Scientific Study from the year 2018 in the subject Engineering - Civil Engineering, grade: 1,0, language: English, abstract: Sustainability has become a common trend as a lot of sustainable solutions have emerged within the last years in many different areas. The main principle can be claimed as balancing the needs of our current generation without any negative impact on our future generations. In construction, however, sustainability does not receive as much attention as in other fields, which is why this paper will focus on the role of timber as a sustainable construction material. The US housing market shows an increasing demand, which leads to the consumption of more construction material. The managed forest areas in the USA must be increased to cover the future needs and preserve wood as a sustainable material. An estimation of the required timber resources for a building will be examined not only to estimate the need of new building material in the future, but also the required forest stock. The importance of timber will be shown by comparison to other building materials. Weighing the pros and cons of timber as a sustainable material compared to others, its implementation in the context of taller buildings and fire resistance will be discussed.

This book emphasizes the important message that architects and structural engineers must strive to ensure that the buildings they design and construct should not be major contributors to climate change. Rather, they should be exploring the use of green materials and building methods – such as timber, wood, and associated materials – in order to safeguard the environment. These sustainable materials are not only environmentally friendly, but they have the added benefit of being easy to manufacture, cost effective, often locally available, and easily replenished. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that wood and timber are viable materials in the construction of a wide variety of building types, including medium and high-rise buildings. The Importance of Wood and Timber in Sustainable Buildings brings together a distinguished group of contributors from different cultures and building traditions to address why now is the time to rethink our construction methods and explore replacing many of the carbon intensive materials that are currently being used with wood and timber.

This study provides an overview of the current policy and regulatory environment regarding sustainable construction materials in the building sector in Europe and North America, and, where applicable, offers a commentary on the effectiveness of such regimes in driving the adoption of wood products. The study's objective has been to conduct a broad survey across a range of policies, initiatives and programmes in order to document the current circumstances as a starting point for further discussions, technical meetings and policy debates with a view to enhance the use of wood in buildings through policy advice to member states.

Until recently, much of the development of building materials has predominantly focused on producing cheaper, stronger and more durable construction materials. More recently attention has been given to the environmental issues in manufacturing, using, disposing and recycling of construction materials. Sustainability of construction materials brings together a wealth of recent research on the subject.The first part of the book gives a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the sustainability of the following building materials: aggregates; timber, wood and bamboo; vegetable fibres; masonry; cement, concrete and cement replacement materials; metals and alloys; glass; and engineered wood products. A final group of chapters cover the use of waste tyre rubber in civil engineering works, the durability of sustainable construction materials and nanotechnologies for sustainable construction.With its distinguished editor and international team of contributors, Sustainability of construction materials is a standard reference for anyone involved in the construction and civil engineering industries with an interest in the highly important topic of sustainability. - Provides a comprehensive and detailed analysis of the sustainability of a variety of construction materials ranging from wood and bamboo to cement and concrete - Assesses the durability of sustainable construction materials including the utilisation of waste tyre rubber and vegetable fibres - Collates a wealth of recent research including relevant case studies as well as an investigation into future trends

This book emphasizes the important message that architects and structural engineers must strive to ensure that the buildings they design and construct should not be major contributors to climate change. Rather, they should be exploring the use of green materials and building methods-such as timber, wood, and associated materials-in order to safeguard the environment. These sustainable materials are not only environmentally friendly, but they have the added benefit of being easy to manufacture, cost-effective, often locally available, and easily replenished. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that wood and timber are viable materials in the construction of a wide variety of building types, including medium and high-rise buildings. The Importance of Wood and Timber in Sustainable Buildings brings together a distinguished group of contributors from different cultures and building traditions to address why now is the time to rethink our construction methods and explore replacing many of the carbon intensive materials that are currently being used with wood and timber. Highlight the benefits of timber and wood construction; Considers the effect of wood and timber construction on carbon emissions; Includes contributions and case studies from varied geographical regions. .

The construction sector alone accounts for 40 percent of resource consumption and environmental pollution. In line with the current considerations on environmental sustainability, particular attention is paid to eco-sustainable building materials such as timber. Timber is able to perform both load-bearing and comfort constructive functions. It is also a natural, renewable and recyclable material. However, its use as an engineering material calls for constant development and research. This book provides insight into the spread of the use of timber in the construction industry, presenting some thoughts on important aspects related to production, design and responsible use.

SUSTAINABLE USE of Wood in Construction Sustainable Use of Wood in Construction There is a great deal of innovation in the use of wood in construction, from impressive modern buildings to new construction products that reduce build times and improve building performance. As a renewable resource with proven low embodied energy, wood is both an environmentally responsible and a highly practical choice as a construction material. However, forest management practices vary throughout the world: some are highly effective in delivering a sustainable, long term supply of timber; whereas others are less so, and could result in forest depletion and significant environmental degradation. Against this background, a number of certification schemes have been developed that seek to ensure that all timber is harvested from sources that are at least legally-sourced, and at best, sustainably managed. Sustainable Use of Wood in Construction explains how and why wood may be grown sustainably, and how this versatile material can be specified and – most importantly – sourced, for use in the construction industry. It explains the modern regulatory framework within Europe that seeks to eliminate the use of illegally-harvested wood, and it shows how to ensure that everyone who sells or uses wood for construction is following the rules. Finally, the book explains how, at the end of its first use in construction, wood can be recycled, by reprocessing into another wood-based construction material, or by using it as biomass. Also available Wood in Construction: How to Avoid Costly Mistakes Jim Coulson Paperback, 978 0 4706 5777 5 Structural Timber Design to Eurocode 5 Second Edition Jack Porteous and Abdy Kermani Paperback, 978 0 4706 7500 7