Engineering insights for timber construction.
Technical articles, specification notes and project commentary from our in-house structural engineers and the wider Rothoblaas UK network.
Breather Membranes for Timber Frame: Choosing and Installing Them Right
A breather membrane is cheap to buy and easy to get wrong. What it does in a timber frame wall, how to choose the right vapour-open grade...
Eurocode 5 Explained: How Timber Structures Are Designed in the UK
Every structural timber building in the UK is designed to Eurocode 5. A plain-English guide to what the code is, the strength and service...
Timber Connector Plates and Hold-Downs: Resisting Uplift and Overturning
Most timber connections carry load down; hold-downs and tensile plates stop the structure lifting or tipping over. What connector plates ...
Timber Joist Hangers: How to Choose and Install the Right Connector
A joist hanger carries a big responsibility in a small piece of metal. How to choose between face-fixed, concealed, and top-flange timber...
CLT Connection Design to Eurocode 5: A UK Engineer's Guide
CLT panels rarely fail; the connections do the work. A UK engineer's guide to designing cross-laminated timber connections to Eurocode 5,...
How to use the TimbA fastener calculator: screws, dowels, and anchors for Rothoblaas connectors
The TimbA Fastener Calculator works out how many screws, dowels, and anchors each Rothoblaas connector needs, with quantities pulled from...
Structural timber screws: how to choose the right fastener in the UK
Structural timber screws carry real load, so the right choice matters. A clear UK guide to fully versus partially threaded, sizing, coati...
Cross Laminated Timber (CLT): How It Works and Where It's Used
A clear guide to cross laminated timber (CLT) — how it is made, its structural advantages, and how CLT panels are connected. Engineering-...
Mass timber in 2026: a turning point for UK construction
Why 2026 marks a turning point for UK mass timber: policy momentum, expanding fire and structural research, engineered wood outperforming...
Why timber projects fail at the connection level, and how to prevent it
Most structural problems in timber buildings start at the connections, not the timber. Why fastener spacing, hardware choice, and late pr...
Hardware planning in mass timber projects
Why connectors and fasteners deserve early planning on mass timber projects: a single CLT building can need tens of thousands of screws. ...
Why timber contractors benefit from technical hardware partners
As CLT and glulam connections grow more complex, timber contractors gain from hardware partners who offer engineering-led support, not ju...