Green building advocates and construction product marketers have different views of what the greenest building material is. Different ways of determining what green means will lead to different results. But according to a recent report from the U.S. Forest Service, wood is the greenest building material.
This analysis seems to rest largely on the carbon footprint of various construction materials.
"The argument that somehow non-wood construction materials are ultimately better for carbon emissions than wood products is not supported by our research," said David Cleaves, the U.S. Forest Service Climate Change Advisor. "Trees removed in an environmentally responsible way allow forests to continue to sequester carbon through new forest growth. Wood products continue to benefit the environment by storing carbon long after the building has been constructed."
Wood is also unique as a renewable resource that actively sequesters carbon from the atmosphere. As they grow, trees absorb CO2 from the atmosphere and lock it into the structure of the wood. In doing so, wood is a carbon storage material, and that carbon is locked away until the wood decomposes or burns.
The report additionally recommends that USDA further its outreach efforts to educate the construction industry and the general public to be more aware of the suitability of wood for non-residential construction and to further study of the carbon benefits of the use of wood in construction.
image: CC-SA 2.5 by Andreas Trepte, www.photo-natur.de
via: Architect magazine
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Comments (14)
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written by Thomas, October 10, 2011
But what about building with loam? Few trees need be harvested, and clay soil is frequently on-site. Though it's less suitable for skyscrapers.
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written by Zachary, October 10, 2011
i wouldn't have guessed it, to be honest, since deforestation is such a huge problem. but the explanation makes pretty good sense.
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written by IT Disposals, October 12, 2011
Well, this certainly affirms what we in the Construction industry already knew. Not only is wood (timber) a beautiful building product (it can be shaped, carved, has predictable characteristics), but it locks in Carbon. Just a thought, but why can't the Construction industry get Carbon Credits for using timber in construction, which it then sells onto polluting businesses? I mean, the world's already got this system in place for most businesses, but this has probably not been included
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written by Phung, October 16, 2011
Wood is actually a high-tech cellulose based polymer, whose design nature has evolved over eons of time in response to specific sets of requirements. Those requirements are, high strength with minimum weight, flexibility to cope with wind loads, resistance to decomposition, resistance to insects and the ability to be synthesised in-situ and on demand directly from raw materials. Pretty amazing stuff.
All man has to do is create plantations of the species with the desired characteristics and wait. The waiting part is the hardest thing because business is usually driven by the desire for maximum short term gains, which has resulted in deforestation of native forests.
All man has to do is create plantations of the species with the desired characteristics and wait. The waiting part is the hardest thing because business is usually driven by the desire for maximum short term gains, which has resulted in deforestation of native forests.
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written by Rick, October 19, 2011
That phrase 'Trees removed in an environmentally responsible way...' is pretty key to the USDA conclusion. How do we guarantee and verify that?
Rick
Rick
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written by Duh, October 19, 2011
really? it took a govt study to figure this out? humans have been using trees for thousands of years. good grief... pull your faces out of the NY Times people! baaaah, baaaah, baaaah
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written by nyak, October 19, 2011
Sustainable yes, well maybe. What about thermal resistance, and overall longevity. Could we not build with other organic materials that is not such a controversy.
How about, create more of a focused pro enviroment economic organization that is not Government run and find another resource.
How about, create more of a focused pro enviroment economic organization that is not Government run and find another resource.
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written by Tim Peak, October 19, 2011
What about the currently illegal substance Hemp? Check out the eco friendly growth habits, the thousand of product possibilities and the the fast plant to production capabilities. www.earthprovides.com 
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written by Ana, October 19, 2011
Earthquake test with 6-store building, all made with wood, in Japan, at the most advanced sismic center in the world.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4nLwwXhEag
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4nLwwXhEag
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written by Stephani, October 19, 2011
I thought bamboo was the greenest building material, because of how fast it replenishes? Trees take decades to grow until they can be used for lumber.
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written by Phung, October 21, 2011
You cannot see the forest for the trees. Bamboo is wood, but with a tubular structure and high silicon content. The fact that it was produced by a grass rather than a tree is not relevant. Duh!
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written by Mark, October 26, 2011
Of course the US Forest Service would say trees, they love to sell trees to their political croonies. That is intelligent government for you. Hemp is really the key to a renewable resource. If the USFS used just a portion of it's millions of hectacres that are under 'management' to produce hemp, trees would never have to be cut down for building materials again, but then again, the timber lobbyists in DC would never allow that to happen!!
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written by John Rudmin, November 01, 2011
Carbon and climate change are not the only environmental issues. If we rush headlong into being "green" by dramatically increasing the demand for wood, we may trigger the perfect scenario for a chapter in the next edition of Freakonomics--i.e. stories of unintended consequences. Let's not turn the living ecosystem of rainforest into pine plantations. That said, how about turning abandoned strip malls into pine plantations?
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written by Construction Products, October 09, 2012
Thanks for sharing this great post on the greenest building material. It’s very enlightening. I absolutely love to read informative stuff. Looking forward to find out more and acquire further knowledge from here!
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