Andy Desmond
UK Business Development Leader, Construction & Surety Practice, Marsh JLT Specialty
In the fourth episode of our series The Rise of Mass Timber, Andy Desmond, Construction Industry Leader at Marsh Specialty, and Alex Brock, Pre-Construction Manager for B&K Hybrid Solutions, discuss how the Mass Timber Insurance Playbook can be used to help secure insurance.
The Mass Timber Insurance Playbook, released in May 2023 by The Alliance for Sustainable Building Products, is a valuable resource for mass timber developers. It focuses on identifying the potential risks of using mass timber and addresses insurers' preferences.
The playbook should be implemented during the early stages of development to ensure that innovative materials, new technologies, and risk management strategies are integrated into the design phase. This will allow for thorough collaboration between project developers and insurance brokers and underwriters.
In this episode, our panellists explore the concept of repairability and how best to leverage timber as one of several materials used in a project — rather than a total dismissal of traditional building materials. In addition, as discussed in the previous episode, Andy and Alex touch on the two significant risks associated with mass timber projects — water and fire — stressing the need for robust moisture management systems and plans as well as fire tests and surveys.
Listen to this episode to discover how The Mass Timber Playbook is driving procedure and stay tuned for the next instalment of the series where we deep dive into how real estate insurers view mass timber projects.
UK Business Development Leader, Construction & Surety Practice, Marsh JLT Specialty