Join industry experts for an informative, in-person event exploring the role of C16 graded timber in delivering more sustainable timber construction. The session will challenge common misconceptions around timber specification, and demonstrate why C16 is suitable for the majority of timber construction projects.
The event will feature insights from leading industry specialists, including Rob MacKenna, General Manager at James Jones & Sons and Chair of the UK Timber Grading Committee, who brings extensive expertise in timber grading standards and structural timber research. Also speaking will be Mark Kirk MIStructE, Technical Director at Paramount Structures, who will explore practical ways to increase the use of C16 timber in structural projects. Alongside him, Dan Ridley Ellis, Head of the Centre for Wood Science and Technology at Edinburgh Napier University, will provide insight into the technical performance of C16 timber.
The session will tackle questions around supply, bringing together industry and academic expertise to demonstrate how UK-grown timber can be confidently specified across many structural engineering applications. Delivered as part of the Trust UK C16 Timber campaign—a collaboration between the UK's three largest sawmillers, BSW Timber, Glennon Brothers, and James Jones & Sons—this event offers practical guidance for anyone looking to make more informed, sustainable timber specification decisions.
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Understand the differences between C16 and C24 graded timber.
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Learn why you should specify more C16 timber to build more sustainably.
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Explore how C16 is suitable in the majority of timber construction projects.
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Those interested in building more sustainably
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Those interested in utilising more timber in construction and RMI
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Those interested in establishing more secure supply chains and reducing reliance on imported materials
This is a sponsored event and any views expressed are those of the sponsor, not the Institution. Bookings are made on behalf of the sponsor by the Institution, and your registration data will be shared with sponsors to facilitate communications about the event.
Speakers
Technical Director, Paramount Structures
Mark is a Chartered Structural Engineer with over 20 years’ experience in forestry, timber research, and structural timber design. After leaving school, he worked for several years on an estate in the Scottish Borders, undertaking forestry operations including thinning, felling, and planting.
He went on to study Forestry Management at the University of Aberdeen before transferring to Edinburgh Napier University to study Civil and Timber Engineering. During his studies, Mark became involved in timber research through the Institute for Sustainable Construction. Following graduation, he joined the institute as a research consultant, working on multiple projects investigating the properties and potential applications of homegrown timber in construction.
Mark later moved into professional consultancy as a structural engineer, maintaining a particular focus on timber design throughout his career. He achieved Chartered status with the Institution of Structural Engineers in 2018 and joined Paramount Structures in 2022, returning to a specialist focus in timber engineering. He is currently Technical Director at Paramount Structures.
General Manager, James Jones & Sons
A key member of the UK C16 Campaign team, Rob is responsible for the timber processing operations of James Jones & Sons in South Scotland. With a degree in Forestry and Forest Products from the University of Wales (Bangor University), and an MBA from the Open University, he is also the Chair the UK Timber Grading Committee. Rob has a deep understanding of timber grade classes, sitting as a committee member of the BSI standards development for B518, and on the management board of the SIRT (Strategic Integrated Research in Timber) project.
Head of the Centre for Wood Science and Technology, Edinburgh Napier University
Dan Ridley-Ellis leads research in wood science and technology at Edinburgh Napier University. He is one of the UK’s technical experts on guessing the strength of wood and can talk for hours on the topic – which he frequently does if nobody stops him. His main area of research is understanding the properties of wood, and how they are influenced by tree growth, forest management, and climate. He represents the UK at European Standards Committees for strength grading of construction timber, and the majority of structural sawn timber produced in the UK is now graded with settings he developed. He leads the task group CEN TC124 WG2 TG1 which approves new machine grading settings and visual strength grading assignments in Europe.
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