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Archive for the ‘Green Building’ Category

Wood is a desirable construction material for many reasons including its low embodied energy. But, until recently, it has not been possible to build tall wooden structures because of the relative weakness of conventional wood stud construction methods. This is starting to change as a new method of fabricating wood panels, called cross-laminated timber, or CLT, is making “massive wood” construction a possibility for mid-rise construction, as well as for other construction uses.

As a building material, cross-laminated timber (CLT) is a rather new development. The first work with CLT was done in Switzerland and Austria in the early to mid 1990s.

Because the panels are lighter than masonry and hollow-core concrete plank, and since the panels can be lifted with lighter equipment, construction can be faster and thereby less expensive. It also requires a smaller crew to install and connect the panels at the job site, which allows for rapid and efficient construction.

In one example, a 9-story building saved an estimated 22 weeks of construction time by using CLT instead of concrete. The panels are prefabricated in a shop, so the benefit of controlled conditions is present, as with structural-insulated panels (SIP) and other pre-fab materials.

CLT is used for both walls and floors. The panels are made as alternating boards are laid perpendicular to one another (the same thing is done with plywood) for greater strength. Since the CLT panels are predominantly solid wood, there is far less glue in them than an equivalent volume of plywood. CLT panels have been tested for VOC off gassing from the glues, and are far below regulatory limits in that regard.

Since they are prefabricated, CLT panels can be installed with tighter tolerances and provide more plumb and true construction. Solid wood is not a great insulator, but wood is better than CMU or steel, and the building can still be insulated on the exterior or interior.

Using a massive wood structure — from a carbon cycle perspective — not only produces far lower emissions during the manufacture of the material, but the wood also sequesters carbon for its lifespan.

Although one might think it would be a fire hazard, massive wood construction is actually fairly fire resistant. For decades, building codes have recognized this for buildings constructed with large solid-sawn post and beam construction. Wood will char on the surface, but it takes a very long time for it to burn through. CLT is the same.

At present, the only manufacturers of CLT panels are in Europe, but two plants in Canada and one in the United States are currently under construction. There are a number of examples of mid-rise apartment buildings constructed with CLT in Europe. The first North American non-residential CLT structure was a bell tower completed in 2010 in North Carolina.

[Ed. Note: In my backyard, the University of Utah's Integrated Technology in Architecture Center is working on an ICLT -- interlocking cross laminated timber -- system with no fasteners or adhesives. It's in development and testing with a 3-5 horizon for commercial availability. -- Preston]

Disclosure: Some information for this article and the sample of CLT wood for some illustrations were included in an Architect’s Toolkit box of promotional materials I received from the BC Forestry Innovation Investment/NaturallyWood.com.

[+] Read more about CLT and Cross Laminated Timber, the book [PDF].

Credit: Forestry Innovation Investment Ltd. and the author.

Related Articles on JetsonGreen.com:

1. Kirei Debuts New Reclaimed Wood Panel
2. Viridian Intros Reclaimed Wood Veneers
3. Accoya Offers Durable Non-Toxic Wood

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Recently the thought of living green has become a very popular topic in the media. Components of the economy and industry which have been focused on being green can help to create new jobs and discover new alternatives to non-renewable fuels. But just what exactly will thrive in the Green Economy can only be decided by consumers reaction to them. To discover what will succeed is to initially figure out why people would want to go eco-friendly?

I’ve often pondered why people might in fact do this. Well, I imagined that most people who go green probably do so due to the fact they realise the effect we’re having on the environment. Perhaps an alternative possibility is that there are consumers who love the cutting edge of innovative green technologies. The third reason I came up with was spending less, but in most cases being environmentally friendly can cost a lot more (at least to start with).

Nonetheless, even though they are all sound reasons, in an post in the Wall Street Journal says that some analysis was done to find out what the trigger is to living green and it was none of the answers above. The real answer is basically pressure from respected peers. Just good traditional peer pressure will get most people to go green.

An experiment was held where two placards were set up in the hotel restrooms. The two placards kindly requested that guests reuse the towels in excess of one day. On just one of the placards it said “Show your admiration for mother nature”. The second placard had as a personal message “Join your fellow visitors in assisting to save the environment.” Overall 75% of people did participate in the towel reusing programme, which is a reasonable amount in itself. But the card that got the best results was the 2nd card stating to follow the other guests. In a follow up test, the second card was adjusted to read “75% of guests making use of this room reused their towels”. The end results were more desirable than the first.

Clearly, like life itself, peer pressure operates very well in this instance. It seems as if just saying that one can help to save the environment is not enough yet to say everyone is doing it will probably cause people to do something.

This tiny experiment can help organizations decide how they will go about marketing their green products. Peer pressure invokes a sense of remorse in people to a point that people will take action. So it seems that companies should center their marketing on making people feel responsible if they don’t go green. No doubt they’ll employ sales techniques like in the study.

I was quite surprised at exactly what the results of the study revealed. Interestingly, when you really contemplate it, it’s not surprising whatsoever. I guess individuals psychologically adapt to what others do because it may be less difficult or we simply don’t want to be known as different.

There it is, the real reason why many people would want to live green. Without doubt people go green for the different reasons I mentioned, nonetheless it’s somewhat surprising to watch lots go green due to peer pressure.

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Recently the concept of living green has grown to be a very well-known topic in the media. The green sector of the economy is likely to be creating many cutting edge jobs for people and new, green energy solutions are being looked at to replace old energy sources. But what exactly will flourish in the Green Economy can only be confirmed by consumers reaction to them. So at this stage it’d be good to evaluate this question: “Why do men and women go green”?

I sometimes question myself this thought and think of why people do this. The obvious explanation is that many people who try to live green are concerned about saving the environment. Or maybe because they may be interested in the new green technology. A third valid reason is that people think that money can be saved by going green though that there is an initial price tag to do it.

Despite what seem like common sense explanations, the truth is quite different as per a Wall Street Journal article. The real reason that gets people encouraged to go green is peer pressure. Just good old-fashioned peer pressure will get people to go natural.

There was an experiment carried out where to placards were placed in the hotel restrooms. Both placards persuaded guests to reuse the shower towels instead of having it sent for cleaning. One placard had the line “Show your regard for nature.” The subsequent placard had as a statement “Join your fellow visitors in making an effort to save the environment.” In summary 75% of people did take part in the towel reusing programme, which is a reasonable amount in itself. But the card that obtained the best results was the subsequent card stating to conform with the other guests. In a follow up test, the second card was modified to read “75% of guests utilizing this room reused their shower towels”. This sign made a lot more people reuse their particular towels.

Peer pressure operates very well in this case just like anything else in life. Telling most people that others are undertaking something rather than simply telling them to save the planet is more effective at getting people to be green.

This study and its results suggests there are certain implications for companies that market these environmentally friendly products to consumers. Peer pressure invokes a sense of guilt in people to a point that people will take action. So it would seem that companies should focus their marketing on making people feel guilty if they don’t go green. It’s fairly likely that companies will use a similar tactic accomplished in the experiment.

It was a bit of a shocker when I learned what the results were of that hotel test. Interestingly, when you really contemplate it, it’s not surprising by any means. I guess individuals psychologically adapt to what others do because it may be simpler or we simply don’t want to be known as different.

There you have it, the real reason why people might want to live green. No doubt people go green for the different reasons I mentioned, but it’s somewhat surprising to see lots go green as a result of peer pressure.

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Due to cutting down trees, we lose as many as six billion trees every year. This has to do with the demand for the products that are made from trees. Writing paper and household tissue papers are an illustration of this, as well as the wood used to make homes. It is possible to act to save our forests even though we should accept that a lot of the items produced from trees are necessary.

Arbor Day was established with the intention that we should all be planting trees on that day although truthfully this has had little impact. Planting trees is not an undertaking that many folks give any thought to. It would help, naturally, if everyone participated and planted a tree.

There may be seven billion people in the world now. Naturally, you can never be certain of the precise count for this. However, if each of those 7 billion individuals went out and planted a tree every Arbor Day, we would be replacing all the trees that were felled that year. But again, this is never going to come about.

Hence, planting trees is something you must consider if you are concerned about the air we breathe and the environment. In terms of planting a tree, I would not advise you merely do this on a certain day each year. Every month is a good goal or why not every week? We have to try to compensate for those individuals who never plant trees even though they keep on using the earth’s valuable resources.

On Arbor Day, the number of trees that are planted is between 8 and 15 million. Based on those estimates, we still need to take that figure up by a further 5 billion. Regrettably, this is not getting any better.

I actually have a solution to the problem entirely even though individuals should still go on planting trees whenever they can. If a law could be passed that every time a tree is felled by lumber companies, they then had to plant two new ones, this could truly make a big difference.

But until someone can turn this into reality, we are left to take care of planting the trees ourselves. And it will not take that much for us to replace the tree population every year. If each and every month, approximately 10% of people worldwide could plant a tree, that would make up for the numbers being felled per year. In yearly terms, this would equal to the planting of roughly 7 billion trees. For the number of trees we need to return to, an effective net gain of 1 billion trees will be the way to reach this goal.

Hence for anyone who would like to make a positive difference to our planet, go plant a tree. Things will change if 10% of people worldwide choose to do this. And you can be one of them.

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