Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

←
→

Wood, Paper & Green Building

Steel vs. Wood: Which is the More Sustainable Building Material?

Canadian Institute of Steel Construction
April 10, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

According to certain “studies”, wood claims a smaller environmental footprint than any other major building material. However, a closer look at the facts reveal some significant inconsistencies with that claim. A study cited often by the wood industry was published by the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials (CORRIM) and is based on outdated information. For example, it made incorrect assumption about the quantity of steel needed of its comparisons. MYTH: Studies demonstrate that wood is a more sustainable material than steel. REALITY: The most-cited study contains numerous incorrect assumptions about steel, and it omitted wood impacts. Wood is typically a single-use material. At the end of its life, a building’s wood frame is typically land filled or incinerated. This returns any stored carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere as either carbon dioxide or methane… In comparison, steel is the world’s most recyclable material.

Read More

Is mass timber construction really renewable and sustainable?

By Lloyd Alter
Treehugger
April 9, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

A new study says it is, and we speak to one of the authors. There are a number of questions that come up every time we talk about mass timber construction, which I was hoping might be addressed in the new guide to North American Mass Timber- State of the Industry 2019. The guide is produced by the Forest Business Network and acknowledges support from almost every big name in the mass timber industry, so we cannot call it an unbiased source …But when you read all the pros and the cons, and even if wood and the industry are not quite perfect, there is simply no comparison in the upfront carbon emissions of the manufacture of mass timber compared to other materials; and…it is storing carbon, about a ton of carbon for every cubic meter of wood. Dave Atkins says wood is renewable, biodegradable and sustainable. It is hard to argue with that.

Read More

Award-winning libraries rewrite the book on good design

By Adam Williams
New Atlas
April 8, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, United States

A library with a train track running through it and another with an angular design that maximizes natural light inside are highlights of this year’s American Institute of Architects (AIA) and American Library Association (ALA) Library Building Awards. Whether you’re an avid bookworm or not, it’s a great opportunity to check out some high-profile projects by the likes of SOM, Snøhetta and Perkins + Will. …there are a total of six winners of the 2019 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards. …all six winners are located in North America this year: four in the US and two in Canada. The most impressive is Calgary Central Library, by Snøhetta and Dialog. Fronted by an energy-efficient triple-glazed facade with a hexagonal pattern of fritted glass and aluminum panels, the building is accessed by passing through a large wood archway inspired by the Chinook cloud formation.

Read More

Canada’s cement and concrete industry applauds recommendations from International Environmental Think Tank

By the Cement Association of Canada
Cision Newswire
April 3, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

OTTAWA – In communities across the country, the buildings where we live and work are responsible for over 30% of Canada’s GHG emissions.  …The Cement Association of Canada (CAC) has been a vocal champion for putting science at the centre of a national effort to reduce carbon emissions from the built environment. …The IISD study Emission Omissions: Carbon accounting gaps in the built environment confirmed that Life-cycle Assessment (LCA) is the best approach we have for analyzing the carbon cycle in the built environment and reducing emissions.  However, the research found that current LCA tools have serious shortcomings.  They overlook significant sources of carbon and these gaps could result in misdirected efforts to reduce GHGs. …However, they singled out forestry products for urgent attention because current LCAs ignore emissions from “biogenic carbon.” The study found that these omissions could represent up to 72% of the life-cycle emissions of wood products.

Read More

Tool for tracking GHGs in Canada’s buildings has “built in” errors: study

By the International Institute for Sustainable Development
Cision Newswire
April 3, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

WINNIPEG – Construction practices, policies, building and energy codes and other regulations need to change if Canada is to meaningfully reduce GHGs from the building sector, a new report finds. Emission Omissions: Carbon accounting in the built environment, a new peer-reviewed study conducted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), examines Life-cycle Assessments (LCA) – the primary analysis tool … to account for GHGs and other impacts of building products at each phase of their “cradle-to-grave” lifespan… The report finds while they are the best-available tool for evaluating GHG performance of alternative building products and designs, current LCAs have limits that may misdirect efforts to reduce GHGs from the built environment… Major findings include: LCAs do not track or account for “biogenic carbon” from the extraction and end-of-life stages of wood building products. …This may represent up to 70 per cent of total lifecycle emissions.

Read More

Achieving the Promise of Mass Timber with FSC Wood

By FSC
FSC Canada
March 26, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada

Mass timber has captured the imaginations of architects and builders. Supporters argue that mass timber can replace steel and concrete in construction, reducing carbon pollution from those sectors. …By replacing structural steel and concrete, the argument goes, mass timber can reduce carbon emissions from construction materials. 5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions come from concrete manufacturing and another 5 percent comes from steel. Yet recent research by engineering firm Arup in “The New Carbon Architecture,” found that “the final life cycle emissions of the timber design could arrive very close to the final emissions of the concrete design option if both worst-case sourcing and worst-case transport scenarios were realized.” In other words, mass timber can be a climate solution as long as the wood is sourced from a local, responsibly managed forest.

Read More

Live Edge Design’s Stephanie Farrow creates wooden works of art

By Sean McIntyre
Victoria News
April 10, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Stephanie Farrow

Slabs of immaculately hewn maple, walnut and arbutus await delivery in the loading bay at Duncan’s Live Edge Design. Nearby, contemporary, resin-infused countertops are contrasted with the clean simplicity of a rustic dinning room table. All are works of art that infuse an otherwise nondescript industrial park with a sense of magic that lures visitors to ponder the inspiration and skilled craftsmanship at the heart of each piece. “No tree is firewood in our eyes,” says designer Stephanie Farrow. “No two pieces are the same, and I love working with the challenges of each piece.” …While the milled lumber dries in the yard and kiln for up to eight months, Stephanie is hard at work indoors bringing ideas to life. Images of the raw materials are uploaded to Photoshop, where different permutations are laid out for clients to consider.

Read More

Wood investment turns into gold for Vancouver developer

By Peter Mitham
Business in Vancouver
April 10, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

…Recent changes to the B.C. Building Code are set to make 12-storey wood towers a mainstream option, paralleling the approval later this month of 18-storey wood towers in Washington state and changes to Canada’s national building code that take effect next year. Riding the wave forward is Penticton’s Structurlam Products Ltd., part of the Adera Group of Cos. Adera originally invested in Structurlam in 2008, and today the timber manufacturer is booked solid with orders from Adera and other builders. “We asked, ‘How can we build wood better?’ and we started turning to engineered structural woods as a solution,” said Eric Andreasen, vice-president of marketing and sales for Adera Development Corp. Andreasen said Adera builds exclusively with wood and is calling its mass timbers “SmartWood,” a nod to both the sustainability and construction benefits of the material.

Read More

Wood construction renaissance may not be quite all its built up to be, report says

On-Site Magazine
April 4, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

WINNIPEG—Sustainability has taken on an increasingly important role in Canadian construction in recent years. The energy-intensive processes required to manufacture concrete and steel have, at least in part, propelled another age-old building material back to the fore.  …While many life cycle assessments (LCAs) show using wood can lower a building’s carbon emissions, a new study from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) finds these analyses often overlook several important factors in assessing the “cradle-to-grave” emissions of building materials. Most notably, the Winnipeg-based think tank said typical LCAs do not track or account for “biogenic” carbon — a category that includes carbon losses related to soil disturbances, imperfect reforestation efforts and the conversion of old-growth primary forests to less productive secondary forests.

Read More

Ladysmith recycles windfall into usable lumber

Ladysmith Chronicle
April 3, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

A literal windfall turned into a metaphorical windfall for public works crews in Ladysmith this winter. Trees downed by the massive pre-Christmas windstorm were salvaged and are continuing to provide raw materials for a steady list of projects. According to a media release from the town, 25 cedar and Douglas fir trees knocked over onDec. 20 were pulled from the forest and milled into roughly 8,000 board feet, which would have otherwise been purchased by the Town. …“Town crews were able to use boards from the milled Douglas fir trees to install a new log birling pond cover at the Transfer Beach Amphitheatre,” said CAO Guillermo Ferrero. “The remaining timber stock is going into inventory and will be used over the coming years for the various projects from stairs to railings to benches to whatever we might need– often in our public parks.”

Read More

Cement association critical of B.C. 12-storey tall wood allowance

By Russell Hixson
The Journal of Commerce
April 3, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Local governments in B.C. will be allowed to adopt mass-timber technology for construction of buildings up to 12 storeys. …The announcement has drawn heavy criticism from the Cement Association of Canada (CAC). The association accused the province of bypassing the ongoing 2020 National Building Code of Canada processes and putting residents at risk. The CAC noted B.C. is at risk for earthquakes but there are no approved seismic design specifications for 12-storey cross-laminated timber buildings for the 2020 National Building Code and recommendations regarding this will not be approved until later this year. …The association also added the policy won’t create jobs as the province claims, but instead, shifts them. …Lynn Embury-Williams, executive director for Wood WORKS! BC, called the policy shift a positive change. “It’s a significant advancement from the national code,” said Embury-Williams, noting the changes will require a high degree of encapsulation for fire protection.

Read More

Alberta Party pledges to grow forestry industry with timber towers, research institute

By Dustin Cook
Edmonton Journal
March 29, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada West

Stephen Mandel

An Alberta Party government would increase building opportunities in the “forgotten” forestry industry and set out to bring a $1-billion boost annually to the economy. If elected, the party would amend the province’s building code to allow for taller timber buildings as well as create a research institute, leader Stephen Mandel announced Friday morning. “I believe in the past, Alberta’s not done near enough to look at how we can differentiate ourselves,” Mandel said in front of a wooden home under construction in the northeast neighbourhood of Schonsee. “The opportunity to build taller buildings out of lumber will … decrease the costs of operation as well as lower greenhouse gases.” The current height restriction for wood-framed buildings is six storeys under the Alberta Building Code and Mandel said the province is falling behind other jurisdictions. A timber tower in B.C. constructed in 2017 stands 18 storeys tall.

Read More

Not the whole story on wood buildings

Letter By Michael McSweeney, President and CEO Cement Association of Canada Bart Kanters, President Concrete Ontario
The Recorder & Times
April 12, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Build with facts, not fiction—We would like to correct misleading and inaccurate information … in the news story “Wood buildings the future?”. The story reported on Mr. Andrew Melchers’ (local architect) presentation to the local group Transition Brockville and contained incorrect information about the environmental impact of building materials like wood and concrete. Facts and science are on the side of audience members who reportedly challenged Mr. Melchers’ comments about the “green” value of wood as a building material. Mr. Melchers admitted he needed to do a little more research and we would like to support him by sharing the following key findings from the most recent research on this topic: – Independent and peer-reviewed research by the International Institute for Sustainable Development has uncovered serious gaps in how carbon is measured in building materials. The research singles out forestry products as a problem saying their benefit in reducing carbon is exaggerated and often overstated

Read More

Is Canada’s tallest mass timber office tower rising in Toronto?

Construction Canada
April 4, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

Located in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood, 77 Wade Avenue aims to be the tallest modern mass timber office and commercial building in the country that is targeting Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. Designed by Bogdan Newman Caranci (BNC) Architecture and Urban Design, at eight storeys and approximately 13,935 m2 (150,000 sf), the building proposes a purposefully designed and built office with collaboration space for the new digital age industrial worker. The key design intent is to fuse contrasting materials to enhance the warmth of an exposed wood structure comprised of composite mass timber, concrete, and steel structural assemblies.

Read More

Prioritizing of profit at root of fire that killed seven Syrian refugee children in Nova Scotia

By Frédéric Charlebois
The World Socialist Web Site
April 5, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada, Canada East

On February 19, the Bahro family, which fled the Syrian war in 2017 and ultimately settled on the outskirts of Halifax, was decimated by a devastating fire. …The Halifax Fire Department’s investigation is ongoing, but the rapid spread of the blaze reflects a type of fire that is becoming more and more frequent, particularly for relatively new homes. …Vince Mackenzie, Fire Chief of Grand Falls-Windsor, said that due to the construction materials that are now commonly used, as well as the abundance of plastic objects, fires can burn 8 to 9 times faster than when he started his career 35 years ago. …For example, contractors use inferior quality lumber or composite materials such as chipboard instead of plywood. …At the structural level, the easier to handle and more practical I-beams have replaced the solid wooden columns and beams of the past, which had a longer resistance to flames.

Read More

Timber Frame Vs Post And Beam Construction

By Sheri Koones
Forbes Magazine
April 14, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Post and beam and timber frame are both beautiful methods of building but most people think of them as one and the same. Although they are similar, there are subtle differences between them.  Both are methods of building that create a frame that is self-sustaining and carries the weight of the house. The main difference in the two types of construction is the method of joining the parts. Timber frames are always made with solid wood with mortise-and-tenon connections and secured with wood pegs. Post and beam construction typically uses half lap joinery with hidden fasteners, and decorative metal braces some of the time. The other difference is in the type of wood that is used. Post and Beams can be constructed using engineered wood… Timber frames are constructed using only solid timber.

Read More

Is wood the future of campus construction?

By Hallie Busta
Education Dive
April 10, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

College buildings are test labs for a new kind of wood technology, but for all its support the latest trend isn’t without its challenges. The University of Idaho’s proposed 4,200-seat … arena will consist primarily of wood, using innovative construction technology that is gradually finding its way into new campus buildings across the U.S. The trend has been driven by an aggressive effort from the wood-products industry to generate demand for the emerging market segment. And it is feeding colleges’ desire to show off commitments to sustainability, local industry and innovation. It gained some momentum last month with news of up to $1 million in grant money to help colleges add mass timber buildings to their campuses. …Supporters hail mass timber’s potential: the ability to speed up construction timelines in an industry plagued by inefficiencies; less environmental wear and tear; an attractive visual aesthetic; and the economic contribution of skilled jobs in an emerging industry.

Read More

Educating the Informed Consumer About Buying Preserved Wood

By Belinda Remley
The Merchant Magazine
April 8, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

…When consumers, armed with knowledge affected by the Internet, walk down the lumber aisle, how can your voice guide them to what they need to make their project a success? “It all starts before the consumer walks through the door,” explains Chad Sanders, Lowe’s divisional merchandise manager-lumber. …According to a recent study… 86% of professionals specializing in building with preservative treated wood do some research prior to purchase. …“Because 42% of DIYers and 38% of pros depend on store associates, it is important to arm those associates with in-aisle materials they can quickly reference,” Matt adds. “Standard in-aisle resources are tear pads, banners and FAQ cards. While providing technical data is good, it is really important to make sure the information provided is useful and helps the associate sell.”

Read More

Consumers mislead by media claims of wood fillers in Parmesan cheese

By Joe Schwarcz
Wisconsin State Farmer
April 4, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Time Magazine… got this story wrong. “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned that products labeled ‘100% Parmesan’ might actually contain cheese substitutes like wood pulp” claimed Time. Well, the FDA did not issue any such warning. What it did to was send a letter, in 2012, to Castle Cheese about the company’s grated Parmesan cheese containing more cellulose than the 2% that is commonly allowed as an anti-clumping agent, but there was no mention of wood pulp. Then a few years later, in 2016, Bloomberg News commissioned a study of grated Parmesan cheeses and found that some contained up to 8% cellulose. “The Parmesan Cheese You Sprinkle on Your Penne Could Be Wood,” screamed the Bloomberg headline, setting the blogosphere on fire. The wood connection sprang from the imagination of an overeager headline writer. Yes, cellulose can come from wood pulp, but it can also come from asparagus or any plant material. And its origin is irrelevant.

Read More

WoodWorks US 2019 Wood Design Awards

By WoodWorks US
PR Newswire
April 2, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States

Washington — WoodWorks – Wood Products Council has announced the winners of its 2019 Wood Design Awards, which celebrate innovation and excellence in wood building design across the US. Awards are an opportunity to recognize building designers for their skill and ingenuity, and to showcase projects that demonstrate the attributes of wood that make it so appealing. “I’ve heard people call it a wood revolution but whatever the term, this year’s nominees seem to reflect genuine interest in maximizing the potential of wood building design in this country,” Jennifer Cover, WoodWorks’ President and CEO said. “At one end of the spectrum, winners include an 8- story apartment building, which exemplifies the interest we’re seeing in taller wood structures; at the other, an adaptive re-use project that includes original wood framing from the 1880s.

Read More

Fire-Resistant Upgrades Could Be a Game-Changer in Wildfires

By Dale Kasler and Phillip Reese
The Claims Journal
April 15, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

PARADISE, California — …The Carrells’ home survived the deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history with a couple of warped window frames, a partially charred down spout and a stubborn smoky smell inside. Most of their neighborhood was destroyed. …Why were some houses saved and others incinerated? As millions of Californians brace for another wildfire season , a McClatchy analysis of fire and property records shows the answer might be found in something as simple as the roofs over their heads and the year their house was built. A landmark 2008 building code designed for California’s fire-prone regions — requiring fire-resistant roofs, siding and other safeguards appears to have protected the Carrells’ home and dozens of others like it from the Camp Fire. …Advocates say fire-resistant building materials aren’t particularly expensive. 

Read More

Millions bracing for wildfire season wonder if their homes are safe

By Dale Kasler and Phillip Reese
Redding Record Searchlight
April 11, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

This story is part of a series, Destined to Burn, in which a partnership between journalists from USA TODAY Network-California, McClatchy, Media News and the Associated Press explore the urgent wildfire issues facing California. …The arc of destruction the Camp Fire carved through Paradise was seemingly random: Why were some houses saved and others incinerated? As millions of Californians brace for another wildfire season, a McClatchy analysis of fire and property records shows the answer might be found in something as simple as the roofs over their heads — and the year their house was built. A landmark 2008 building code designed for California’s fire-prone regions — requiring fire-resistant roofs, siding and other safeguards — appears to have protected the Carrells’ home and dozens of others like it from the Camp Fire. …Nevertheless, experts say, McClatchy’s analysis reinforces their belief that California’s fire-safe building code can make a difference in an era of increasing vulnerability.

Read More

Scientists Say They Have Found a Viable Replacement for Petroleum-Based Plastic

By Christian Detisch
Yale Environment 360
April 11, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Scientists at Ohio State University say they have developed a viable alternative to petroleum-based plastic food packaging by using natural tree-based rubber. According to the researchers, the new biodegradable material holds promise for fighting the world’s growing plastic pollution problem, as well as for helping curb our reliance on fossil fuels. …The new material developed by Ohio State scientists, detailed in a new study in the journal Polymers, involves melting natural rubber into a plant-based biodegradable plastic called PHBV, and then adding an organic peroxide and an additive called trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA). The scientists’ end product was 75 percent tougher and 100 percent more flexible than PHBV on its own. …Now, the researchers are focusing on the potential use of additional biodegradable materials that might be used to make their product even stronger. They’ve considered tomato skins, egg shells, and even invasive grasses being removed from waterways as possible options.

Read More

In Midtown, a wood-frame office building rises

By J. Scott Trubey
Atlanta Journal Constitution
April 11, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

John Heagy stepped out of a stairwell onto the third floor of a building known as T3 West Midtown in Atlantic Station. …To the untrained eye, the unfinished seven-story building …might look like any ordinary mid-rise office. But look a little closer, and you’ll notice those massive wooden columns and beams aren’t just for show. The 230,000-square-foot project by Houston development giant Hines is believed to be the largest timber-framed office building in the U.S., or at least it will be until Hines completes a slightly larger sister project planned for Chicago, Heagy said on a tour of the building, scheduled to open in September. …The lumber is sourced from managed forests in the Pacific Northwest and Austria, Heagy said. The heavy timber construction method, which now features sophisticated laminated wood beams from managed forests, is popular today in Europe, though it remains a rarity in the U.S.

Read More

Maine tech group awards $1.5 million for forest products innovation

By Lori Valigra
Bangor Daily News
April 9, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Two emerging technology companies focusing on forest resources will each receive $750,000 to further develop their products. The Maine Technology Institute approved the awards for the Emerging Technology Challenge for Maine’s Forest Resources, which aims to attract emerging technology companies to the forest resource sector and support those that are already developing new products. MTI said the forest industry contributes about $8.5 billion annually to the state’s economy, with the potential to grow to $12 billion by 2025. GO Lab Inc., a building products manufacturer in Belfast, won one of the awards for its insulation. Made from wood fiber, it is renewable, recyclable, nontoxic and performs as well or better than other available insulations, according to MTI. GO Lab’s production facility at the former UPM paper mill in Madison is expected to consume 180,000 tons of softwood chips annually, create 100 jobs and generate approximately $70 million in annual revenue.

Read More

‘Lightweight construction’ materials may have contributed to why deadly Chesapeake Beach fire spread so quickly

By Ines de La Cuetara
WUSA 9
April 5, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

CHESAPEAKE BEACH, Md. — It is still unclear what caused the deadly blaze in Chesapeake Beach, but officials tell WUSA9 “lightweight construction” found in the wreckage could be part of the reason the fire spread so quickly.  “Lightweight construction has been a huge concern of our service for several years,” said Prince George’s County Deputy Fire Chief Alan Doubleday. Lightweight construction is typically used to build newer homes, mainly because it is cheaper than the solid wood that was previously used. But the materials used in lightweight construction also burn more rapidly.  The homes – an affordable housing community – that caught fire on Wednesday were built in 1998, according to the property website. Doubleday went on to explain most of the uncontrollable fires his department sees are of structures that were built with lightweight construction. “Imminent collapse comes at a much faster pace than it ever did in the past,” he said. 

Read More

As Mass Timber Takes Off, How Green Is This New Building Material?

By Jim Robbins
Yale Environment 360
April 9, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

The eight-story Carbon 12 building in Portland, Oregon is the tallest commercial structure in the United States to be built from something called mass timber. If the many fervent boosters of this new construction material are right, however, it is only one of the first mass timber buildings among many, the beginning of a construction revolution. “The design community in Portland is enthralled with the material,” said Emily Dawson, an architect at Kaiser + Path, the locally-based firm that designed Carbon 12. But there are big questions being asked about just how sustainable the new building material is –especially about how forests that produce mass timber are managed, and how much CO2 would be emitted in the logging, manufacture, and transport of the wood products used in the construction. So far, critics say, there aren’t good answers to these questions.

Read More

Study concludes region could support mass timber manufacturing

The Ely Echo
April 5, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

A recent study examined the economic feasibility of introducing mass timber manufacturing to the state of Minnesota and/or Minnesota’s Arrowhead region. Specifically, the study examined cross-laminated timber (CLT) which is a wood panel system that has gained popularity after being widely adopted in Europe. The study concluded: The growth of multi-family construction and the trend towards sustainable building materials have positively impacted the demand for CLT in the United States. Lumber mills and wholesalers in the Great Lakes region produce and distribute more than enough lumber in the grades and dimensions suitable for CLT manufacturing and have the ability to increase production and distribution volumes as the market demands. Significant economic impacts could result from a new CLT firm locating in the region. Building a mid-sized manufacturing facility in northeastern Minnesota could bring 50 new (direct) jobs, $11.7 million in industry sales, and 45 new (indirect) jobs.

Read More

Step 1: Build A House. Step 2: Set It On Fire

By Rebecca Hersher and Ryan Kellman
WBUR News
April 2, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

An hour south of Charlotte, N.C., a freshly constructed house sits in a wind tunnel waiting to be set on fire. …The past two years have been particularly costly for insurance companies that are on the hook for billions of dollars in damage done by hurricanes, wildfires, floods and other disasters. As these disasters become more frequent and expensive, in part because of climate change, insurers are investing more in this research facility that studies how to protect homes and businesses from destructive wind, water and embers. …The most recent full-scale test was a wildfire simulation. Engineers designed and built a full-size duplex home. On one side, the house has cedar siding, vinyl gutters, single-pane windows and bark mulch around the foundation. On the other side, the house is designed to be fire-resistant, with cement siding, metal gutters, double-pane windows and gravel around the foundation.

Read More

STEM facility at Michigan State will use innovative wood product

By Mike Kennedy
American School & University
April 1, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US East

Michigan State University’s planned STEM Teaching and Learning Facility will be the first in the state to use an innovative wood product, rather than concrete or steel, for its load-bearing structure. The university says the $100 million facility on the East Lansing campus will be built with mass timber. …“As a leading public research university, MSU has the fantastic opportunity to showcase these innovative and sustainable construction methods in the state of Michigan,” says Satish Udpa, MSU’s acting president. …Two new mass timber wings will offer 117,000 square feet of modern teaching labs, responding to STEM course demand. …The building is slated to open in fall 2020. … The wood panels are being manufactured in Quebec.

Read More

A Challenge of Rebuilding Notre Dame: The Forests That Supplied Its Wood Are All But Gone

By Katherine Dunn
Fortune Magazine
April 16, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

…Even though “the worst has been avoided,” as President Emmanuel Macron said Monday night, early reports of the damage are devastating. …As the oak frame met its end, so too did remnants of Europe’s dwindling ancient forests. …Replacing those beams with comparable oak is simply not an option, said Bertrand de Feydeau, vice president of the preservation group Fondation du Patrimoine. Trees that supplied the roof’s frame came from primary forests—forests that are largely untouched by human activity, he said. He surmised that the huge trees associated with primary forests are gone too. …Only 4% of Europe’s remaining woodland is primary forest, according to a study published last May. …De Feydeau seemed to come to this conclusion too: Notre Dame, he said, will have to rely on new technologies to rebuild.

Read More

France does not have big enough trees to replace Notre Dame’s medieval beams

By Cillian O’Brien
CTV News
April 16, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

David Elstone

A French cultural heritage expert says France no longer has trees big enough to replace ancient wooden beams that burned in the Notre Dame fire. Bertrand de Feydeau, vice-president of preservation group Fondation du Patrimoine, said that the wooden roof …was built with beams more than 800 years ago from primal forests. …De Feydeau said the restoration work will have to use new technologies to rebuild the roof. Meanwhile, David Elstone, executive director of B.C.-based Truck Loggers Association, said his province would not have suitable oak, but if architects required soft wood timber Canada could help. “We probably have a tree that would suit the needs of the architects that are trying to rebuild Notre Dame,” he said. “We grow large strong trees that you cannot find in other areas.” The oldest trees aren’t always the largest ones when measuring a tree’s age in centuries, Elstone explained.

Read More

Wood is good shows research on 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake

Voxy New Zealand
April 16, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

NEW ZEALAND — New research has found that only three per cent of deaths in the 1931 Hawke’s Bay earthquake occurred in people’s homes, almost all of which were at that time constructed from wood. The researchers found it was the collapse of just 15 buildings which caused more than half (58 per cent) of all deaths in the 7.8 magnitude earthquake, which remains New Zealand’s deadliest earthquake. Many of the buildings which collapsed were multi-storey constructions made of unreinforced masonry. …The study’s senior author, Professor Nick Wilson from the University of Otago, Wellington… says the value of wooden buildings has repeatedly been shown in earthquakes in New Zealand, going back as far as the 1848 Marlborough earthquake. However, the lessons of this and further earthquakes were not put into building regulations and New Zealanders continued building in insufficiently reinforced brick, including in multi-storey buildings.

Read More

Air NZ to build world’s largest single arch timber hangar

By Air New Zealand
Scoop Independent News
April 11, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Air New Zealand will begin construction on the largest single span timber arch aircraft hangar in the world at its engineering base in Auckland later this year. …The new timber hangar will be a 5-6 Green Star development certified by the New Zealand Green Building Council, meaning it will meet the highest standards of sustainable building construction and operation. A double-layer insulated fabric roof will enable the hangar to retain heat without the need for a heating system, while several large ceiling fans will circulate warm air back down to floor level in winter and provide a cooling effect in summer. …We now have a need for a more modern, innovative structure that takes energy use and other sustainability factors into account.

Read More

How Denmark approaches sustainable architecture – and what we can learn from them

By John Lorinc
The Globe and Mail
April 10, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

…“In Denmark, [sustaibability practices are] what’s expected,” muses architect Kolja Nielsen, chief executive of Cebra Aarhus, a Copenhagen firm that will be designing a yet-to-be unveiled mid-rise project in Toronto for Streetcar Developments. “[We] don’t market ourselves as green any more.” …Toronto’s development and design sector will – or should – be soaking up a lot from Danish approaches in coming years. …These firms, according to their principals, take a broad-ranging approach to sustainable architecture, one that incorporates all the predictable elements (that includes passive design, low-carbon materials and energy efficiency), but also pushes past regulatory requirements or even green building certification standards, such as LEED. 3XN, for example, sees buildings as “material banks,” so its architects look for opportunities to work with components that can be easily re-used in the future. [A subscription to the Globe and Mail is required to access this full article]

Read More

Hempcrete, The Sustainable Building Material That Won This Mudgee House an Award

By Sara Pull
Eco Warrior Princess
April 8, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Hemp is known for its use in the fashion and wellness industries, with brands like KITX and BEAR respectively utilising the benefits of hemp in their clothing and products, now this plant fibre is making its mark as a sustainable building fabric.   At last years BDA National Design Awards, a house in Mudgee, NSW coined the ‘Mudgee Hempcrete House’ won the Paul Dass Memorial Prize, a prestigious award given to a designer for outstanding achievement in building design, and the award for Best Residential Building. Within this house as the name suggest is Hempcrete. Hempcrete is a lightweight bio-composite made of the inner woody core of the hemp plant, weighing about an eighth of the weight of concrete. The material is used as an insulator rather than for a structural element. The core of the plant is mixed with a lime-based binder to allow it to be formed into slabs. 

Read More

Timber towers: In pursuit of perfect highrise

Mirage News
April 5, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Craig Cowled

A highrise built out of timber, not steel? It’s a solid idea according to QUT structural engineering researcher Dr Craig Cowled, who’s embarked on a three-year project to work out the perfect way to build carbon-storing, timber-framed “plyscrapers”. He’s a big fan of the environmental credentials – and cost savings – of building tall buildings out of timber, rather than concrete and steel, and wants to boost this fledgling segment of the construction industry. Dr Cowled has been awarded a $240,000 Advance Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Fellowship to research and develop a new building system and guidelines for timber buildings up to eight storeys. He says they are cheaper and faster to construct – and use a sustainable resource that locks away carbon for the life of the building.

Read More

New report cements wood as the future of construction

Climate-KIC
April 3, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

In a new report, 25 examples of using wood in construction showcase that reducing the carbon footprint of our buildings is not only possible, but that it results in remarkable, healthy living environments. The cases demonstrate how the Nordic countries are taking important steps to reduce carbon emissions. …The construction industry is responsible for approximately a third of all carbon emissions globally and by 2030, total construction output is expected to grow by 85 per cent.  Aiming to support and accelerate the use of wood in construction in the Nordics, the report “Wood in construction – 25 cases of good practice” is published by the Nordic Wood in Construction Secretariat.

Read More

Scottish research purpose robotic timber construction

Construction Times 24
April 3, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

A new research programme at Robert Gordon University (RGU) will concentrate on robotic fabrication of cross-laminated timber joints. Analysts from the college’s Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment will be working on the undertaking with the Construction Scotland Innovation Center and timber engineering firm Glulam Solution. The aim is to help address housing market issues in Scotland and further away from home. Robotic, off-site fabrication will bring the advantages of production systems to construction, said the team. …“The innovation lies with the integration of a house design prototype and its robotic fabrication out of complex CLT panels manufactured off-site. At the end of the project, we envision that the consumer, the house buyer, will be able to select various options from a website and then we will be able to produce all components based on consumer demand.”

Read More

Construction industry needs to consider shift from steel to engineered wood

By Stuart Smith, MP
Stuff.co.nz
April 8, 2019
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building

NEW ZEALAND — As Marlborough continues to grow and expand, we should be looking carefully at some of the construction materials that we use in our large commercial buildings going forward. There are many compelling reasons why we should seriously considering a shift from building with steel and concrete to engineered wood products. …We learned a lot from the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. Of significance was how well the new Kaikōura civic building, which had not even been officially declared open, withstood the event. …Ultimately…  building with engineered timber products can save lives. Timber is strong and flexible, environmentally friendly because it’s a renewable source, and produces no fossil CO2 emissions. In a country with a thriving pine forest and timber industry we should be grasping this obvious opportunity.

Read More

←
→