By the middle of the 20th century, tall wood buildings seemed to have topped out. Canada’s “brick and beam” construction boom of the late 1800s and early 1900s had run its course, overtaken by new concrete and steel structures seen as both sturdier and more resistant to fire. Decades later, wood building is undergoing something of a renaissance. “There is a rebirth of the good old heavy timber,” says Erol Karacabeyli, lead scientist in the Sustainable Construction group at FPInnovations. “If a construction company doesn’t have a wood strategy, I think they may miss some opportunity,” he says. Changes to the National Building Code of Canada (NBC) are expected to officially herald in the new area era of wood building later this year. …Potentially high insurance costs for timber builders is among the barriers to entry. …A growing pool of suppliers may also help bring costs down.
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Just how safe are mass timber buildings? That question was raised during a recent city council discussion on Delta signing an expression of interest to join the Provincial Office of Housing and Construction Standards Mass Timber Early Adopter Initiative. …Coun. Lois Jackson said there’s various safety questions that need answers. “I am concerned …about the firefighting, about the safety issues under construction, and I’m not sure we have those in place. They talk about having a water supply available for every floor that’s being constructed and I don’t know if we have that in place or not, a sprinkler system for the entire area under construction. We’ve had two major fires, one in Richmond and one in Langley, where these types of buildings were under construction,” said Jackson. …Mayor George Harvie said Delta, at this point, is not permitting such new timber buildings, but simply getting into the conversation and exploring the possibilities. 
…a new Seattle startup is capitalizing on people’s renewed appreciation of TP while also offering a more sustainable, eco-friendly alternative to the paper-based rolls you buy at the store. 
Researchers at the University of Melbourne are examining how plant and crop waste can be converted into recycled building materials, thereby minimising waste and improving sustainability within the construction industry. While agriculture is one of Australia’s most important industries, it also produces millions of tons of plant and crop waste each year. This waste comprises a diverse range of wood-like material, such as rice husks, flax shives, wheat straws, bagasse, canola stalks, oat hulls and grapevines. Globally, crop waste production is approximately 3.7 billion tonnes per year. …there are very few ways to recycle such a massive amount of material, with most of it returning to the soil or burnt. …Therefore, it is imperative to find ways to reuse and recycle this crop waste, especially in a future where there is increasing competition for resources and materials. In addition, it also enables the industry to help boost the economy and environment.
