FEATURE
When wood is sourced from a certified plantation , there will be a chain-of-custody . This provides a link between the buyers and sellers ( from the forest to the point-of-sale ), providing assurance that the product is sustainably sourced .
THE CARBON FACTOR
Trees are nature ’ s best carbon captors . South Africa ’ s plantations remove a significant amount of carbon dioxide from our atmosphere during their rotations of seven to 20 years .
This carbon remains stored in the wood – whether it is made into paper , a roof truss or engineered into cross-laminated timber for high-rise buildings .
THE COOL FACTOR
With its excellent thermal insulation value , wood can act as a humidity regulator , absorbing moisture in wet conditions and releasing it when the air is dry .
MLF17
Timber as a mainstream construction material is gaining momentum globally .
Wood and natural materials deliver a certain degree of wellbeing , happiness , and comfort that other materials cannot match . “ One only needs to think how good you feel in a wooded area , green space or a timber building ,” Southey says , alluding to the psychological hypothesis of ‘ biophilia ’.
THE LOCAL FACTOR
The forestry value chain contributes R69 billion to the local economy annually with sawmilling supporting approximately 30 000 people in predominantly rural communities .
Wood is versatile and lightweight , making it ideal for modular volumetric prefabrication of lowincome housing as well as larger homes and multi-storey buildings .
“ Timber as a mainstream construction material is gaining momentum globally , however perceptions need to be changed in South Africa ,” says Southey . “ Wood is versatile and lightweight , making it ideal for modular volumetric prefabrication of low-income housing as well as larger homes and multi-storey buildings .”
All factors considered , wood brings something special , but it can have a greater purpose – to reduce carbon emissions and provide us with durable built environments .
IDA
Timber forms part of large international building today , like the Mectan Cebu International Airport in the Philippines .
www . timberiq . co . za // JUNE / JULY 2021 19