The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products (ASBP) has launched an international project to develop practical guidance on managing water and moisture risk throughout the lifecycle of mass timber buildings.
Funded by the Softwood Lumber Board (SLB) and Swedish Wood, the project will bring together existing research and industry expertise to produce practical guidance on the design, construction and long-term management of mass timber buildings.
With mass timber being adopted in a wider range of building types, the ASBP said practical guidance would help build confidence for the industry and insurance providers.
The guidance will build on the success of the Mass Timber Insurance Playbook, published by ASBP and co-authored by Dr Jim Glockling.
ASBP said it has been downloaded thousands of times and received endorsement from the Association of British Insurers. It was subsequently adapted for the US market by WoodWorks with support from the SLB.
Intended for architects, engineers, contractors, manufacturers, insurers, investors and building owners, the guide will:
- set out construction practices that reduce water exposure during assembly;
- showcase moisture monitoring, leak detection and early warning technologies;
- provide guidance on managing escape of water, flooding and condensation;
- outline practical measures that support long-term resilience and insurability;
- explain approaches that improve durability, maintainability and repairability throughout a building’s life.
ASBP will manage the project with technical leadership from Dr Jim Glockling.
An international steering group from the insurance, construction and timber sectors in the UK, Europe and North America will help shape the guidance.
Guided by universal building physics
ASBP said that unlike fire safety guidance, which is shaped by national regulations, the principles of moisture management are governed by universal building physics. The guidance will therefore be developed as an internationally applicable resource, with regional considerations added where appropriate.
The guidance is scheduled to be published in October 2026.
“Water and moisture susceptibility poses a significant hurdle to mass timber insurability,” said Glockling.
“This project will centralise state-of-the-art design features with prevention, management and control methods into a single guide, introducing resilience across every stage of a building’s lifecycle, from the drawing board to end-of-life reuse, and helping create robust buildings with strong carbon credentials.”
ASBP chief executive Richard Broad said: “This project is about bringing together the knowledge that already exists across the timber, construction and insurance sectors into practical guidance that is accessible and internationally applicable.
“Developed with partners across Europe and North America, it will provide designers, contractors, insurers and building owners with a shared framework for managing water and moisture risk, helping to improve the long-term resilience and insurability of mass timber buildings.”
