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from the people-in-wood-skyscrapers-shouldn't-throw-woodpeckers dept.
Arthur T Knackerbracket has processed the following story:
A report by Knowable Magazine provides a rather insightful glimpse into the rise of mass timber and its benefits. The technique basically uses massive engineered wood elements instead of concrete and steel to build higher than ever before. As of 2024, mass timber buildings have climbed to almost unbelievable heights, with the 25-story Ascent tower in Milwaukee leading the pack.
The building is far from the only one in the category. The report states that there were 84 completed or under-construction mass timber buildings of eight stories or higher worldwide by 2022, with another 55 proposed. Europe dominates with 70% of these, but North America is catching up with around 20%.
As for what's driving this wooden renaissance, there are multiple reasons. For starters, mass timber could be an answer for reducing concrete and steel's massive carbon footprint, which alone makes up a whopping 15% of global emissions.
[...] But what about issues like raw strength and fire resistance, which have historically held wooden buildings back? Well, mass timber uses elements like cross-laminated timber (CLT) panels that can match steel's strength pound-for-pound, thanks to layering and high-pressure gluing techniques.
Modern mass timber also passes rigorous fire testing. In the event of a fire, a protective char layer forms on the wood's surface, insulating the interior from flames long enough for evacuation and firefighter response.
Likely taking these perks into account, a 2021 update to the International Building Code gave mass timber a huge vote of confidence, allowing such constructions up to 18 stories in many places.
Of course, moisture poses risks that need careful management to prevent fungus and pests. But proponents are confident mass timber can be a sustainable solution if done right.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Wednesday October 23, @02:16PM (5 children)
You can replace one or two of them at a time, as long as you're on top of it and find a problem when there's not too many, that's really not a problem to replace one due to the extra ones that are installed to begin in case things like that or miscalculations are made.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday October 23, @04:21PM (4 children)
That makes sense. I was thinking like a fine woodworker where its a game to try and design something like a desk with super crazy wood jointery such that the entire desk can only be assembled around a shelf divider, however, for buildings, I imagine timber framers would look down on behavior like that and prefer to make parts replaceable.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Wednesday October 23, @07:48PM (3 children)
A lot of it comes down to how it's been designed. It's going to be a lot easier on smaller buildings, but if you're using wood for something like this, there's going to be some consideration made for what happens if you start to get rot or decay. But, typically the stresses tend to route around things like that, so long as you don't remove too many of the supports all at once. There's generally some consideration paid to how to shore things up to replace one or another.
That being said, wood lasts for quite a long time as long as it's kept dry and protected from insects.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Thursday October 24, @02:27AM (2 children)
And that was my first thought: termites.
Ground termites are why there are very few old wooden buildings in the SoCal desert (the fact that it's extremely dry notwithstanding). However, when they swarm, they also fly, and get into windowframes and such that way.I had 'em travel under ten feet of slab and come up in the pantry, in a bag of flour!
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.
(Score: 2) by aafcac on Thursday October 24, @01:44PM (1 child)
Presumably, the wood can be treated with something that keeps them at bay, but I also think that it may turn out that the technology isn't suitable for some areas. Which would still be fine, not every technology needs to be used every where to still be better having it than not.
(Score: 2) by Reziac on Friday October 25, @06:27AM
Treatment will keep termites at bay.
And Termidor around the foundations.
For a while.
And there is no Alkibiades to come back and save us from ourselves.