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Wooden skyscrapers could shape future cities, say researchers
Would you live in a wooden skyscraper? Researchers from the University of Cambridge are hoping to convince people that timber is a safe and sustainable alternative to steel and concrete.
The team from the Centre for Natural Material Innovation has also set their sights on building the world's tallest wooden building, a record currently held by Norway's 18-storey Mjøstårnet building.
Supporters of so-called "plyscrapers" say they are greener than concrete and steel, whose production emits large amounts of greenhouse gases. The Cambridge team envisions forests being planted and harvested like crops to build new cities; a method that simultaneously addresses the housing shortage while helping to limit greenhouse gas emissions by locking it up.
Wooden skyscrapers could reshape our cities https://t.co/6HbXyOq2ic via@ReutersTV pic.twitter.com/Q0BKbOet8F
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) July 8, 2019
"Wood actually locks carbon dioxide when it's being made," said Jan Lyczakowski, from the department of biochemistry at the University of Cambridge.
"Concrete construction, which is normally used for skyscrapers, emits CO2. So by constructing with timber we can try to fight climate change and help to build a more sustainable future for us."
The team works with cross-laminated timber (CLT) that uses plywood-like laminates glued together to form the wooden beams used to build them.
New, ultra-strong wood materials are creating a small but fast-growing market for timber used to build big, urban blocks, extending wood's uses beyond the houses typical of Alpine villages or suburban America.
The materials also answer the burning question most people have on the safety of wooden buildings.
Lyczakowski said the glue used in cross-laminated timber is fire-retardant and, in a blaze, thick wood beams can retain strength better than metal, which can buckle.
"Large blocks of timber don't really burn that much. They char more and this char is a natural insulative layer for progression of fire. So there are multiple aspects which ensure fire safety in our designs," he said.
Norway is currently leading the "plyscraper" revolution, recently opening the doors of its 18-storey Mjøstårnet building, standing 280 feet (85 meters), making it the tallest timber-frame structure in the world. The Mjøstårnet building is home to a hotel, restaurants, offices and apartments, and was built using local renewable resources.
The Cambridge team recently showcased their design exhibit "Timber towers of tomorrow" at the Royal Society's Summer Science Exhibition. — Reuters
