Rhonda Smith’s Post

📕 A new book, 'Timber! How wood can help save the world from climate breakdown' is set to cause controversy in the conservative world of construction and in the more traditionally-minded elements of the environmental movement. 🚀 'Timber!' will be officially published on Thursday - with advanced copies provided to all attendees of the UK Timber Design Conference on Wednesday 26 June. 🌲 Book synopsis The carbon emissions generated by concrete and steel construction are well-known. Why then are we not using more carbon-friendly building materials? In a passionate and compelling argument author Paul Brannen advocates the use of timber in buildings wherever possible. His controversial and counterintuitive argument is clear: planting trees is not enough to reduce the amount of carbon in the atmosphere, we also must chop them down and use more wood in our buildings. The felling of trees is of course followed by new sapling planting so that the whole sustainable process can begin again i.e. no deforestation should occur. This is the first book to take timber from the margins to the mainstream, from the forests to the cities. It tackles head-on questions about sustainability, safety, the biodiversity of commercial forests and the pressures on land use. The case for timber as a construction material is persuasively made – the creation of new engineered timbers with the structural strength of steel and concrete enable us for the first time to build wooden skyscrapers – and draws on the latest developments in engineering and material science. In addition to the familiar forestry models, the book advocates alternatives such as wood farming and agroforestry that bring with them added biodiversity gains for farms. With the built environment currently responsible for 40 per cent of the world’s carbon emissions, Brannen’s message is unequivocal: we must change how we build. Timber! offers fresh and inventive ideas that over time could see our expanding cities storing more carbon than our expanding forests. 🔎 Read more and find out where to order your copy on our website. https://lnkd.in/eP8bxJii 🎫 Or come hear Paul Brannen speak on the book and get your advance copy at the UK Timber Design Conference - with less than a dozen tickets remaining. https://lnkd.in/e43_8cYP #timber #builtenvironment #climatebreakdown #wood #timefortimber #woodisgood #carbonemissions #climatechange #construction

Understanding fire behavior in mass timber buildings is crucial for advancing sustainable construction. Researchers are conducting extensive studies to assess how mass timber performs under fire conditions, aiming to ensure safety and resilience in modern structures. These efforts are pivotal in promoting mass timber as a viable alternative to traditional building materials, aligning with environmental goals and innovative design. #MassTimber #SustainableConstruction #FireSafety #Innovation https://lnkd.in/g3aMP3wU

After The Concrete Society's feature on our incredible Sea Hive tiles, we thought we would share our Mumbles Sea-Hive project; a collaboration with BlueCube marine and Swansea University, that represents a pioneering step in sustainable coastal design. The goal? To protect Swansea Bay while actively supporting marine biodiversity 🐠 We developed custom UHPC panels, intricately textured with seaweed and oyster shell patterns. These panels do more than just form a seawall - they’re a habitat designed to attract marine life, playing a critical role in fostering ecosystems that thrive right at the shoreline. We’ve already seen promising results for long-term ecological impact. But the Sea-Hive is about more than statistics; it’s about rethinking how infrastructure interacts with nature. By incorporating textures inspired by the marine environment, we’re giving life to a wall that would otherwise be just concrete. The project serves as an example of how innovation in design can meet sustainability, proving that infrastructure doesn’t have to come at the cost of the environment. This is what the future of marine construction looks like - where every structure has the potential to contribute to the natural world, not just co-exist with it. #MarineInnovation #EcoEngineering #SustainableInfrastructure #UHPC #Biodiversity 

High rises made out of wood? What matters in whether ‘mass timber’ buildings are sustainable A material that’s been around since people built shelters – wood – is increasingly being proposed for low- and mid-rise buildings. Companies behind these “mass timber” projects say that wood is a lower-carbon alternative to steel or concrete and brings other benefits, such as faster construction time and lower cost than concrete and steel. Advocates say the wood materials, made of compressed layers of wood with glue, offer good fire safety as well. As an economist who studies forestry and natural resources, I took an interest in this building trend when I heard that a local bar on campus was going to be replaced by a 13-story building made out of wood. I see any increase in the use of wood in buildings as positive for reducing the substantial carbon footprint of buildings. But it is critical to consider where wood is sourced and whether forests are managed sustainably. https://lnkd.in/gMbmMjAd

Yes #masstimber reduces embodied carbon in the built environment. But the idea that wood, as a beautiful natural material, can bring other positive impacts to people and their surroundings is also taking hold. This report examines the concept of biophilia. https://bit.ly/3WDdqFX

High rises made out of wood? What matters in whether ‘mass timber’ buildings are sustainable A material that’s been around since people built shelters – wood – is increasingly being proposed for low- and mid-rise buildings. Companies behind these “mass timber” projects say that wood is a lower-carbon alternative to steel or concrete and brings other benefits, such as faster construction time and lower cost than concrete and steel. Advocates say the wood materials, made of compressed layers of wood with glue, offer good fire safety as well. As an economist who studies forestry and natural resources, I took an interest in this building trend when I heard that a local bar on campus was going to be replaced by a 13-story building made out of wood. I see any increase in the use of wood in buildings as positive for reducing the substantial carbon footprint of buildings. But it is critical to consider where wood is sourced and whether forests are managed sustainably. https://lnkd.in/gDDPcD9h

We're doing building wrong. Whereas economics studies the efficient allocation of scarce resources, building is both destruction and assembly of scarce resources at a single location. Modern buildings are the pinnacle of globalization, I'd argue. Old-fashioned concrete is made with sand from who knows where. Wood, although nowadays usually certified, comes from agricultural forestry. Both examples have environmental effects that we don't directly see. But in our current built environment we have so much material, coming from all over the place. This transfer of materials is a legacy of global trade policies (and to some extent, exploitation of other countries). The location of the building (if greenfield) often needs clearing to make it suitable for constructing a new building. In this process, plant growth and soil are discarded. The location the new building is on, represents much higher CO2 emissions than what used to be emitted at that spot. Yet we continue doing this, because a) we can and b) we do need need buildings. Scalability of good practices is not really visible yet, despite regulations not being the problem. The issue of "carbon tunnel vision" is well known, and many innovations (and processes of circular construction) focus mostly on the CO2 emission aspects. Scalability of construction which reduces CO2 emissions is risky business though, especially since linear construction is usually cheaper. The challenge in the end, is to reinvent building. For that we need innovations, circularity and risk-taking. But we should also understand better how to reduce the impact on soil erosion and habitat destruction. Most of all, we should stay local as much as possible. If sensible, return to or use traditional practices. Also relevant: a more local approach to building makes societies more resilient, i.e. less dependent on undesirable foreign partners. #circularity #soil #planetaryboundaries #construction #concrete #innovation

𝘏𝘦𝘸𝘐𝘕𝘚𝘐𝘎𝘏𝘛 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴: Effectively Using Oak In Construction Not only is Oak one of the world’s most beautiful and versatile materials, it is also completely sustainable. The sustainability of oak can be evaluated from various perspectives, each reinforcing its status as an environmentally responsible choice. With this in mind, you can specify oak with confidence, knowing that it is among the most sustainable construction materials available today. 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 European Oak is a prominent tree across Europe, supported by sustainable forestry schemes like PEFC and FSC. Its historical significance in France dates back as far as 1669 when King Louis XIV restructured forests to provide material to build a powerful navy. Although naval demands decreased after Napoleon's defeat, France now maintains 34,000 square miles of oak forests and harvests about 1,000,000 cubic meters annually. 𝐒𝐚𝐰𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬 Throughout the milling and processing journey, any waste can be processed into wood chips or pellets for biomass energy production, reducing reliance on fossil fuels. 𝐃𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 The durability of this material is another reason why it is such a sustainable choice. When considering that most oak structures will remain fully functional for more than 3-400 years, the typical growth span of an Oak (80 to 100 years) is relatively short. 𝐄𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐲 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 Timber has exceptional thermal properties, providing excellent insulation and reducing the need for excessive energy consumption in buildings. Wood has a low thermal conductivity, meaning it effectively retains heat in cold climates and keeps interiors cooler in hot climates. 𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐄𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐮𝐬𝐞 Timber is well-suited for the principles of the circular economy. It can be easily disassembled, reused, and repurposed in various applications. Reclaimed timber retains its strength and aesthetic qualities, often adding a unique character to the built environment. Start your journey with Hewins today, and discover how Oak can transform your next project. #EuropeanOak #HewINSIGHT #Architects #TimberMarketing #Construction #OakSpecialists #OakConstruction #OakBeams #TimberSupply #Joinery 

The concept of embodied carbon in the construction is a SCAM, created and funded by the lumber lobby/mafia in North America. Many institutions and researchers are funded to promote the idea that wood is a sustainable building material, just to be able to keep cutting the wild forests worldwide, and selling the lumber labeled as sustainable farmed trees. I went up to the North pole circle and witnessed this scam in action. They cut trees next to the road in Northern Canada or in the Amazon and package the it with a sustainable lable. I absolutely believe in using less carbon intensive methods of construction but the lifetime of the building can change the equation. We consider a building an organism that should be built with non-organic and durable materials that can last for generations. I can scientifically and mathematically prove to you that buildings should not be built with any organic materials.