TALKING TIMBER
The potential of engineered wood as a sustainable construction material
By Chrisna du Plessis , Department of Architecture , University of Pretoria
Despite wide-spread use around the world , South Africans still regard timber construction with suspicion , best left to holiday log cabins and Wendy houses .
The University of Pretoria ’ s Future Africa conference venue
challenged this misconception with its creative use of engineered wood , ushering in a new era for timber construction in South Africa .
While engineered wood in the form of plywood , particle board and fibre board has been around for a long time , the international uptake of mass timber such as glued laminated timber ( glulam ), laminated veneer lumber ( LVL ), cross-laminated timber ( CLT ), and parallel strand lumber ( PSL ) for construction of high-rise buildings is placing timber construction at the forefront of the pursuit for more sustainable construction .
Sustainability arguments for engineered wood centre on four factors : reduced greenhouse gas emissions , cost , and efficiency savings , improved human wellbeing , and superior safety .
REDUCING GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Producing concrete and steel is very carbon-intensive , together accounting for nearly 10 % of global emissions . In contrast , as trees grow , they absorb carbon dioxide , with about 50 % of the dry weight of wood being carbon . When the trees are sustainably harvested and used to make wood products , the carbon remains stored in the wood for the life of the product .
LEON LOUW
In general , product certification on a global level follows very similar processes , as the certification bodies offering these services all need to comply with the requirements of the international ISO / IEC 17065:2012 .
28 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2021 // www . timberiq . co . za