Offsite construction – Norbord’s SterlingOSB Zero is the answer to green, speed and cost demands

Norbord is the world’s largest manufacturer of OSB and has invested £145m in a new plant in Inverness, Scotland. Manufactured using renewable heat from on-site biomass boilers, Norbord’s SterlingOSB Zero is a sustainable, low-energy product with excellent physical performance characteristics.  A new family of products is a development of the most popular OSB brand in the building and interior design arena and comprises SterlingOSB Zero 3, SterlingOSB Zero Tongue and Groove, SterlingOSB Zero SiteCoat, SterlingOSB Zero Fire Solutions and SterlingOSB Zero StrongFix.

SterlingOSB Zero is Norbord’s UK manufactured oriented strand board with zero added formaldehyde. It is one of the most widely-used components of UK timber frame systems and with efforts being concentrated to speed up the development of new homes, SterlingOSB Zero is set to be a cost-effective and high quality solution to growing demands.

Construction 2025, the joint government and industry strategy, outlines ambitious targets for the UK construction industry. Within the next five years, both construction-related emissions and project delivery times must be halved, while construction costs are required to be reduced by a third. Offsite timber frame construction will be one of the solutions for housebuilders – and using Norbord’s SterlingOSB Zero is just the ticket in terms of green, speed and cost when considering the essential board material. OSB is an essential component of all timber framed panel systems and a major contributor to their growing popularity.

The growth of timber frame is gradually changing long-established practices within housebuilding as new timber-framed homes can be brought to market at a much faster rate than is possible with traditional brick-and-block. The off-site manufacture of timber frame reduces not only the erection time on site but also the amount of traditional building skills required.

Structural timber technology addresses government concerns surrounding the environmental impact and energy efficiency associated with the procurement of housing as well those concerning the speed and cost of construction. The rise in demand to meet these challenges as the housebuilding industry grows is sure to see Norbord and its trustworthy portfolio of products retain a leading reputation.