Press Release
22 February 2025
To promote the sustainable use of timber in construction, Jigme Namgyel Engineering College launched a 10-week course on Certificate in Timber Engineering on February 17, 2025. This course is designed to equip engineering professionals with a comprehensive understanding of key principles in timber engineering.
The course integrates modern and emerging technologies with traditional knowledge of natural materials like timber, fostering innovation in sustainable design and construction. Participants will develop both conceptual and practical skills essential for designing and constructing affordable, resilient, and environmentally sustainable timber infrastructure.
A total of 17 candidates from various agencies have enrolled in the program. The course focusses on the following modules:
- Building Energy: Fundamentals of Building Physics, Introduction of Building energy efficiency, Building envelope, Thermal load calculations, Building energy modelling and simulation
- Introduction to Timber: Introduction of Timber in Construction, Timber Characteristics and Properties, Fire-associated behaviors, . Timber Utilization in Bhutan
- Timber Processing & Quality Control: Timber Harvesting, Seasoning, Storage, Treatment, Cutting-Shaping,
- Timber Construction Design: Timber Joinery, Shear force and Bending Moment, Design of Beam and Column, Analysis and Design of Truss, Cross and Glue laminated Timber, Estimating and Costing of Timber
- Timber Maintenance & Retrofitting: Timber Durability, Inspection, Assessment and Maintenance Management of Timber Structures, Fire Resistance Upgrading Techniques, Timber Joinery Maintenance, Timber Retrofitting
The course was designed in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck, Austria and is being taught by three professors from the same university.
JNEC extends its gratitude to the Royal University of Bhutan, Innsbruck University-Austria, Lund University-Sweden and APPEAR-Austrian Partnership Programme in Higher Education and Research for Development of Austrian Development Cooperation.
Dewathang, Bhutan