The Unknowns
Even if I, personally, adore the idea of skyscrapers made out of wood, the sensation of warmth you get when you walk into a wooden building, or all the benefits this planet would have if we would start constructing using wood more often, I cannot ignore the fact that there are many questions to be answered regarding the subject. Questions like, how high can we build or how is the building going to be protected against fire-considering that the main material is wood after all-, would be the ones I have been asked the most by people I have been talking about the subject of my dissertation.
International Perspective on Building Height Regulation
Historically, buildings of “combustible construction” have been categorized differently …show more content…
An often referenced example of a completed mass wood building, using “cross-laminated timber” (CLT) panel systems, is the Stadthuas/Murray Grove Project located in London, England. (for more, see page 10) What it is interesting to note though is that the Stadthaus Project achieves the required level of safety and fire protection for the local building regulations, without the installation of automatic sprinkler systems in the building floor areas. This is a significant contrast to many building code requirements. In Romania, for example, a building of that height would be required to be fully …show more content…
A common preconception with wood buildings is that they are more prone to weathering and failure and therefore are less likely to last as long as concrete or steel structures. The reality is that all buildings must consider how to protect the structure from the effects of weather and climate; therefore a well-designed building envelope will address the concerns of one building structure over another on the basis of its comparative performance. Once protected by an envelope designed to address the environment and particulars of the structure all buildings are effectively equal.
Each structure will perform differently depending on the variation in performance parameters. By example, lightweight wood frame buildings dry over time and shrink as the moisture content of the wood is removed. This requires consideration in the design of an envelope. Another example in concrete buildings for example, is where penetration of the concrete from interior to exterior exist without a suitable insulation and protection layer. This will cause enormous heat loss through conductivity and
Even if I, personally, adore the idea of skyscrapers made out of wood, the sensation of warmth you get when you walk into a wooden building, or all the benefits this planet would have if we would start constructing using wood more often, I cannot ignore the fact that there are many questions to be answered regarding the subject. Questions like, how high can we build or how is the building going to be protected against fire-considering that the main material is wood after all-, would be the ones I have been asked the most by people I have been talking about the subject of my dissertation.
International Perspective on Building Height Regulation
Historically, buildings of “combustible construction” have been categorized differently …show more content…
An often referenced example of a completed mass wood building, using “cross-laminated timber” (CLT) panel systems, is the Stadthuas/Murray Grove Project located in London, England. (for more, see page 10) What it is interesting to note though is that the Stadthaus Project achieves the required level of safety and fire protection for the local building regulations, without the installation of automatic sprinkler systems in the building floor areas. This is a significant contrast to many building code requirements. In Romania, for example, a building of that height would be required to be fully …show more content…
A common preconception with wood buildings is that they are more prone to weathering and failure and therefore are less likely to last as long as concrete or steel structures. The reality is that all buildings must consider how to protect the structure from the effects of weather and climate; therefore a well-designed building envelope will address the concerns of one building structure over another on the basis of its comparative performance. Once protected by an envelope designed to address the environment and particulars of the structure all buildings are effectively equal.
Each structure will perform differently depending on the variation in performance parameters. By example, lightweight wood frame buildings dry over time and shrink as the moisture content of the wood is removed. This requires consideration in the design of an envelope. Another example in concrete buildings for example, is where penetration of the concrete from interior to exterior exist without a suitable insulation and protection layer. This will cause enormous heat loss through conductivity and