Wood is eco-friendly
According to a study published in the Journal
of Forestry, using steel and concrete,
which is the world’s biggest counterpart,
accounts for 16 percent of global emissions.
Moreover, a study of Yale school of forestry
and environmental studies suggests that 31
percent of emissions could be reduced by
switching to wood. Further, the carbon footprint
of wood is comparatively very small
and as a result, transportation of wood requires
less fossil fuel since wood is lighter
than its counterparts, which subsequently
reduces emissions.
Wood is lighter
The main concern for skyscrapers is their
sheer weight. As such, the material has to
be strong enough to support its weight.
Since wooden structures are light in weight,
they are way ahead of concrete. However,
wooden structures are highly vulnerable to
high wind loads due to their light weight at
certain heights. But scientists have already
produced hybrid materials to overcome this
aspect.
Wood is renewable
Wood is renewable simply because trees
can be regrown. Although deforestation may
seem quite contradictory to the above mentioned
statement that ‘wood is ecofriendly’,
it has been scientifically proven that harvesting
trees and re-growing them reduces
carbon footprint as fresh trees work better in
reducing carbon footprint which is ultimately
eco-friendly. Austria pioneered and leads
the use of CLT for construction. Ironically
Austria is one of the most eco-friendly countries
because trees are largely regrown which
accounts for the trees used for timber.
Wood is durable
Compared with typical steel and concrete
buildings, wooden structures are highly durable.
Not only corrosion, which is the biggest
issue with reinforced concrete, but also
fire will not reduce the durability of plyscrapers.
Although insect attacks, specially
termite attacks, seem to be an issue with
plyscrapers, with the application of various
chemicals it can be easily overcome. It has
also been proven that CLT works better than
concrete in aseismic events.
GAUGE Magazine
University of Peradeniya
Page
55