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A Sustainable Alternative in Construction
INTRODUCTION
The building construction industry is regarded as one of the most carbon-intensive and wasteful industrial sectors, contributing to a significant share of the total greenhouse gas emissions in most industrialized countries. While most industries in modern society have made tremendous technological advancements in the last few decades, the building construction industry has demonstrated an unimpressive innovation adoption propensity. This is especially true with regard to structural engineering and corresponding material use for building constructions. However, the tide may be turning, with positive adoption trends of innovative mass timber systems among architects and designers for designing taller buildings with wood as the primary structural material.
Complementing the traditional use of wood in building constructions, mass timber systems enable the construction of taller buildings using wood as the primary structural material. Mass timber framing styles are typically characterized by the use of large solid engineered wood panels for wall, floor, and roof construction. The products in the mass timber family include cross-laminated timber (CLT), glued laminated timber (GLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), nail-laminated timber (NLT), mass plywood, and other similar engineered panel and beam products.
Mass timber systems offer a potentially appealing alternative to traditional materials where new buildings can be constructed with:
Moreover, the proponents of mass timber systems also claim that increased demand for wood will help forest health restoration, mitigate catastrophic forest fire risk, promote sustainable forestry, and help drive reforestation activities.
The building construction industry is regarded as one of the most carbon-intensive and wasteful industrial sectors, contributing to a significant share of the total greenhouse gas emissions in most industrialized countries. While most industries in modern society have made tremendous technological advancements in the last few decades, the building construction industry has demonstrated an unimpressive innovation adoption propensity. This is especially true with regard to structural engineering and corresponding material use for building constructions. However, the tide may be turning, with positive adoption trends of innovative mass timber systems among architects and designers for designing taller buildings with wood as the primary structural material.
Complementing the traditional use of wood in building constructions, mass timber systems enable the construction of taller buildings using wood as the primary structural material. Mass timber framing styles are typically characterized by the use of large solid engineered wood panels for wall, floor, and roof construction. The products in the mass timber family include cross-laminated timber (CLT), glued laminated timber (GLT), laminated veneer lumber (LVL), nail-laminated timber (NLT), mass plywood, and other similar engineered panel and beam products.
Mass timber systems offer a potentially appealing alternative to traditional materials where new buildings can be constructed with:
- significantly lower fossil carbon emissions
- reduced material waste and lighter carbon footprint
- increased construction efficiency
- long-term biogenic carbon storage
Moreover, the proponents of mass timber systems also claim that increased demand for wood will help forest health restoration, mitigate catastrophic forest fire risk, promote sustainable forestry, and help drive reforestation activities.
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