Four reasons why engineered timber is the building material of the 21st century
Mass engineered timber is engineered for sustainability, for durability, for the masses.
In recent years, the green movement has gained substantial credibility. With steadily dwindling resources, governments are feeling the pressure to seek out eco-friendly solutions to support infrastructural and population growth.
The global population is already consuming the earth’s resources at an unsustainable rate. On top of that, by 2050, it is estimated that the global population will reach 9.6 billion.
In the past, companies adopted green technology simply because it was “the ethical thing to do”. While the reasoning still holds true to this day, advancements in green technology has also made it a financially sensible choice.
There are now various eco-friendly construction solutions that can contribute to long-term cost savings for the owners, while benefiting the environment.
Timber — nature’s answer to concrete & steel
“If the 19th century was the century of steel and the 20th century the century of concrete, then the 21st century is about engineered timber.” — Professor Alex de Rijke
Mass engineered timber (MET) is made from existing solid and composite wood-based products such as dimension lumber, boards, and panels. These products are then glued together to form products exhibiting improved structural integrity for various construction purposes. They are then cut to dimensions specific to the project at the factories, before being delivered for on-site assembly.
At Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, a S$35 million sports hall called The Wave was officially unveiled in April 2017. The Wave is the fourth structure in the small city-state to incorporate MET in its design. It is also touted as the first large-scale construction project in South-east Asia to use MET.
The Singapore government aims to quadruple the number of such construction projects that adopt more efficient building methods by 2020.
What makes MET such a versatile building material?
As a construction material, MET is environmentally sustainable and combats climate change. MET also offers unique qualities to the structure, and allows for modular construction that ultimately contributes to greater on-site productivity.
1. Lightweight, yet strong and durable
MET can be 30% lighter than concrete, yet it has a higher strength-to-weight ratio than both concrete and steel. This permits long spans offering greater flexibility in floor layouts. Thanks to this superior strength, The Wave boasts a space that can host three basketball courts or 13 badminton courts, all without a single internal pillar.
2. Time and manpower savings through prefabrication
Components are assembled and cut to order at the factory. This means that less time and manpower is needed for the actual construction at the work site. Utilising MET in construction projects could yield up to 25% time and manpower savings at the project level, resulting in significant productivity improvement.
According to managing director Kang Choon Boon of B19 Technologies, the contractor for The Wave, it took 14 workers about three weeks to assemble the 72m roof of the sports hall. In contrast, a roof made of either steel or concrete would have taken 30 workers and two to three months to construct.
3. Environmentally friendly
Engineered wood can be produced from relatively small trees, rather than large pieces of solid dimensional lumber, which requires cutting a large tree. This means that timber can be harvested from sustainably managed forests.
Utilising timber as a building material is also beneficial for the environment, as it traps carbon for life, mitigating climate change. Approximately 50% of timber’s dry weight consists of carbon, which could otherwise be released into the atmosphere if the timber is allowed to decay.
With proper care, structures built with MET can be maintained indefinitely, and the carbon will not be released back into the environment. If we can fully transit into using MET for all of our buildings, we can help to further minimise our carbon footprint and delay the onset of global warming.
4. Built to resist the elements
Structures made out of MET can be treated to protect against moisture and termites, and do not require regular maintenance or treatment.
The timber is also fire-resistant, and does not burn; instead, it chars at a rate of 0.75mm per minute. NTU’s The Wave has an additional buffer layer of 50mm, so as to prolong the extent to which the structure can char, and to allow for a full hour of evacuation.
The charred layer also serves as an insulating layer, and protects the inner core from heating up.
The controlled char afforded by MET can allow architects to properly design fire retardant structures, so as to reduce the danger of fires and to save human lives in such scenarios.
Building materials such as MET offer the ideal trifecta of benefits.
- It is environmentally sustainable.
- It can be constructed in a manner that enhances productivity.
- It confers unique benefits to the structure, over conventional materials.
As we move forward in the industry, these three benefits can help guide how we recognise and value innovations. By embracing sustainable solutions, we lay the groundwork of a better future for generations to come.
What do you like or dislike about using mass engineered timber as a building material? Do you think the material is suitable for South East Asian architecture? Let me know in the comments below!
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