rnTimber can be simply dried, cured and sawn, or it can be processed to produce modern high-performance building products.rnAfter generations of domination by brick and block, the housebuilding industry is turning to modern timber frame in its search for faster construction and greater efficiency. Timber frame now accounts for 20% of all new houses in the UK. Use of timber frame also increased three times faster than any other method of housing construction in 2007. Lightweight modular panels are quick and easy to assemblernon-site, allowing the housebuilder to bring his product to the market with the minimum delay. Off-site manufacture also means better quality control and less waste.
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