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Mass Timber
Mass timber is a type of construction typically characterized by the use of large solid wood panels for wall, floor, and roof construction. Large structural panels, posts, and beams glued under pressure or nailed together in layers, with the wood’s grain stacked perpendicular for extra strength – are prized as innovative building materials, superior to concrete and steel in many ways. Mass timber has pushed the perceived boundaries of wood construction, leading to building heights and spans that traditionally have required concrete, steel or masonry for structural support. The move to mass timber has become something of a construction revolution and many see it as a significant part of a climate change solution.
The question is just how green is mass timber
construction? How sustainable is it in
terms of the forest management, logging, manufacture and transportation of wood
products involved?
A number of environmental groups are very
skeptical. There is not yet
comprehensive data on the subject. Only
recently have interdisciplinary scientists begun to study the potential climate
impacts of the wide use of mass timber.
Despite these questions, the mass timber
industry is taking off. Demand for mass
timber posts and beams has led to new sawmills opening in the U.S. Northwest
and many new jobs for loggers.
The aesthetics and economics of mass timber
are both very attractive compared with conventional large-scale construction
materials. The real unknowns relate to
the environmental impact of its widespread use.
If that can take place in a sustainable and environmentally
conscientious way, it would be very important in the fight against climate
change. Carbon dioxide emissions from
the building industry account for more than a third of global emissions,
primarily from the concrete and steel industries.
**********
Web Links
As Mass Timber Takes Off, How Green Is This New Building Material?
Photo, posted March 19, 2018, courtesy of Freres Lumber Co via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
View all episodes
By Randy Simon
4.7
1515 ratings
Mass timber is a type of construction typically characterized by the use of large solid wood panels for wall, floor, and roof construction. Large structural panels, posts, and beams glued under pressure or nailed together in layers, with the wood’s grain stacked perpendicular for extra strength – are prized as innovative building materials, superior to concrete and steel in many ways. Mass timber has pushed the perceived boundaries of wood construction, leading to building heights and spans that traditionally have required concrete, steel or masonry for structural support. The move to mass timber has become something of a construction revolution and many see it as a significant part of a climate change solution.
The question is just how green is mass timber
construction? How sustainable is it in
terms of the forest management, logging, manufacture and transportation of wood
products involved?
A number of environmental groups are very
skeptical. There is not yet
comprehensive data on the subject. Only
recently have interdisciplinary scientists begun to study the potential climate
impacts of the wide use of mass timber.
Despite these questions, the mass timber
industry is taking off. Demand for mass
timber posts and beams has led to new sawmills opening in the U.S. Northwest
and many new jobs for loggers.
The aesthetics and economics of mass timber
are both very attractive compared with conventional large-scale construction
materials. The real unknowns relate to
the environmental impact of its widespread use.
If that can take place in a sustainable and environmentally
conscientious way, it would be very important in the fight against climate
change. Carbon dioxide emissions from
the building industry account for more than a third of global emissions,
primarily from the concrete and steel industries.
**********
Web Links
As Mass Timber Takes Off, How Green Is This New Building Material?
Photo, posted March 19, 2018, courtesy of Freres Lumber Co via Flickr.
Earth Wise is a production of WAMC Northeast Public Radio.
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