WOOD Wood is one of the few truly renewable building materials in use today and an increasing number of available engineered products are making wood an attractive option for commercial construction. Aside from being renewable, wood also provides carbon sequestration. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide which stored until it is released either from burning or decay. As long as the material is preserved, the carbon is stored. In addition to this, once wood is logged it provides space for new trees to grow and replace the tree in use. This means that sustainability is possible if trees are logged at the rate of replacement, an important aspect that organizations such as the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) verifies. Logging can provide an important service by harvesting trees to reduce the risk of fires or beetle infestation in certain areas. A recent beetle kill in Canada illustrates a need for harvest: Presently, the Pacific Northwest and Western Canada in particular, are experiencing the worst mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak in recorded history. This ecosystem altering epidemic is causing widespread mortality of the lodgepole pine forests, the most abundant commercial tree species in the region. The bark beetle has also migrated south into the United States and eastward, posing a significant threat to the jack pine stands of Canada’s northern boreal forest [2]. Due to the severity of the current MPB attack, there is a surplus of infected, unused lodgepole pine and standing dead wood. The volume of MPB attacked trees is enormous; approximately 620 million cubic metres with the MPB epidemic expected to kill one billion cubic meters of B.C. timber before it subsides [3]. Over the last five years, the excessive volume of rotting dead fall, resulting from MPB killed timber, has resulted in Western Canada’s forests becoming net emitters of GHGs. (Roberston et. al., 246)
HARVESTING The answer to capitalizing on this renewable material resources is Selective Harvesting. “Selective harvesting is the practice of periodically removing mature trees in order to allow young trees to grow. Trees that are near their death or have grown to an unproductive diameter can stunt younger trees from growing properly. By periodically harvesting particular trees, forest regeneration is improved. Selective harvesting leads to healthier forests . . .” Because of clear cut logging practices in sensitive areas a need for sustainable forestry practices is critical.
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: -Forest Stewardship Council -Sustainable Forestry Initiative -American Tree Farm System -Canadian Standards Association -Pan European Forest Certification Council -International Tropical Timber Organization -ISO 14000 Environmental Management Series http://greencabinetsource.org/Manufacturing/Sustainable_Forestry
NREL’s RSF building used locally sourced Beetle Killed Pine http://energy.gov/articles/nrel-facility-named-one-nation-s-top-sustainable-buildings
http://www.canadianarchitect.com
Trees don’t live forever, and in some areas like Colorado, fire is a necessary component of a trees lifecycle. When fires are restricted by human involvement the mountain beetle takes over. Responsible forest management makes sense. Though no building materials is without problems, it seems irresponsible to pass upon opportunities such as these.
ISSUES WITH WOOD All building materials have some drawbacks. Though innovation in engineered wood products has increased the strength and effeciency of wood it also uses more energy to produce and can contain harmful Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC’s) in the adhesives, one such chemical is Urea-Formaldehyde (UF). Certain wood materials such as Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) contain more Formaldehyde than other pressed wood products like plywood. Another type of Formaldehyde is Phenol-Formaldehyde (PF) which is used in outdoor wood products and emits VOC’s at a much lower rate. Some manufacturers are now moving away from the use of UF or PF for other fossil fuel based adhesives (e.g. polyurethane). http://www.epa.gov/iaq/formaldehyde.html Robertson, Adam B., Frank C. F. Lam, and Raymond J. Cole. "A Comparative Cradle-to-Gate Life Cycle Assessment of Mid-Rise Office Building Construction Alternatives: Laminated Timber Or Reinforced Concrete." buildings (2012): 245,246-270. Print.
research
• Reclaimed wood is lumber extracted from old structures, such as timbers in homes, barns, warehouses, water tanks, or even old railroad ties • Wood can be salvaged from many sources, such as shipping and crating materials (often made of exotic or tropical hardwoods), deconstructed buildings (sometimes containing old-growth wood that is harder than new wood), wine casks, gym bleachers, and shipyards • One of the goals of using reclaimed wood is to prevent it from being contributed to landfill waste or being incinerated. This requires scouting for lumber at shipyards, demolition sites, going-out-ofbusiness sales, and building renovation sites • High-quality salvaged timber is dried in a kiln and its rough exterior is milled – a process which often reveals the pleasing aesthetic of the original wood • Producing reclaimed wood flooring uses 13 times less cumulative energy than that of producing virgin wood flooring
PRECEDENT: Yosemite Cabin Restoration, Oakhurst, CA, uses reclaimed standing Dead Sugar Pine exterior siding, Western Red Cedar interior paneling, and Douglas Fir interior beams; lumber reclaimed by Crossroads Recycled Lumber, LLC
Freight containers filled with reclaimed shipyard wood
• The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that demolished buildings could provide about one billion feet of usable, reclaimed lumber per year
SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL reclaimed wood REFERENCES http://crossroadslumber.com/ http://www.epa.gov/region9/waste/solid/pdf/5cw.pdf http://buildipedia.com/aec-pros/construction-materials-and-methods/understanding-reclaimed-wood-how-the-salvaging-process-works http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2011/11/29/The-Many-Faces-of-Reclaimed-Wood/
Denailing, debolting, and metal detecting salvaged wood in preparation for remanufacture
What is it?
Precedent
Reclaimed lumber comes from old barns and other buildings, factories and stores that use wood construction. This can be in the form of timbers, flooring, siding or panels and can turned into these things for a new use. It is common for this wood to be made of heartwood, which gives it strength and durability. It is useful for many reasons; its environmental benefits, its strength compared to new growth wood and its ability to be used in a number of applications. The practice of using reclaimed lumber has grown in popularity and is becoming more and more common.
Pioneer Millworks utilized 2,200sq ft of reclaimed lumber to create this restaurant and brewery. This allowed them to prevent 8 tons of wood waste from being created and at the same time saved 30 trees from being harvested. This keeps that waste from going into a landfill and allows those trees to continue producing oxygen for the environment, enough for 120 people per day. And the waste they did have from the reclaimed wood was turned into wood pellets or burned in their kiln to heat their building.
Benefits Using reclaimed wood helps the environment because new wood is not being harvested to create it. It also requires less processing because it has already been cut to dimensional sizes. It is normally stronger than new lumber because it was cut from wood that aged much more than wood harvested today. It has undergone cycles of moisture so it does not react to moisture as severe as new lumber. It can be reused in multiple applications, ranging from beams to siding to flooring and is very durable. It also can be used in residential and commercial applications. It has a unique characteristic look to it and can have a rustic feel. Pioneer Millworks Project
Drawbacks One issue is that many times this lumber has pieces of metal stuck in it. These pieces range from bolts to nails and can cause issues removing them. It takes extra time and if you don’t have the correct equipment you can ruin your tools. Also this lumber is not going to be consistent. The pieces may come from multiple places and are different ages so they are going to range in quality, making it difficult to get multiple pieces that are similar. It is also hard to know what treatments these pieces of lumber underwent during their first use. This can cause problems when treated lumber is pressed for flooring and offgasing occurs.
Sources http://timber-frame-design.com/environmental-benefits-of-reclaimed-wood/ http://viridianwood.com/using-reclaimed-wood-vs-virgin-woodenvironmental-benefits-02 http://www.antiquewoods.net/reclaimedwood/benefits.htm http://ezinearticles.com/?Advantages-of-Reclaimed-Wood&id=7018882
Reclaimed Lumber Material
Lightweight Sustainable Concrete Aggregates Perlite -
Perlite is a siliceous volcanic rock mined in western United States. When crushed and quickly heated to above 15000 F., it expands to form lightweight, noncombustible, glass-like particles of cellular structure. This material, white or light gray in color, is about 1/10 the weight of sand or gravel. Perlite aggregate consists of expanded perlite sized for use in lightweight fire retardant plaster or insulating concrete in place of sand or gravel. For easy handling and accurate on-the-job mixing. The many, tiny glass-sealed cells in each particle of expanded perlite make it highly insulating as well as comparatively non- absorptive. Thus perlite mixes with about 30% less water than comparable lightweight aggregates.
These advantages save time, labor and materials窶ｦ Light weight - Perlite in combination with Portland cement is the lightest of all mineral aggregate concretes. It can be designed with a density of 20 to 50 lb. per cu. Ft. By greatly reducing the deadweight of !oor, roof and wall constructions, perlite concrete permits signifcant savings in structural steel and other building materials. Fire-retardant - perlite concrete is incombustible and has received 4-hour ratings in Underwriters Laboratories are tests. It is ideal for fire-retardant roof and floor fillls, for thin concrete curtain walls and for precast panel and block constructions where insulation and fire resistance are required. Insulating - Countless tiny air cells in perlite aggregate produce concrete with an insulating value up to 20 times better than ordinary concrete. A 2-inch thickness of perlite concrete provides insulation equal to that of 1-inch top quality insulation hoard, and is entirely inorganic窶馬ot subject to damage by water, vermin or fungus. Workable - versatile perlite concrete can be job-mixed or transit mixed, and then poured, pumped, or plastered into place. Its light weight simplifes handling, speeds construction and reduces cost of placement. The dry concrete can be nailed, sawed and worked with ordinary carpentry tools.
concrete Concrete is a sustainable material in all stages of its life span, from raw material production to demolition. Resource efficiency The predominant raw material for the cement in concrete is limestone, the most abundant mineral on earth. Concrete can also be made with fly ash, slag cement, and silica fume, which are all waste byproducts from power plants, steel mills, and other manufacturing facilities.
Durability Concrete builds durable, long-lasting structures that will not rust, rot of burn. Life spans for concrete building products can be double or triple of other common buidling materials.
Thermal mass Buildings constructed with concrete walls, foundations, and floors are highly energy efficient because they take advantage of concretes inherent thermal massor ability to absorb and retain heat. Heating and cooling costs can be significantly reduced.
Sunlight Concrete holds heat as a thermal mass and releases it into the interior
Minimal waste Concrete can be produced in the quantities needed for each project, reducing waste. After a concrete structure has served its original purpose, the concrete can be crushed and recycled into aggregate for use in new concrete pavements or as backfill or road base.
Aqua Building in Chicago, IL Flat plate floor construction allowed the building to be completed well ahead of a structural steel building being built nearby. Concrete in this building allowed for reduced noise between units, less building sway from wind forces because the mass and stiffness of concrete dampens movement, and increased fire safety.
lightweight provides daylight durable
FRP is a composite made up of a polymer matrix and a reinforcing agent, typically a synthetic fiber, which produces an extremely strong material. It is a mold-, mildew-, stain-, and bacteria-resistant material. FRP has the ability to provide UV protection with the addition of an advanced polymer resin system. This material inherently withstands wide temperature fluctuations without cracking, discoloring, or breaking down. Although difficult to recycle, FRP’s cost and energy savings are significant in comparison to other similar products. Due to its high durability and performance, the frequency of replacement is low, contributing to its sustainability quotient.
sources: http://continuingeducation.construction.com/article.php?L=204&C=650&P=7 http://www.archdaily.com/307274/low-cost-house-vo-trong-nghia-architects/
Low Cost House Vo Trong Nghia Architects Dong Nai Province, Vietnam
MATERIAL.Phase Change Insulation.BioPCmat Kenyon Duncan
BioPCMat - Phase Change Energy Solutions BioPCmatTM works in the daytime by absorbing heat from solar and internal gains and then releasing that heat during the night in order to reduce cooling and heating loads along with energy consumption, while enhancing comfort in the process. BioPCmat products are stocked by the following categories: Q-Values [peak melting temperatures in degrees celsius]: 23째C, 25째C and 27째C. M values [Btu thermal energy storage capacity] of M27, M51 and M91 Fire ratings of Class A or C Perm ratings of Class 1, 2 or 3 Lengths of 48 inches (1.22m) or 96 inches (2.44m) All bioPCmat's are 16.5 inches (.42m) wide. Class A fire rating is only available with a class 1 perm rating. For general orders M51/Q25/Class C fire rating/Class 2 perm rating is the most common choice. It is also possible to manufacture other temperature [Q-Value] or loading [M-Value] products to meet custom demand. For more information please contact us as our representatives will work with prospective clients to ensure the optimal material is chosen for a project.
Resources: http://www.phasechange.com/index.php/en/products/biopcmat http://www.architectmagazine.com/building-materials/phase-change-energy-solutions-biopcm.aspx
Sustainable Material Phase Change Material (PCM) A phase-change material (PCM) is a substance with a high heat of fusion which, melting and solidifying at a certain temperature, is capable of storing and releasing large amounts of energy. Heat is absorbed or released when the material changes from solid to liquid and vice versa; thus, PCMs are classified as latent heat storage (LHS) units.
PCM as thermal mass; PCM Trombe Wall Precedent: Solar Decathlon 2011 - Solar Homestead Appalachian State. The design comprises of a battery of flat panels constructed in aluminum filled with phase change material. The wall is located on the south side of the house, few inches behind the glass window. Each flat panel can be manually flipped to any angle to absorb the heat during the winter day and still have the capability to get sunlight and see through the window. The absorbed heat is released during the night to warm the inside space. During the day the sun heats first the air in the space between the panel and glass, then the PCM inside the panel absorbs heat and changes from solid to liquid. The heat is stored as latent heat. Once the air in the space is heated it rises and enters into the room. The upward air movement pulls the cool air from the room and the Trombe Wall heats it. The cycle continues as a natural phenomenon. The PCM inside the Trombe Wall increases the capability of the Trombe Wall to absorb heat with a light construction and release/absorption of heat takes place at a constant temperature. The Phase Change Energy storage technology is promising technology towards energy saving through energy storage and provides a sustainable method for temperature control.
http://www.solardecathlon.gov/past/2011/team_appalachian_state.html http://phasechangematerials.blogspot.com/2011/09/phase-change-material-trombe-wall.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-change_material
RESEARCH Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) systems provide aesthetic options and solar energy to a building. BIPVs can be non-view windows, skylights, curtain walls, facades, etc. They can also be used in double-skin wall assemblies to either supply or extract hot air, with natural convective ventilation or a mechanized ventilation system powered by the PVs. The PV panels are typically produced on glass or metal substrates, and can be semitransparent, tinted, high performance (low E) glazing units, or patterned to minimize heat gain and control glare. PRECEDENT California Academy of Sciences, Renzo Piano.
ASSEMBLY OPTIONS Layered structure of a PV window, typically consists of two panes of clear or tinted glazing are used, with the PV modules adhered to the front of the window's inside pane. [above, top]. Energy flow paths at natural-ventilated PV double-pane window [above, bottom].
PVs provide passive solar performance as well. Awnings/skylights can shade interior spaces from direct sunlight; light shelves can shield direct sun while providing diffuse, indirect light to interior spaces; windows are designed to admit a specific amount of light and/or view to a space. Panels or prefabricated sections are preferred in terms of construction cost, time and precision.
RESOURCES
BUILDING INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAICS
Building Integrated Photovoltaics - BIPV. Accessed 3/24/13. http://www.pvresources.com/BIPV.aspx Building Integrated Photovoltaics, Comite de Liaison Energies Renouvelables, http://www.cler.org/info/IMG/pdf/WP6_ANG_plaquette.pdf "California Academy of Sciences / Renzo Piano." 9/28/08. ArchDaily. Accessed 3/24/13. http://www.archdaily.com/6810/california-academy-of-sciences-renzo-piano/ Photovoltaic Glazing, WisconSUN Solar Use Network. Copyright 2005 WisconSUN. http://www.ecw.org/wisconsun/learn/learn_glazing.shtml. Accessed 3/24/13. Building Integrated Photovoltaics. Kiss Cathcart Anders Architects, P.C. NREL, Golden, CO: January, 1993. http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cgi-bin/virtcdlib/index.cgi/4298428/FID3/m95004056.pdf
BUILDING MATERIAL
material use strategy: look at multiple levels of performance patty gut | arista winery | russian river valley, ca w
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Advantages • Durability • No maintenance • Natural color • Termite, rot & crack resistant • Excels in warmer environments
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Corrugated steel is a weather resistant steel siding manufactured for strength and rigidity. Corten steel is a weather resistant steel that develops a thin skin of rust which protects the inner layers of steel from the elements.
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IDEA I want to minimize embodied energy by looking at what materials are available locally and what materials perform best in this climate. I also want to look into the physical performance of the materials. For instance, in looking at corrugated steel, you can see how the directionality of the corrugations can aide in water catchment and control.
PRECEDENT Hudson River Education Center And Pavilion. The textures, patterns, orientation and details of the corrugated steel, wood deck and bar grating are signifacnt to the composition and function of each piece.