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About the National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life
The National Centre for Timber Durability and Design Life (NCTDDL), based at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), is Australia’s hub for research into timber performance, durability and circularity.
Established with support from the Australian Government, FWPA, UniSC, the University of Queensland, and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Centre ensures world-class research is translated into outcomes for industry.
Our Role
FWPA plays a central role in supporting the centre by providing funding and helping to align research with the needs of levy payers and ensuring the outcomes flow back into industry standards, design tools, and real-world applications.
Key Objectives
- Durability: Deliver coordinated research to address industry challenges in timber protection, service life and performance.
- Circularity: Develop practical pathways to recycle, reuse and repurpose treated timber and engineered wood products.
- Capacity building: Train the next generation of researchers to ensure a sustained scientific foundation for Australia’s timber sector.
Leadership In Durability
Led by Professor Tripti Singh, an internationally recognised expert in wood protection, the Centre is strengthening its role as a trusted research partner. Under her leadership, projects are directly informing Standards Australia committees, industry codes, and design practices.
Timber Circularity Project
The Timber Circularity Project brings together timber producers, chemical suppliers and users to develop viable options for the reuse and recycling of preservative-treated timber and EWPs. By reducing landfill waste, overcoming regulatory barriers, and promoting circular economy principles, this project helps ensure timber remains the most sustainable and low-carbon construction material.
A National Research Hub
The Centre’s five-year research plan, endorsed in 2024, outlines major initiatives on durability, moisture management, and circularity. It also collaborates through the ARC Timber Hub, with dedicated projects on moisture performance in mass timber construction—critical for long-term durability in Australian conditions.
Training the Next Generation
FWPA support has helped fund nine PhD and Master’s students, building the sector’s research capability. Graduates are moving into both academia and industry, ensuring new expertise feeds directly back into the sector.
Industry Collaboration
The Centre works closely with FWPA and its Softwood Manufacturers’ Advisory Committee (SMAC), Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), Timber Queensland, Timber Preservers’ Association Australia (TPAA), EWPAA and more than 40 timber companies across Australia to ensure research reflects real industry needs. Extension activities, such as webinars and mill visits, are helping transfer knowledge across the supply chain.
Why It Matters
For manufacturers, builders and specifiers, the Centre provides practical tools and data to improve confidence in timber’s performance. For policymakers, it delivers evidence for sustainable regulations. And for the sector as a whole, it supports timber’s role as a durable, renewable and recyclable choice for Australia’s built environment.