featured image for Wesbeam joins lightweight timber framed construction initiative

Wesbeam joins lightweight timber framed construction initiative

5 May 2025

Wesbeam is proud to be part of the groundbreaking Future Framing Initiative (FFI), a collaborative program designed to revolutionise the lightweight timber framed construction industry in Australia.

Leading companies in Australia’s timber construction sector, including Wesbeam, have united under the governance of Forest & Wood Products Australia (FWPA) to modernise timber design standards and strengthen the industry’s competitive position.

Key objectives of the Future Framing Initiative include:

  • Updating critical industry standards, including AS1684 Residential Timber Framed Construction. 
  • Developing a new FWPA Industry Standard for Lightweight Timber Framing Design & Construction for mid-rise buildings. 
  • Fostering technical expertise and ensuring succession planning for the future of the timber framing sector. 
  • Enhancing the industry’s position against increasing competition from steel framing and concrete slab-on-ground alternatives.

Supported by 13 leading organisations and backed by research from the University of Tasmania through a successful Australian Forest and Wood Innovations (AFWI) research grant, this initiative will drive industry-wide improvements, from design standards to technical capacity building.

Wesbeam is committed to ensuring the future of timber construction remains strong, efficient, and sustainable.

Source & image credit: Architecture & Design, Wesbeam

More Posts from Issue

Image

AI game-changer for timber manufacturing

AI-driven hazard detection is coming to timber manufacturing, thanks to a new agreement worth nearly half a million dollars between WorkSafe New Zealand and a major player in the wood processing industry. Claymark, New Zealand’s largest manufacturer and exporter of ...
Read more
Image

Wade Sawmill continues to expand with Gibson sawmill equipment

We recently visited the team at Wade Sawmill to review their ongoing expansion and improvements of their sawmill machinery and equipment plant based just north of Maryborough Queensland. Wade Sawmill manufactures a large range of timber products to cater for ...
Read more
Image

Iron-fortified lumber could be a greener alternative to steel beams

Although lumber does show promise as a renewable alternative to structural materials such as steel and concrete, it still tends to be a bit weaker than those substances. Scientists have now set about addressing that shortcoming, by strengthening wood with added iron. Led by ...
Read more
Image

Victorian Wood Fibre Roadmap to 2050 launched

Victoria is strengthening its position as a global leader in sustainable timber, engineered wood, and next-generational biomaterials, capitalising on the demand for low-carbon alternatives to create regional jobs and secure a local supply of construction materials while tackling a changing ...
Read more
Image

Timber design for construction: Online micro-credential

WoodSolutions and the University of Tasmania have launched a groundbreaking Timber Design for Residential Construction micro-credential, providing professionals with the skills and knowledge to master sustainable timber design in compliance with Australian Standards. This online, self-paced course delivers industry-aligned content covering everything from timber ...
Read more
Image

World’s largest wooden structure encircles Expo 2025 Osaka

A gridded wooden structure formed using traditional joinery makes up The Grand Ring, which Japanese studio Sou Fujimoto Architects has used to encircle the Expo 2025 Osaka in Japan. At 61,035 square metres, it is the largest wooden architectural structure in the world, according to Guinness World Records. The ...
Read more
Image

Safety first: Lessons from a saw accident in the workplace

On 20 December 2021, Ashley Industrial Services Ltd – a family-owned sawmill/manufacturing plant in Oxford – experienced a tragic accident. While operating a trim saw to trim wane from the ends of timber, one of our employees accidentally had his hand ...
Read more
Image

New committee to shape the future of NZ forestry training

The Forest Owners Association (FOA) and the Forest Industry Contractors Association (FICA) have come together to establish a new joint Training Committee to strengthen how the sector approaches vocational training. The new committee is comprised of eight individuals, with four ...
Read more
Image

FWPA update: Local sawn softwood sales volume

FWPA has produced a number of charts outlining the latest trends in softwood sales. More recent, and granular data, is available through the FWPA data dashboard. In July 2024, monthly softwood sales were 241,879 m3 up 9.5% on the prior month. ...
Read more