Category Archives: Wood, Paper & Green Building

Pilot micro-factory in Indonesia will produce boards made from waste rice straw, cutting black carbon pollution and enhancing the local supply chain. Straw bales have become a reliable staple of the eco building movement, and now a Swedish start-up is harnessing the crop to create a range of high-strength recyclable building boards intended to speed construction in emerging countries. Our Ecolution produces interior walls, roof and floor boards made from compressed cereal straw, a byproduct of rice and wheat farming that would otherwise be burnt in fields. …Our Ecolution expects to launch a pilot ‘micro-factory’ in Indonesia in July, based on a model of local low energy production. Boards will be supplied to local construction projects, using local labour and giving local farmers the opportunity to turn agricultural waste into a source of revenue. Another factory is planned in Uruguay.

NEW ZEALAND — Contact Energy has sought the go-ahead for a 55-tower wind farm near Wyndham in Southland. Nationwide the race is on for further development of wind turbines. Are these towers to be built using traditional steel constructs. Contact had announced the potential 100m-plus high turbines will produce 300MW of electricity to power 150,000 homes. Existing wind towers are built with each tower using 80% steel. The components are manufactured overseas and shipped to New Zealand. If built with engineered wood (as in Europe) each tower captures 2000 tonnes of carbon. Swedish firm Modvion is building towers to 150m, said to be far more cost-effective than steel. Even the blades were being built with wood in Finland. …This Swedish technology is being adopted by up to 88 countries, but not here. …It is time local and regional authorities take a hard look at the latest alternatives to use our own resources.

Timber Development UK (TDUK) – the UK’s trade association for the timber supply chain – in collaboration with Waugh Thistleton Architects – have released a study on policies from across the globe which encourage the use of timber in construction. TimberPolicy is a comparative study of policies, across six countries, which can act as a powerful tool to support policy makers on their journey to decarbonise construction in the UK, and beyond. Commissioned by TDUK and written by Waugh Thistleton Architects, this new report follows hot on the heels of the UK Government’s Timber in Construction (TiC) Roadmap, which aims to safely increase the use of timber in construction. Timber is a low-carbon, natural, renewable material, at the heart of transitioning to a sustainable, circular economy for the UK and many nations around the world. This study is a snapshot of a rapidly evolving movement.

Nestled within the expansive beauty of Canada’s untamed forests, the treasure trove of natural wonder and resources of Canadian Wood stands tall as an emblem of sustainability and conscientious forestry practices. It is gaining considerable attention, especially during a period marked by a surge in demand for mass timber construction. In recent times, individuals are not only investing in it for residential structures but also for the construction of various buildings including skyscrapers, hospitals, airport terminals and shipping warehouses, incorporating substantial amounts of timber in the process. Looking ahead, Canadian Wood anticipates its participation at the IndiaWood Exhibition on 24th February 2024, at Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), Bengaluru, India. The event promises not only a showcase of Canadian Wood’s species but also its sustainable applications for an immersive experience for their attendees.

University of Queensland researchers have found improving timber production efficiencies by just 5% could unlock supply for an extra 8,000 homes to be built in Australia each year. The modelling was carried out at the Australian Research Council to Advance Timber for Australia’s Future Built Environment (ARC Advance Timber Hub) at UQ which will officially open on 31 January. Associate Professor Joe Gattas, who co-leads two research areas at the Hub, said supply chain efficiencies could result in more affordable and sustainable housing options for Australians. Hub Director, Professor Keith Crews, said, “while timber is commonly used in smaller dwellings such as housing, we are working with the State Government and industry to look at ways it can be incorporated into larger projects such as athlete accommodation for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games. Making more timber available will support the Australian Government’s National Housing Accord to deliver 10,000 affordable homes over the next 5 years.”

Aotearoa’s largest modern timber office building is taking shape in the heart of Tauranga’s central business district as the region undergoes a transformation. The building will be eight storeys once completed and will be leased by Tauranga City Council. It’s being built by property development and investment company Willis Bond, and LT McGuinness. It will feature rainwater harvesting, electric charging and is about 2500 tonnes lighter than an equivalent sized building. Mark McGuinness said it’s basically a “hybrid structure” which will reduce its carbon footprint by about 50%. “The guys on site are telling us that it’s quieter, it’s cleaner and it’s a heck of a lot more civilised than a normal building site where you’ve got a lot of noise a lot of banging and crashing.”

Tall buildings pose a unique challenge to sustainability because they offer both positive and negative environmental impacts. Positive impacts include reducing urban sprawl, promoting alternative transportation, and allowing efficient energy use on a district scale. But these benefits come at the cost of emitting more carbon dioxide to produce the required materials and to construct the building. …Tall buildings have typically been constructed using steel or concrete, but what if there was an alternative that could boost the positive impact of the high-rise? Architecture and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill and researchers from Oregon State University recently launched a research project investigating the performance characteristics of a hybrid wood and concrete structural floor system that may offer the industry a traditional flat plate construction alternative. The study authors noted that structural systems once considered impractical with wood are now feasible, due to their improved engineering properties.

The world’s first full-scale timber wind turbine has started turning in Sweden, with a tower built by wood technology company Modvion. The 105-metre-tall tower, located in the region of Skara, is Modvion’s first commercial wind turbine tower, and follows on from a smaller 30-metre-high demonstration project the company completed in 2020. While its rotor blades and generator hub are made of conventional materials, the tower is made of laminated veneer lumber (LVL).  The company says that this type of wood is not only strong enough to withstand the forces of a turning turbine, it is much more environmentally sustainable to build with than the currently used steel. Modvion describes its wood towers as reducing the carbon emissions from wind turbine construction by over 100 per cent, due to the combination of a less emissions-heavy production process and the carbon storage provided by trees.