History of Timber Construction
What is Sustainable Timber?
Timber and Modern-day Structures
Benefits of Using Timber in Construction
Lightweight, versatile and durable; the amazing qualities of timber make it an excellent construction material. But, due to increasing environmental concerns caused by deforestation, constructing with wood is often considered harmful for the natural environment. In fact, it used to be one of the biggest challenges for engineers, builders, and other stakeholders of the construction industry who preferred using timber as a building material.
So, to solve this problem once and for all, the concept of sustainable timber forests has been introduced in recent years. Tree species in these forests are grown and harvested responsibly for construction purposes without disturbing the natural ecosystem.
In this post, we are going to find out how timber is sustainably sourced and used in construction and will also talk about some of its key benefits as a construction material.
Now, without further ado, let’s get started!
History of Timber in Construction Industry
Also known as lumber in American English, timber was used as one of the most important and in-demand building materials long before steel and concrete were invented. Ever since their invention, these modern-day construction materials started dominating the industry. In the 20th century, we witnessed the emergence of many tall and supertall skyscrapers made from concrete and steel.
Timber, on the other hand, remained limited to small construction projects like houses and cottages and lost its popularity. However, things are once again turning in favour of timber construction. When compared to concrete and steel, timber is actually a more environmentally friendly building material, which is why more and more architects and builders are now incorporating it into their design.
More About Sustainable Timber and Its Environmental Benefits
Timber grown and harvested in a sustainable manner is actually good for the environment. Sustainable forestry is probably the best way to balance the needs of the environment and preserve the habitat of wildlife species.
The goal of sustainable forestry is to harvest timber from a precisely mapped area where everything is planned ahead of time. For example, only a limited number of trees can be harvested per acre in a specific period. The activities of cutting trees and harvesting wood are controlled on the basis of the growth rates of tree species found in that particular ecosystem.
Preparing Timber for Modern-day Structures
Due to its versatile nature, timber can be converted into any shape and/or design. Whether at a small or large scale, building structures with timber usually requires far less energy and effort than harder materials like concrete and steel.
Owing to the increasing popularity of timber construction in recent years, state-of-the-art factories and facilities have been set up for the purpose of shaping timber to meet modern-day construction requirements. With the help of the latest trimming and cutting tools, timber is transformed into different types of structural elements and parts of a building, required for the project.
Since it is a lightweight material, large quantities of timber wood can be transported from factory to construction site in one go. Huge pieces of timber in the form of pillars, beams, and other sections of the building are then put together by the on-site construction workers and this is how the structure finally takes shape.
Structural Benefits of Timber
Let’s take a look at some amazing benefits of using timber frames in construction.
- Non-toxic Natural Building Material: Timber is one of those natural materials that are absolutely non-toxic, which means it won’t be spreading chemical vapours around the building. This is why building with wood, as in timber, is now rapidly regaining the popularity it lost decades ago.
- Timber Possesses Great Tensile Strength: Timber is not only an extremely lightweight material but is also highly resistant to breaking due to its flexible nature. This amazing natural quality dramatically increases the tensile strength of structures made with timber wood. This is why custom-made timber structures are very strong and durable.
- It’s Eco-friendly and Sustainable: One of the best things about using timber in construction is that, unlike other building materials, it can be harvested in a more sustainable and eco-friendly way. With the right policies and planning in place, timber can be grown quicker than its usage. If the plantation of new trees is quickly replacing the ones harvested, timber will always be available in abundance without causing any harm to the natural environment.
Now that we have given you all the key benefits of using timber in construction and how it can be a part of the sustainable infrastructure of future cities, it’s time for us to wrap up the piece. For your feedback and queries, feel free to reach out to us at blog@zameen.com.
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