Engineered Timber Products are increasingly being specified – here’s why.

Aug 9, 2025

Marcus Downie, AFA Partnerships and Government Relations

Engineered timber products are in the limelight and the Australian Furniture Association believe this is for good reason. Timber has a natural advantage in furniture and in buildings as carbon sequestration turns each into carbon storage units. It works like this:

  • Photosynthesis: Trees absorb CO₂ from the atmosphere and convert it into biomass—carbon stored in trunks, branches, and roots.
  • Harvesting: When trees are sustainably harvested, the carbon remains locked in the wood.
  • Product Lifecycle: Timber used in furniture or construction continues to store that carbon through its product lifecycle. This can be decades or more.

In terms of harvesting timber Australia are world class at sustainable forest management with Certifying bodies playing a big part in ensuring responsible practices. Our AFA Partners Responsible Wood (1) administer the internationally based PEFC certification for both sustainable forest management and chain of custody, helping to guard our precious resources for future generations.

There are some other supercool environmental aspects of Timber as a product:

  • Lower Embodied Carbon: Timber requires far less energy to produce than steel or concrete, which are highly carbon-intensive.
  • Carbon Offset: Each cubic metre of timber can store around one tonne of CO₂ equivalent, helping offset emissions from other sources. (2)
  • Durability: Timber used in buildings can store carbon for 50–100 years, especially when used in engineered wood products like CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber).
  • Recyclability: At end-of-life, timber can be reused, extending its carbon-storing potential.
  • Biophilic Properties: Exposed timber promotes mental health, wellness and healing because it appeals to our inherent tendencies to connect with nature. Timber is nice to be around! (3)

Here are some timber related trends shaking industry up:

Build to Rent developments

The economic challenges of owning property are prompting an increase in the number of households renting rather than buying. Developers and investors have cottoned-on and the result is multi-unit “Build to Rent” developments featuring attractive elements like purpose designed communal spaces and amenities and featuring the rental security tenants seek. Build to Rent is a way to provide steady income for investors and better conditions for renters. Timber in Build to Rent developments is a natural as the benefits of lower building environmental impact are incentivised by Government and increasingly sought after by both developers and tenants alike. (4)(5)

Mass Laminated Timber

Mass Laminated Timber is becoming increasingly popular in building design (6) and encompasses an increasing number of commercially available types:

TypeDescriptionTypical Uses
CLT (Cross-Laminated Timber)Layers of timber boards glued at right anglesWalls, floors, roofs
Glulam (Glue-Laminated Timber)Laminations glued parallel to grainBeams, columns, arches
NLT (Nail-Laminated Timber)Boards nailed together on edgeFloors, decking
DLT (Dowel-Laminated Timber)Boards joined with hardwood dowels (no glue)Floors, walls, ceilings
LVL (Laminated Veneer Lumber)Thin wood veneers glued in same directionBeams, headers, rim boards
PSL (Parallel Strand Lumber)Long wood strands glued under pressureHeavy-duty beams, columns
LSL (Laminated Strand Lumber)Short wood strands aligned and gluedStuds, headers, rim boards

Benefits of Mass Laminated timber include:

Construction efficiency – prefabricated panels allow for rapid assembly on site, reduced waste due to precision manufacturing techniques with less on-site waste, and light weight allowing for easier logistics and requiring smaller foundations.

Fire & Seismic Performance – thick timber beams char on the outside during fire events but retain their structural core, improving the ability of a building to withstand fire. They are also flexible and lightweight which enhances their performance during seismic shocks.

Economic Benefits – Mass Laminated Timber is often cheaper than steel or concrete based alternatives, especially for increasingly popular mid-size or modular buildings. Local manufacturer and AFA Member Australian Sustainable Hardwoods (ASH) benefit our local industry through their investment in design and production of MASSLAM, a product really hitting the mark in Built Environment Circles(7).

Scrimber

Scrimber is a product made from crushed plantation thinnings and small trees, dried then blended with glue and formed using a high frequency press resulting in an engineered timber product with good structural properties, (8). Scrimber differs from particle or chip board products as thinnings are crushed in a way that forms bundles of interconnected and aligned strands which largely maintain the original orientation of the wood fibres (9), enabling beams of scrimber to bear loads. Scrimber can increase plantation timber yield significantly by converting what normally gets diverted into woodchips into an engineered product storing carbon,(10). The concept of Scrimber has been around for some time but the science associated with manufacturing it has improved, and the demand for the environmental advantage of carbon storing timber products in construction has increased. Its stocks are beginning to rise and it is hot property again!

These innovations with Engineered Timber products also benefit from local Australian manufacture. Local manufacture is highly important in any assessment of carbon-based environmental footprint as imported products – especially of the size of furniture and timber beams – are significantly disadvantaged due to the carbon intensive costs of transport. If you want an environmental solution first look to your local supply chain alternatives. To learn more about how the AFA can support your local business please reach out to us at the AFA at partnerships@theafa.asn.au