The Growing Role of Wood in Building Sustainability

While growing interest in buildings that are better for the environment, healthier for occupants and more energy efficient has helped drive the popularity of green building rating systems, concerns over climate change have increased the sense of urgency and expanded the focus to include the carbon impact of buildings. Although operating energy—which is most often associated with climate change—is largely outside the scope of the structural engineer, he or she can positively influence a project's carbon footprint through the choice of structural materials. This paper will provide an overview of wood as a green building material and, in particular, its potential related to climate change mitigation. It will examine the role of sustainably managed forests and wood products in the absorption and storage of carbon, and in reducing atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases. Finally, it will highlight the increasing use of life cycle assessment (LCA), which offers an objective and consistent way to measure the environmental impacts of building materials from extraction/harvest through disposal or re-use, and demonstrate how wood compares to structural materials such as steel and concrete.