Movers and makers

• Kit and Modern Timber-Frame Homes: The Complete Guide has been published by Crowood Press. The book considers the key types of timber structure, including oak frame, structural insulated panels, log homes and open and closed panel systems, with illustrations of examples.

• The Trussed Rafter Association has published a guide on open web joists. Open web joists are parallel chord trusses made from strength graded timber that is joined together with either timber or metal webs.

• The York Handmade Brick Company has opened a special products manufacturing facility near Easingwold. The brickworks will allow the firm’s production to develop into new areas, such as the production of brick rubbers for high-quality conservation work.

• The CIRIA has published guidance on early age thermal crack control in concrete. Areas covered include methods for estimating the magnitude of crack-inducing strain, the risk of cracking and where cracking is predicted.

• The British Masonry Society has changed its name to the International Masonry Society, to better reflect its worldwide membership.

• Bentley systems has published Best Practices for Using Software in Structural Engineering, a collection of articles and case studies on topics ranging from implementation strategies to analysis approaches and integration with building information modelling. The collection will help structural engineers and designers improve quality and workflows.