Mass timber has seen a rise in popularity as many cities, such as New York, have undertaken initiatives to reduce their carbon footprint from typical carbon-heavy construction materials like concrete and steel.
Mass timber as a term is used to describe engineered wood products like cross-laminated timber (CLT) and glue laminated timber (glulam). These newer and greener building products are made of layers of wood bound together to form usable structural components.
New York is encouraging the use of these new wood products through the NYC Mass Timber Studio. As a part of the City’s decarbonizationn effort, the studio supports active mass timber developments in the early phases of project planning and design to ensure feasibility and execution.
Despite popular belief, a recent article in Timber Revolution by Benjamin Kromser explains that there may not be enough wood to realistically have mass timber scale to the city level. “Wood is a limited resource…[There] always has to be a balance between what we take from the forest to use for building construction and how much grows again.”
In addition he also emphasizes that simply “using wood doesn’t make a building sustainable…Building with less materials, not alternative products, is key to reduction.”
Evaluating if we have enough wood to support city initiatives is certainly an interesting point. More data and analysis would be needed to ascertain an answer and direction for mass timber.
Ultimately, time will tell how mass timber developments will affect the built environment. As long as regulators and manufacturers grasp both the advantages and disadvantages of mass timber’s use and carbon effects, wood products will evolve and hopefully be a sustainable way forward.
Discussion Question: Are there enough sustainable practices to replenish the wood we desire to use in our cities?
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