Could we build a wooden skyscraper? - Stefan Al
TED-Ed・4 minutes read
Mjøstårnet in Norway is the world's tallest wooden building using engineered wood materials like CLT and glulam to mimic concrete and steel, offering advantages like faster construction and reduced carbon emissions. While wooden structures may not be as strong as steel or concrete, buildings under 30 stories could reduce their carbon footprint by over 25%, demonstrating the potential of wooden buildings for sustainable urban environments.
Insights
- Engineered wood materials like CLT and glulam used in Mjøstårnet allow for taller wooden structures with benefits like faster construction, reduced carbon emissions, and improved resilience to natural disasters, showcasing the potential of wood in sustainable urban environments.
- While wooden buildings may not support extremely tall skyscrapers due to strength limitations, constructing mid-rise buildings under 30 stories from wood can significantly reduce carbon footprints by over 25%, highlighting the environmental advantages of utilizing timber in construction.
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Recent questions
How tall is the world's tallest wooden building?
The world's tallest wooden building, Mjøstårnet, stands at 85 meters in Norway.
What are the advantages of using engineered wood materials?
Engineered wood materials like glue laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) mimic the strength of concrete and steel, allowing for faster construction, reduced carbon emissions, and improved resilience to natural disasters.
Are CLT and glulam environmentally friendly?
Yes, CLT and glulam are more environmentally friendly than traditional materials due to timber's renewability and lower carbon emissions, as well as providing better thermal insulation for buildings.
Can wooden structures reduce carbon footprints?
Constructing buildings under 30 stories from wood could reduce their carbon footprint by over 25%, showcasing the potential of wooden buildings in contributing to more sustainable urban environments.
Why are concrete slabs used in taller wooden buildings?
Concrete slabs are used in taller wooden buildings like Mjøstårnet because while CLT and glulam offer advantages, they are not as strong as steel or concrete in similar quantities, necessitating the use of concrete for additional support in taller structures.
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Summary
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Tallest Wooden Building: Sustainable Construction Advantages
- Mjøstårnet, standing at 85 meters in Norway, is the world's tallest wooden building, constructed mainly from neighboring forest trees, utilizing engineered wood materials like glue laminated timber (glulam) and cross-laminated timber (CLT) to mimic the strength of concrete and steel, allowing for taller wooden structures with advantages like faster construction, reduced carbon emissions, and improved resilience to natural disasters.
- CLT and glulam offer benefits beyond construction, such as being more environmentally friendly due to timber's renewability and lower carbon emissions, as well as providing better thermal insulation for buildings. However, they require more lumber than traditional wooden construction and are not as strong as steel or concrete when compared in similar quantities, necessitating the use of concrete slabs in taller wooden buildings like Mjøstårnet.
- While a purely wooden structure may not be strong enough to support a 40-story skyscraper, constructing buildings under 30 stories from wood could reduce their carbon footprint by over 25%, showcasing the potential of wooden buildings in contributing to more sustainable urban environments.
