WOOD – BUILDING MATERIAL OF THE FUTURE

Wood continues the carbon-storing effect of the forest. In other words: Wood has three positive effects on the climate: First of all, one cubic metre of wood stores one ton of harmful CO₂. Secondly, the production of wood-based products causes less CO₂ and thirdly, the use of wood instead of traditional building materials prevents CO₂ emissions during their production.

Contrary to mineral-based building materials, wood does not use up reserves that have accumulated over millions of years. On the contrary: In Austria's sustainably managed forests, more wood grows back annually than is harvested. Growth of more than 30 million cubic metres annually is facing a consumption of just 26 million cubic metres. Specifically, Austria gains about 1 cubic metre of wood every second, which translates into some 2160 single-family homes made of wood every day.

Thanks to their excellent properties as building material, cross-laminated timber and glued laminated timber elements can, in many cases, replace high-carbon building materials such as concrete, bricks or steel. Even in areas in which wood was not seriously considered as a main or superstructure building material or regarded as exotic twenty years ago, such as multi-storey residential buildings or community buildings such as kindergartens and schools, wood is now a fully developed and proven alternative to traditional building materials. There are even examples where high-rise buildings with 20 storeys and more and hospitals were built with wood.

Timber construction references

Thanks to the concept of cascade utilisation, wood remains in the utilisation cycle for a long time. Once they have reached the end of their life cycle, wooden buildings can be removed easily, individual building components can be reused or turned into energy by means of carbon-neutral incineration which only releases the carbon stored during the tree's growth, whereby the carbon cycle closes.

Extensive research and development have created new wood materials such as solid, large-format cross-laminated timber boards and cross-laminated timber concrete composite elements. This allows for solid timber construction using flat building components as well as multi-storey timber construction projects such as the 24-storey HoHo in Vienna. Computer-assisted dimensioning and production methods as well as state-of-the-art CNC machining services allow for varied design options and premium, millimetre-precise execution.

Walls, ceilings and entire room cells can be pre-fabricated from wood in the plant – precisely, independent of the weather and under protected conditions. This allows for maximally low-noise, -waste and -dust installation at the construction site. As timber construction elements usually only have to be assembled and screwed together and the structure is generally rain-proof once the roof has been put on, timber buildings can be erected in very short spans of time and in any weather, eliminating many shortcomings.

Thanks to a high degree of controlled pre-fabrication, construction time and costs can be calculated with high reliability while the standardisation of room cells and the associated economies of scale open up significant cost advantages and lastly, as wood is lighter than concrete and steel, one can save even more money on the foundations. The fact that interior fit-out can start immediately after installation allows for quick completion without unpredictable construction site effects slowing down the process.

Pre-fabrication in modular timber construction such as hotels, nursing homes, hospitals and student accommodation allow for the production of prototypes as samples to be walked in, inspected, improved and accepted. This gives responsible parties and users a direct idea of the end product and they can alter the plans in due time. Which, in turn, increases the users’ acceptance.

The delivery of pre-fabricated components minimises coordination efforts between the individual trades, not least guaranteeing consistently high quality. Construction site transports are reduced to a minimum, residents living nearby benefit from less noise, dirt and shorter road closures.

Wood boasts a naturally high thermal insulation value, equalises temperature changes and is highly energy-efficient over the entire life cycle of the building. Thanks to these properties the walls of solid timber constructions can be made a lot slimmer than those used on conventional buildings. Wooden buildings with the same exterior dimensions as conventional buildings have roughly ten per cent more net floor space – in a single-family home, this translates into one more room, in structures built in highly urbanised areas, into a lot less built-up space and more living space.

Once its surface is on fire, wood forms a charred layer that significantly slows down further burning off. This is why timber buildings are dimensioned in such a way that they are at least as safe as structures built from other materials, naturally meet all respective regulations and often retain their load-bearing capacity longer. Steel, while not flammable, rapidly and abruptly loses its load bearing capacity at high heat, making it uncontrollable in its fire behaviour.

Expert planning provided, wood offers excellent sound insulation properties. Individual sections and rooms can be insulated depending on the requirements.

Wood smells and feels good and provides a pleasant atmosphere. It can absorb and emit moisture, making for a naturally regulated, cosy indoor climate. This has positive effects on the residents and their health.