Wood is a natural supermaterial

Nature’s own development department created the construction industry’s new wonder material. Wood is better for the climate and easier to work with. And remarkably, a woodscraper is more fireproof than one made of concrete and steel.

Low weight eases the building process 1 Wood has only some 20% of the weight of an equivalent amount of concrete, so woodscrapers require much smaller foundations. Logistics are also easier, because wood can be carried to the site by fewer lorries, and the cranes can lift larger units. Wood is more climate-friendly 2 Wood absorbs CO from the atmosphere via photosynthesis and stores it as long as the wood does not burn or rot. 1m3 of wood binds some 1 tonne of CO2 . Using wood for a skyscraper instead of concrete reduces CO2 emissions by roughly 26%. Solid wood burns slowly 3 When wood burns, the outer layer turns into carbon, which acts as a natural fire barrier. The carbon layer slows the speed of fire, so the load-bearing capacity is maintained for…

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Science Illustrated Australia (Digital) - 1 Issue, Issue 113

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