The UK has been identified as the standout construction market in Europe and is set to become Europe's largest construction market by 2030. However, UK construction productivity performance is regarded as weak with low skills levels considered to be a key contributory factor. Consequently, Offsite construction has been identified by UK Government as a vehicle for improving productivity levels if the skills deficiencies in this particular market segment can be addressed. A series of projects were therefore launched by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) to encourage an R&D approach to skills and development application in the workplace. This paper reports on one of these research projects, a University and Industry collaboration between two of the largest offsite timber platform frame manufacturers in the UK. The paper explains how a needs analysis process was utilised to develop skills training content tailored to the immediate needs of the industry partners. It also explores how working with academia and a wider community of stakeholders allowed this training content to result in sector level impact via knowledge exchange activities and generic skills material creation.Finally, the novel approach of utilising 'Hoshin' planning to form a larger regional Offsite HUB (Scotland) Community of Practice, with a developed plan for collaboration aligned with international offsite research objectives, is also explained. This is particularly relevant given the recent UK Farmer review "Modernise or Die -time to decide the industry future", the most recent in a series of calls from government and other respected sources for improved levels of productivity and cultural change in the construction sector.The case study presented in this paper is evidence of success in mobilising industry through creating communities of practice to advance the construction sector regionally.It also provides a generalisable method that is reproducible by other university-industry cohorts in order to realise shared industry wide goals.

The benefits from acetylation of wood to enhance resistance against fungal decay and dimensional stability have been known for many years. Since 2007 Accsys Technologies has been commercially producing Accoya wood that is based on acetylation of Radiata pine. Accoya has shown its potential for many applications, even for structural use. However, due to limited engineering data each project had to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Based on research at various universities and institutes, Accsys Technologies has in combination with TimberSolve and ARUP, developed a handbook to assist designers and structural engineers produce reliable, durable and consistent designs utilising Accoya wood in structural applications.

BIM-based tools can contribute to addressing some of the challenges faced by structural engineering practitioners. A BIM-based framework for the development of components that deliver Automatic Code Compliance (ACC) is presented. The structural design problems that such components solve are categorised as simple, where ACC can be implemented directly, or complex, where more advanced approaches are needed. The mathematical process of Multi-Dimensional Data Fitting (MDDF) is introduced in order for the latter, enabling the compression of complex engineering calculations to a single equation that can be easily implemented into a BIM software engineering package. Proof-ofconcept examples are given for both cases: offsite manufactured structural joists are utilised as a nonrecursive example, implementing the results obtained in the manufacturer's literature; the axial capacity of metal fasteners in axially loaded timber-to-timber connections are utilised as an example of recursive problems. The MDDF analysis and the implementation in a BIM package of those problems are presented. Finally, the concept is generalised for non-structural aspects at a framework level, and the challenges, implications, and prospects of ACC in a BIM context are discussed.

Cross-laminated timber is an innovative engineered timber product that can be used for almost all superstructure elements. It is typically produced from kiln-dried, fast-growing softwood timber. Currently there is no commercial production in the UK and hence the majority of cross-laminated timber used within the UK construction industry is manufactured in central mainland Europe and imported. This paper presents the key factors required for implementing a cross-laminated timber production and construction capability using available UK timber resource, thus offering a sustainable alternative to multi-storey steel and concrete construction. Further to this the structural performance of a cross-laminated timber product manufactured using a home-grown resource is compared with the current product imported from Europe. A series of standard design scenarios for multi-storey residential and education buildings in the UK have been considered and the structural design criteria reviewed for both products.

Offsite Timber Construction has the potential to deliver important benefits for the housing sector, but there are obstacles that prevent a more widespread adoption. The advent of Building Information Modelling (BIM) has the potential to address many of these, improving the process and enhancing the end product. The paper identifies the key aspects of offsite timber construction in which BIM can play a significant role, and describes the immediate benefits that can be derived from applying BIM to those, with an emphasis on the UK market. The respective limitations are identified and discussed. The issue of financial viability is addressed and suggestions are made about how research and government initiatives can provide support for those. Finally, the need for a mid-term paradigm shift in BIM is identified, moving towards a more open and extensible strategy for construction that can respond to the expanded needs of Offsite Timber Construction.

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Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are typically formed from a thick layer of polystyrene foam sandwiched between two layers of oriented strand board. They have improved insulation qualities due to reduced cold bridging effects and satisfy all other building regulations. They are also durable if a stringent manufacturing procedure is used. SIPs are a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to traditional timber-frame construction.