Timber construction has been one of the most innovative areas of the building industry for several years. The speed with which new products are introduced into practical application is almost breathtaking compared to the other construction materials in the building industry. As a result, timber construction is continuously increasing its market share in commercial buildings and hall structures, and even in multi-storey construction for residential and office buildings.

This book provides essential knowledge and skills required for the design, detailing, and construction of timber structures. Special emphasis is placed on the specific features of timber and wood-based materials compared to other construction materials. This concerns the numerous advantages, as e.g. the comparatively low weight, the good workability of the high-performance material and the large variety of assembling technologies, but also the challenges resulting from the material anisotropy and from the susceptibility to natural pests.

In each chapter the essential phenomena are explained first and then brought into connection with code regulations. This aims to support the basic understanding of the interrelations and dependencies in timber engineering, which is the fundamental basis of creative engineering.

Werner Seim is a professor for Timber Engineering and Building Rehabilitation at the University of Kassel, Germany, and also an engineer with more than 35 years of experience in design and assessment of timber structures. He holds a Civil Engineering Degree from the University of Stuttgart, received his PhD in 1994 at the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology KIT and conducted postdoctoral studies 1998 at the University of California UCSD, San Diego. His research is focussed on bracing systems for high-rise buildings, timber-concrete-composites and re-use of structures. He is member of several national and international scientific committees. He was invited as a Visiting Professor to UBC Vancouver, EPF Lausanne and FCBA Bordeaux. His commitment to teaching was rewarded in 2020 with the Hessian State Prize.