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Novel materials
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Novel materials

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This section of the website explores the use of novel materials in construction.

Topics covered include:

  • Developments and good practice
  • Practical uses as a structural material
  • Climate impact, carbon emissions and sustainable design
 
 

Resources and events

Course
Amesbury School detail

Eurocode 5: the essentials of timber design - October 2025

This one-day, online course offers an introduction to timber design to Eurocode 5.

Date – 20 October 2025
Location – Online
Price – £295 - £445 + VAT
Course
<h4>Deep basement design and construction - October 2025</h4>

Deep basement design and construction - October 2025

This course gives guidance on the key design and constructability considerations when planning the construction of deep (greater than 5 meters) basements. It covers various types of embedded walls for both bottom-up and top-down construction.

Date – 16 October 2025
Location – Online
Price – £295 - £445 + VAT
Course
highrise apartment blocks

Eurocode 4: composite design

This course supports the practising designer with composite design to Eurocode 4. It enables an understanding of the essential requirements of this code in structural design and how the code operates.

Date – 16 September 2025
Location – 47-58 Bastwick St, London, EC1V 3PS
Price – £295 - £445 + VAT
Course
<h4>Structural engineering with bamboo</h4>

Structural engineering with bamboo

This course equips attendees with practical knowledge about structural design with bamboo stems (culms). The course considers aspects of concept design, detailed design and durability by design.

Date – 25 June 2025
Location – Online
Price – £295 - £445 + VAT
Course
<h4>Eurocode 5: connections and advanced topics in timber design - June 2025</h4>

Eurocode 5: connections and advanced topics in timber design - June 2025

This course introduces timber connections in detail and several other advanced topics in timber design to Eurocode 5.

Date – 10 June 2025
Location – Online
Price – £295 - £445 + VAT
Course
Amesbury School detail

Eurocode 5: the essentials of timber design - June 2025

This one-day, online course offers an introduction to timber design to Eurocode 5.

Date – 9 June 2025
Location – Online
Price – £295 - £445 + VAT
Course
Structure partly collapsed upon itself

Seismic design of structures

This two-day, online course introduces seismic design of civil engineering structures. It builds on the basics of structural dynamics and engineering seismology. The course focuses on seismic loading and design codes, conceptual seismic design principles and analysis for seismic loading, and design and detailing of structural members.

Date – 21 May 2025
Location – Online
Price – £515 - £765 + VAT
The Structural Engineer
<h4>Design of a connection with metal plates and screws in natural bamboo – worked example</h4>

Design of a connection with metal plates and screws in natural bamboo – worked example

One of the most popular ways to connect bamboo culms is to use dowel-type fasteners, including dowels, bolts, screws, nails and similar. This worked example presents a connection design using screws and metal plates, similar to a common connection method in timber structures.

Date – 6 January 2025
Author – Dominika Malkowska, James Norman and David Trujillo
Price – £9.95
The Structural Engineer
<h4>A new Eurocode, EN 1994-1-102, for composite dowel shear connectors</h4>

A new Eurocode, EN 1994-1-102, for composite dowel shear connectors

Roger Johnson, Wojciech Lorenc and Wolfgang Kurz provide a brief overview of a new part to Eurocode 4, covering composite dowels, which is currently in development for planned publication in 2026.

Date – 6 January 2025
Author – Roger Johnson, Wojciech Lorenc and Wolfgang Kurz
Price – £9.95

Featured events and resources

Guidance
<h4>Essential Knowledge Text No.8 New structural materials</h4>

Essential Knowledge Text No.8 New structural materials

This text presents a range of emerging materials, both natural and man-made which, in the right circumstances, can offer significant advantages over traditional materials.

Date – 1 October 2018
Author – M. Evernden
Price – £0/£24.95/£38.95