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Building in wood for a sustainable Building

26/03/2021

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Purificacion Gonzalez Martinez

Lecturer and researcher at School of Architecture of the University of Navarra

Joaquín Torres

Professor and researcher of the University of Navarra School of Architecture

Society is increasingly aware of the need for change in all sectors of Economics to reduce the environmental impact generated by human activity. In the case of Building, it is estimated that the construction and use of buildings accounts for 40% of the energy we consume and generates 36% of CO2 emissions in Europe, according to official EU sources. Figures which, in the light of the recent celebration of World Timber Day and International Forest Day, place the Building sector at the centre stage of current and future reconstruction policies.

Against this backdrop, it is essential to make progress towards greater energy efficiency in buildings. This involves reducing energy demand and consumption during their period of use to reach the so-called nZEB or nearly zero-energy-consumption buildings. Considering the road travelled so far, the new Energy Efficiency Directive 2018/844 creates a clear path towards a decarbonised building stock in the EU by 2050. This goal is underpinned by long-term national renovation strategies deadline. In this context, new buildings also deserve the utmost attention, as it is estimated that 20%-25% of the building stock that will be available in 2050 is still to be built in Europe.

Reducing the environmental impacts associated with building materials is essential to achieve the goal target set by both this European directive and the European Green Deal itself. Traditionally, high-rise buildings have been constructed in reinforced concrete or steel. However, the process to produce both materials requires large amounts of energy and the use of mostly fossil fuels, resulting in negative environmental impacts. Wood and wood-based products, on the other hand, are emerging in recent decades as an optimal alternative in building construction.

However, the resource to wood as a structural element has been used practically all over the world and throughout history. What has been new in recent decades is the design of industrialised systems comparable to those in concrete and steel, while maintaining their advantages as a renewable and environmentally friendly resource .

Furthermore, in order to move towards a change in the mentality of the sector, it is necessary to understand the advantages of using this material compared to others. There are already a number of ways to assess the environmental performance of building materials and products through life cycle analysis - from extraction of the raw subject materials to transport to the factory, product development, placement in buildings and maintenance, restoration and recovery after the period of use - and instructions of data with information on the environmental impact of building materials. However, there are few instructions of data with complete information for wood.

From this lack was born the project that we have developed, Chair Madera Universidad de Navarra and ADEMAN, to make available to the sector a tool that serves to evaluate, in a simple way and in the pre-project phase, the environmental advantages of the use of wood in buildings. This tool -result of a project of research granted by the Government of Navarre for promote wood within the business fabric of Navarre - serves to compare the CO2 emissions of construction systems that use wood compared to equivalent systems made with other materials, so that at a glance the builder, developer or client can visualise the advantages of using wood compared to other materials.

This tool -which has been designed as an easy-to-use excel- establishes some parameters of reference letter of the constructive elements in which the use of wood is common. That is, in structures, ventilated façade cladding, interior wall cladding, flooring, joinery and insulation. The total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions emitted by the direct or indirect effect of the products used are provided, taking instructions from data recognised and internationally endorsed resources, such as ICE Inventory of Carbon & Energy (v3.0).

The final goal is none other than to offer an interesting resource for architects, builders, developers and even for the administration to be able to objectively assess the benefits of using wood in buildings and opt for it. This is also the aim that we have maintained at the Chair Madera of the University of Navarra since its constitution, together with the Government of Navarra, to support the development of a culture of wood and the promotion of its use in construction applications through the training and research applied.