"While concrete is the most commonly used construction material on earth, it is also the biggest in terms of environmental impact," said Yahya "Gino" Kurama, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth sciences, who is leading the research effort.
The use of timber as a structural material in tall buildings is an area of emerging interest for its variety of potential benefits; the most obvious being that it is a renewable resource, unlike prevailing construction methods which use concrete and steel.
He states that the key is to use something lighter, cheaper and, if treated right, stronger than many conventional construction materials.
Their research also addressed the deflection behavior, or how much a structure would continue to deform, over a long period of use under normal day-to-day loading and environmental conditions for the first time.
This could be the answer for improving many world problems – for example air quality, as it will produce lower carbon emissions. To manufacture equivalent products in steel or aluminium, in their high production, there is a high energy consumption and pollution.
The research is also investigating other potential benefits, such as reduced costs and improved construction timescales, increased fire resistance, and significant reduction in the overall weight of buildings.
Judith Hawkins. Grantham Journal, http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/local/big-interview-granthamian-believes-buildings-of-the-future-could-be-built-out-of-bamboo-1-7369261#ixzz48J9JhrXw (accessed 10/5/2016)
University of Cambridge. "Timber skyscrapers could transform London's skyline." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/04/160408102359.htm (accessed 10/5/2016).
University of Notre Dame. "Why not recycled concrete?." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/02/160208183451.htm (accessed 10/5/2016).
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