Sustainable timber construction in a globalized world
A study of timber as a sustainable construction material and how the Swedish model of forestry could influence the construction sector
Johan Björn Theory & History, Spring semester 2020 Studio 12, UMA 5 Umeå School of Architecture
ABSTRACT
The construction industry is essential for every nation. Providing society with basic functions such as jobs, housing and social spaces. It is the backbone for economic and social development.
The industry is at the same time one of the most devastation for the climate as it stands for 40%
of the CO2 emissions and the consumption of 50 percent of all raw materials produced. As the world population keeps growing sustainable solutions are more important than ever in order to meet the needs of the generations to come. Catering for a global population expected to reach 9,7 billion in 2050. To combat the negative climate footprint of the construction industry strategies has been introduced affecting everything from energy efficiency to material use.
Timber has been reintroduced as a construction material ideal for fighting CO2 emissions. The thesis has explored why wood is seen as a sustainable option to traditional building materials as well as how the Swedish forestry could influence the construction industry. This as Sweden has a rich tradition in timber constriction and an abundance of timber and a focus on development and sustainable forestry. By making sure that the forestry of the world is sustainable and responsible the timber production and by extension the timber as a construction material can share the same values. The thesis has shown that a reason that we don’t construct more timber buildings is simply the fact that in general there is a lack of knowledge and understanding about its potential and diversity. And that communication is needed to normalize the use of sustainable materials.
INTRODUCTION ... 4
PURPOSE ... 5
Research questions ... 5
THEORY ... 5
The construction industry and climate. ... 5
Carbon sequestration ... 6
Ocean sequestration ... 6
Terrestrial sequestration ... 7
Other qualities of timber ... 7
Local perspectives ... 8
Tradition ... 8
Forestry ... 8
Global perspective ... 9
Transport ... 10
5. Methodology ... 11
5.1 Method for data collection ... 11
5.2 Choice of literature ... 11
5.3 Interviews ... 11
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION ... 12
CONCLUSION ... 15
BIBLIOGRAPHY ... 17
INTRODUCTION
The construction industry is a sector of great importance and influence in the world we live in.
It is a foundation in every nation, providing the very base of society in regards to the needs of the citizens with jobs, housing and social spaces as well as being a backbone of each nations economic and social development.1 But as important as the construction industry is for the society, it is one of the most devastating sectors in regard for the climate. The construction industry emits circa 40 percent of the carbon (CO2) emissionin the world and uses about 50 percent of all raw materials produced on an annual basis. Resulting in devastating effects for the climate and simultaneously generate large amounts of waste material. 2 At the same time the world population keeps growing at an alarming pace, and the need for sustainable solutions are more important than ever in order to meet the needs of the generations to come. Although the population growing pace over the last 50 years have declined from 2.2 percent per year to 1.05 percent3 the global population is still expected to reach 9,7 billion in 2050.4 To combat the negative climate footprint of the construction industry many strategies has been introduced, e.g.
certifications, energy efficiency standards and material use. As a result of this development timber has been reintroduced as a construction material ideal for fighting CO2 emissions.5
Sweden is a country with great natural recourses and is covered to a degree of 70 percent by forests. Forestry is a backbone of the Swedish economy and stands for 9-12 percent of the annual income of the country. It is a country with a rich historical forestry, with a focus on development and sustainable forestry. With an annual growth of 120 million m3 of timber,6 it is an example of a nation where forestry actually has a positive effect on the climate as the forests are able to sequestrate double the annual domestic Swedish CO2 emissions, sequestrating 140 million tons of carbon annually.7
1 Ahmed, A., Othman, E. Corporate Social Responsibility of Architectural Design Firms Towards a Sustainable Built Environment in South Africa, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 2009 5:1-2, 36-45.
2 F Smith, P, Architecture in a Climate of Change, ed. Jordan Hill (Oxford: Linacre House, 2005).
3 Esteban Roser, Max Ritchie, Hannah Ortiz-Ospina, ‘Ourworldindata.Org’, 2019, https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth.
4 United Nations, ‘Growing at a Slower Pace, World Population Is Expected to Reach 9.7 Billion in 2050 and Could Peak at Nearly 11 Billion around 2100’, 2019.
5 Swedish Wood, ‘Wood Is a Sustainable Construction Material’, accessed 22 April 2020,
https://www.swedishwood.com/wood-facts/about-wood/wood-and-the-environment/wood-is-a-sustainable- construction-material/.
6 ‘Statistik Om Skog Och Industri - Skogsindustrierna’, Skogs Industrierna, 2019, https://www.skogsindustrierna.se/skogsindustrin/branschstatistik/.
PURPOSE
This thesis aims to explore and analyse the role of timber within the construction sector as it is a material that have become increasingly popular as a sustainable alternative to conventional building materials such as concrete, brick and steel. In addition to this, the thesis will investigate the Swedish forest industry and what role it has in regards to climate change and the construction sector. What effects does the forest industry have in regard to financial gains, emission levels and opportunities for the people working with timber.
Research questions
§ Why is timber seen as a sustainable option to traditional building materials?
§ How can Swedish forestry influence the construction industry and emission levels?
THEORY
The construction industry and climate.
The construction industry has become an important actor in the world today. This as the world’s population has been growing at an alarming rate over the last two hundred years. Increasing from 1 billion people in 1800 to the 7.7 billion people that make up the world’s population today. The growth rate of the global population has declined over the last 50 years from 2.2 percent to 1.05 percent per year. 8 However, the global population is expected to continue its rise over the coming years, increasing to 9,7 billion in 2050. 9 This means that the demand for housing and construction is high across the globe. But the prise of development can be measured in more than currency. Every year the construction industry emits 40 percent of the CO2 pollution in the world and uses 50 percent of all raw materials produced. 10
The construction industry is however focused on trying to reduce the amount of emissions that it produces. The national goal in Sweden for the housing sector is to decrease the amount of emissions from the construction sector by 20% by the year 2020 and 50% by 2050 with 1995
8 Roser, Max Ritchie, Hannah Ortiz-Ospina, ‘Ourworldindata.Org’.
9 United Nations, ‘Growing at a Slower Pace, World Population Is Expected to Reach 9.7 Billion in 2050 and Could Peak at Nearly 11 Billion around 2100’.
10 Smith, P, Architecture in a Climate of Change.
as a base year.11 Further efforts are made to combat the negative climate footprint that the construction industry generates.
Part of this development is the reintroduction of timber as a large-scale construction material.
This as timber have properties that makes it ideal when it comes to fighting CO2 emissions. 12
Carbon sequestration
Carbon sequestration is the process of capturing and storing of carbon that would otherwise remain in the atmosphere or be emitted. This is a strategy that will help to keep the CO2
emissions produced by humans down. It is a tool that potentially could do real and substantial difference in our fight against the climate crisis. An example of carbon sequestration driven by humans is the Norwegian state-owned petroleum company Statoil´s effort of the coast of Norway where they have been sequestrating carbon successfully since 1996. Pumping CO2
content from their natural gas operation from the Sleipner gas fields into an aquifer approximately a kilometre under the sea floor. Approximately 11 million tons of CO2 had been stored in 2008 but the science of how to sequestrate carbon at a large scale has a long way to go, in order to find a solution that is cost effective, stable and environmentally friendly. 13 Carbon sequestration is something that happens naturally.
Ocean sequestration
Carbon sequestration primarily happens naturally in nature. The oceans are one example of a natural CO2 sequestration as they annually sequestrate up a third of our anthropogenic CO2
emissions. There are however strategies that try to speed up this process by direct injection of CO2 and enhancement of the net oceanic uptake form the atmosphere. But little is known about the long term effectiveness and potential side effects. 14
11 Carolina Lundh, Magdalena Hiller, ‘Energianvändning i Hemmet, Vardagliga Aktiviteter.’, 2011.
12 Wood, ‘Wood Is a Sustainable Construction Material’.
13 M. Diana Jain, Ravi Urban, Lloyd Balbach, Harold Webb, Handbook of Environmental Engineering Assessment, 2012.
14 ‘Carbon Sequestration - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics’, 2012,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/carbon-sequestration.
Terrestrial sequestration
The forests of the world are the biggest natural CO2 sequestration sources we have.15 Enhancing the natural processes of terrestrial ecosystems ability to reduce atmospheric levels of CO2 might be the most cost-effective way to sequestrate carbon. The strategies surrounding the carbon sequestration of terrestrial ecosystems are already in effect as improvement of farmland, tree planting, wetland restoration, land management, fire management efforts, forest preservation and has received great support by the public.16 But is hard to fully grasp and calculate the effects of terrestrial carbon sequestration as there are no reliable estimates in regards to the land use footprint that it will need.17 Another issue is that makes it hard to calculate the amount of CO2 that the terrestrial sequestration will be able to absorb, is that the forests ability to sequestrate carbon decrease as the forests mature. This by an estimated 13 percent over the next 20 years.18 The ability of timber to act as a carbon trap is why it makes it so interesting for the construction industry. The renewable material also has low emissions in regard to material production in contrast to traditional materials such as concrete, steel and brick. And as achieving a climate neutral development implies using both renewable materials and greater energy efficiency timber is seen as a good material. The flexibility of the material and its eco- cycle means that all the material can be used and reused. Ensuring that none of the raw material ends up in a landfill. This as the material can be reused, recycled and used as energy recovery.
19
Other qualities of timber
There are however other upsides to the use of timber in construction that makes it popular.
Working with timber is less time consuming than many other materials. Other beneficial qualities can be found in the work environment, this as working with timber create less noise pollution.20 Another aspect that is speaking in the favour of timber as a construction material is the fact that the construction sites and timber processing plants are cleaner than those where
15 Smith, P, Architecture in a Climate of Change.
16 Jain, Ravi Urban, Lloyd Balbach, Harold Webb, Handbook of Environmental Engineering Assessment.
17 Lee Hannah, Climate Change Biology, Climate Change Biology, 2014, doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-420218- 4.01001-5.
18 Bruce G. Miller, Clean Coal Engineering Technology, Clean Coal Engineering Technology, 2011, doi:10.1016/C2009-0-20236-4.
19 Wood, ‘Wood Is a Sustainable Construction Material’.
20 Johan Fröbel, Del 1 Limträhandbok Fakta Om Limträ (Stockholm: Svenskt trä, 2016), www.traguiden.se,.
steel, brick and concrete are used.21 But working with wood has limitations as well. The risk for noise pollution is higher in a timber building.22 Another area where the benefits of timber construction is questioned is in regard to fire safety. There are people advocating steel and concrete as better options for fire safety. But new studies have shown that timber construction using CLT (cross laminated timber) and glulam matches the performance of both steel and concrete buildings or in some cases surpass these in fire qualities.23
Local perspectives
Tradition
In Sweden timber has been used in traditional construction material since the time of the Vikings. Timber and log construction with a wide range of expressions and techniques dominated. From the early round timber barns called “Myrlador” to more complex log construction used as far as a couple of decades into the 20th century. But the tradition of working with timber as a main construction material extends to this day.24 10 percent of all new multi- family houses in Sweden are built with a structure made from timber. As the process of timber constriction to a great extent is industrialised the cost of production can be cut as well as quality guaranteed.25
Forestry
Sweden is rich in timber, this since the resource covers about 70 percent of the country. Forestry is an important part of the Swedish economy and it stands for 9-12 percent of the annual income.
Through development of sustainable forestry in Sweden, where at least 2 trees are planted for every tree harvested, the industry keeps growing. The annual growth of the forests today is about 120 million m3 of timber and the size of the Swedish forests has doubled over the last century. With the region of Norrbotten in the very north of Sweden standing for 40 percent of the total production.26
21 Jörgen Olsson, Low Frequency Impact Sound in Timber Buildings – Simulations and Measurements, 2016.
22 Boverket, ‘Byggkostnadsforum, Bostäder Och Nya Ljudkrav’, 2017.
23 Träguiden, ‘Ljud Och Brand För Kassettbjälklag Av Massivträ’, 2003,
https://www.traguiden.se/konstruktion/konstruktiv-utformning/stomme/kl-tra/ljud-och-brand--kassettbjalklag/.
24 (Björn, Johan) Traditional construction, today. 2019
25 Svenskt trä, ‘Stadsbyggnad i Trä’, Tidningen TRÄ, 2016.
26 ‘Statistik Om Skog Och Industri - Skogsindustrierna’.
The total amount of timber that is available in Sweden reaches 3 billion m3 and it consists of three main species. Spruce is the most common tree with 41 percent of the total amount. Pine stands for 39 percent and 12 percent is birch trees. Conifer trees are by far the most common and in total there are 45 different species of conifer trees in Sweden.27 Timber for the construction industry is mostly consisting of spruce and timber for furnishings and interiors are generally pine as it has good qualities for shaping and getting a good surface quality.28
Global perspective
A lot of the timber produced in Sweden is exported. In 2018 the value of timber being exported from Sweden reached 145 billion SEK, making it one of the highest valued goods for export in the country. The ratio in regard to import and export of timber in Sweden is unique and help balance the overall commerce abroad. This as Sweden exports far more timber than it imports.
It is not only the raw material that is exported, in 2018 the 140 sawmills in Sweden produced a total of 18 million m3 of sawn wooden goods. Making the Swdish timber refining industry the third biggest in the world. Of the 18 million m3 of sawn wooden goods, 12,4 million m3 was exported.29
Construction sector and the forest industry
In Sweden the total manufacturing sector is emitting 24 percent of the annual anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. In contrast, the forest industry’s 0,9 percent. This is due to the carbon sequestration of the forests. As CO2 is stored in the biomass of the trees it is not until the trees are burned or decomposed that the carbon is released to the atmosphere again.30 As the natural carbon sequestration processes are the biggest carbon traps we have, the industry is benefitting from this.31 The amount of carbon that the Swedish forest are able to sequestrate is double the annual Swedish CO2 emissions. This as the annual average growth of the forests in Sweden is 120 million m3. That corresponds to 140 million tons of carbon being sequestrated.32 But Sweden is not representing the bigger picture with its forestry. With a global perspective deforestation is an important and prominent source of emissions of greenhouse gases. This as
27 SkogsSverige, ‘Svenska Träd’, 2019.
28 Skogs Industrierna, ‘Sågade Trävaror För Broar, Flerfamiljshus Och Inredning’, 2019,
https://www.skogsindustrierna.se/om-skogsindustrin/produkter/produkter-fran-svensk-sagverksindustri/.
29 ‘Statistik Om Skog Och Industri - Skogsindustrierna’.
30 ‘Statistik Om Skog Och Industri - Skogsindustrierna’.
31 UN, Global Status Report 2017, 2017.
the forest industry without responsible development and replanting, decreases the forests ability to sequestrate carbon.33 To combat this there are processes that are important, and perhaps the most important is responsible forestry with re-planting of felled trees.34
Transport
The forestry in Sweden is situated in many rural parts of the country. This means that a large part of the recourse extraction needs to be transported long distances. Seconded only by the mining industry in regad to transportation requirements.35 If we look at the Swedish emission of greenhouse gases, the biggest post is the industry with 16739 kilotons of CO2 equivalents.
But it is closely followed by internal transports with 16463 kilotons and transports abroad with 11300 kilotons.36 The average transport of timber within Sweden in 2018 done by truck is a distance of under 10km. However, the need for transportation varies as the forests being cut downed changes from year to year. Even though many transports are done by train at an average distance of 367km transports by sea is the main form of transport in regards to export.37 Export of goods by sea has increased drastically since 1990 and with that the amount of emissions produced.38 Emissions from fuel that is being used in Sweden for transport abroad has increased with 203% between 1990 and 2018 with transports by sea being the biggest source of emissions.
Reaching a total 8474 thousand tons in 2018. Comparable to the 2826 thousand tons that the air traffic produced. The amount of emissions from the transports abroad themselves by sea and plane has increased by 256 percent during the same period. Increasing with 14 percent just from the year earlier.39
However, this does not give the whole truth as almost two thirds of all the greenhouse gas emissions from export emerge in other countries as the goods that har produced in Sweden often is constructed using parts that have been produced elsewhere. In fact, a majority of the
33 Chirstian Holmström, ‘Växthusgaser per Sektor’, Ekonomifakta, 2019.
34 Anne Olhoff and John (Hrsg.) Christensen, Emissions Gap Report 2018, 2018,
http://www.un.org/Depts/Cartographic/english/htmain.htm%0Ahttps://www.unenvironment.org/resources/emissi ons-gap-report-2018.
35 Trafikverket, ‘Transportsektorns Utsläpp’, 2019.
36 Holmström, ‘Växthusgaser per Sektor’.
37 ‘Statistik Om Skog Och Industri - Skogsindustrierna’.
38 Trafikverket, ‘Transportsektorns Utsläpp’.
39 Naturvårdsverket, ‘Utsläpp Av Växthusgaser Från Utrikes Sjöfart Och Flyg’, 2019.
emissions created from the Swedish exports are directly derived from the import of goods. Only 36 percent of the emissions derives from production in Sweden.40
5. Methodology
The following chapter constitute a description of how the thesis was designed and what approach that were used carrying out the thesis.
5.1 Method for data collection
The purpose of this thesis is to acquire a deeper understanding of the use of timber in the construction sector as a means of managing CO2 emissions and creating a more sustainable construction sector. This with a focus on Swedish forestry and production. A qualitative approach was used to acquire a good comprehension of the subject. Textual investigation has been used together with comprehensive interviews with relevant actors in order to get an in depth understanding. A qualitative approach is crucial for the research questions and to provide a good foundation for the analysis and conclusion of this thesis.
5.2 Choice of literature
The thesis is based on books and scientific articles that have been found using various literary databases such as Umeå University Library and the Google Scholar database. In addition, some sources have been found through the references in these articles. The books on the subject have been used to complement the studies and get specific knowledge on certain subjects. Websites have also been used to get specific information form governmental agencies, specific organisations working within the field e.g. But as these sources risk being biased, it has been important to find many perspectives and further evaluate the data as promotion of products and services may try to exaggerate their benefit in a positive manner.
5.3 Interviews
In order to get a deeper understanding of the subject interviews were conducted with different actors of different scale that is working with timber at a local scale. This as different
40 Naturvårdsverket, ‘Växthusgaser, Utsläpp Från Sveriges Export’, 2019.
perspectives on the subject were needed as well as a comprehensive overview of the industry.
The interviews were conducted with Daniel Wilded at a timber construction company called Martinsons, with Emil Sundkvist from Västerbottens Bygghantverk, a company working with traditional timber construction and renovation, with Felix Wink working as regional handicraft consultant at Västerbottens Läns Hemslöjdsförening. They were all face to face interviews and the interviewees were relevant for the thesis as they interact with timber construction in different scale. They gave an in depth understanding of how the timber industry operated as well as how forestry affected actors at different levels and in different fields. The interviews hade some questions in common in order to achive a comparison between the different actors.
Questions ranged from general descriptions of their operations to more in-depth questions. This was done to create a baseline as well as conversation that could bring deeper insight. A semi structural approach that meant that certain values were directly comparable and the in depth conversation could lead to specific information that in turn might become biased as leading questions could asked from the interviewer. However, the pros of the method were determined to surpass the potential risks.
ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION
Timber is a material that has a number of positive properties. Both in regard to work environment and sustainability. Timber is a flexible and efficient material that allow faster construction and a better work environment for the construction workers as well as the people living next to construction sites since timber constructions sites are cleaner and noise levels are reduced in comparison to conventional construction sites. And according to most new studies timber construction using CLT or glulam have at least as good if not better properties in regard to fire safety. But none of these factors are really at the core of why timber has been growing as a popular sustainable option to traditional construction materials. It is the fact that timber is a renewable material that is able to store CO2 that makes it interesting for the construction sector. As the natural sources of carbon sequestration is the biggest by far, it makes sense to use the forest development as a resource. Timber can indeed be a great source of comfort for the construction industry in regard to climate. However, it is hard to calculate the effects of terrestrial carbon sequestration as the are no reliable estimates of land use or the footprint needed. And it becomes even harder as the amount of CO2 that the forests are able to sequestrate changes as the trees mature. But what is for certain is that sustainable timber production is
depending on functioning and responsible forestry where natural values are enhanced, and felled trees being replanted. This for the terrestrial ecosystems to be able to reduce atmospheric levels of CO2. From a global perspective timber production can actually have a negative effect on the climate as deforestation is a prominent source of emission of greenhouse gases. If there are no replanting of trees, the forests loses its ability to sequestrate carbon. It is responsible forestry that gives timber good potential to be a positive force in the construction industry.
Another aspect of the sustainability of timber is locality. Even if the material is renewable and have low emissions in regard to material production compared to traditional construction materials, that timber has a beneficial eco-cycle where the material can be used, reused and used as energy recovery. Ensuring that none of the material ends up in a landfill. These benefits can be lost when it is transported across the globe. As Sweden has a functioning forestry it makes sense to use timber as a construction material. But most of the timber produced in Sweden is exported. Achieving climate neutral development implies that a bigger perspective has to be used. It is good that we use renewable materials, but we must also look at energy efficiency. This means that we must be critical in the choice of materials used, taking into account what is available locally.
In the case of Sweden were timber recourses are abundant, where infrastructure is in place, where there is a long tradition of working with timber, why does only one of ten multi-family developments use timber as a construction material? Would it not be beneficial both for the local economy and for the environment if we used more of what is available here? Of course, we cannot deny that we live in an age of globalisation and that free movement of people, ideas and products is important. But would it not be more sustainable to use local resources at a bigger scale? Reducing the emissions that are connected to long transports, the emissions from imports in regard to the construction industry as well as supporting local actors making the economy more resilient.
So, what is stopping Swedish timber and Swedish forestry from becoming the norm?
One important aspect of timber construction is knowledge. A major reason that we don’t construct more timber buildings is simply the fact that in general there is a lack of knowledge and understanding about its potential and diversity. It is of the most importance that the timber
industry is able to communicate and show what is possible. Something that is emphasised by Daniel Wilded at Martinssons.
“Large scale timber construction is something new. A lot of our communication revolves around showcasing and normalize. This in order to achieve something we like to call the new standard. We shouldn’t hype the market with words such as “innovative” since that could be
associated with untested and might sound negative. Rather we should lean back and use words in term with, our long experience, we know this, show references, look, these have
stood here for 20 years. Play of the Nordic, the genuine, the long term and the honest.”
Daniel Wilded
Working at a smaller scale with renovations and traditional construction techniques the point is also emphasised by Emil Sundkvist at Västerbottens bygghantverk.
“It easy to be scared of what the neighbour don’t have in their walls. One has to try to keep spreading the message in order to make people more aware about the fact that there are other
materials. There is plenty of ways to do this, but it needs to be done. To normalize other materials, environmentally friendly materials.”
Emil Sundkvist
Another aspect is communication. That there is a dialogue between different actors working with timber and the timber production. The forestry in Sweden is in many ways very successful.
But there is a problem when the market is dominated by a few species and where a lot of the material is exported. To increase the appreciation for timber and its qualities, it has to be communicated in a way that lets people form a relationship and an understanding of how to take care of it. This is something that is emphasised by Felix Wink at Västerbottens läns Hemslöjdsförening.
“Well made wood craft endures for a long time if it is made by a person that possesses the right knowledge of the material. The reason for the lack of this kind of items, or why it isn’t
standard, originates from that takes a little more knowledge from the user.”
Felix Wink
CONCLUSION
Timber is seen as a sustainable option to traditional building material due to a number of different reasons. Timber has qualities that make it ideal for construction work as it allow faster construction and a better and cleaner work environment and studies have shown that it has comparative properties in regard to fire safety as traditional building materials such as concrete, brick and steel. But it is the fact that timber is renewable resource that make it a popular building material in a time where the challenges of sustainable development is highly prioritized. That it is able to absorb and store CO2 as the forests are growing through a process called carbon sequestration. This means that carbon that would otherwise stay in the atmosphere or end up in the atmosphere through emission of greenhouse gases can be reused and stored. However, this thesis has shown that we need to be aware of the bigger picture. Timber is only as good as the forestry that produces the it. And it is indeed the forestry that gives timber the ability to be sustainable. In countries that have a functioning forestry timber it makes sense as a sustainable option, but as the popularity of the material grows, the risk of deforestation could lead to the use of timber being a source of great CO2 emissions. Without responsible forestry the forest will lose its ability to sequestrate carbon.
Timber as a sustainable option can also be questioned as large amount are being exported and transported long distances. This as climate gain easily can get lost in the large amount of emissions that the transportation sector produces. The Swedish model of forestry produces good conditions for a sustainable timber production. It is a large-scale timber operation that works in a responsible manner, as every tree that is being felled is replaced with the re-planting of at least two new trees. Something that has resulted in the expansion of Swedish forests and an annual growth of 120 million m3 and 140 million tons of carbon sequestration. Sequestration at a scale doubling the annual Swedish CO2 emissions. Properties that can help the construction sector to lower its negative climate footprint. Yet, only one in ten new multifamily houses are constructed using a wooden structure and most of the timber being produced as raw material and as sawn wooden goods are exported. This thesis has shown that it would be beneficial if more of the resources produced in the local forestry would be used in domestic Swedish construction. This as it would strengthen the local economy as well as reduce the amount of materials that otherwise would have to be imported lowering the amount of emissions related to transport. There is however a knowledge gap in regard to what is possible. People are uncomfortable with trying something perceived as new. Therefore, the possible benefits of the
Swedish forestry could be lost if the industry is not able to communicate the potential and diversity that timber as a construction material. It is important that a dialogue between different actors working with timber and the timber production is created, in order to normalize the use of timber in construction. This is the main obstacle for keeping sustainable timber from ending up in our houses, cutting transports and emissions in resource production.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ahmed, A., Othman, E. Corporate Social Responsibility of Architectural Design Firms Towards a Sustainable Built Environment in South Africa, Architectural Engineering and Design Management, 2009 5:1-2, 36-45.
F Smith, P, Architecture in a Climate of Change, ed. Jordan Hill (Oxford: Linacre House, 2005).
Esteban Roser, Max Ritchie, Hannah Ortiz-Ospina, ‘Ourworldindata.Org’, 2019, https://ourworldindata.org/world-population-growth.
United Nations, ‘Growing at a Slower Pace, World Population Is Expected to Reach 9.7 Billion in 2050 and Could Peak at Nearly 11 Billion around 2100’, 2019.
Swedish Wood, ‘Wood Is a Sustainable Construction Material’, accessed 22 April 2020, https://www.swedishwood.com/wood-facts/about-wood/wood-and-the-environment/wood-is-a- sustainable-construction-material/.
‘Statistik Om Skog Och Industri - Skogsindustrierna’, Skogs Industrierna, 2019, https://www.skogsindustrierna.se/skogsindustrin/branschstatistik/.
Roser, Max Ritchie, Hannah Ortiz-Ospina, ‘Ourworldindata.Org’.
United Nations, ‘Growing at a Slower Pace, World Population Is Expected to Reach 9.7 Billion in 2050 and Could Peak at Nearly 11 Billion around 2100’.
Smith, P, Architecture in a Climate of Change.
Carolina Lundh, Magdalena Hiller, ‘Energianvändning i Hemmet, Vardagliga Aktiviteter.’, 2011.
Wood, ‘Wood Is a Sustainable Construction Material’.
M. Diana Jain, Ravi Urban, Lloyd Balbach, Harold Webb, Handbook of Environmental Engineering Assessment, 2012.
‘Carbon Sequestration - an Overview | ScienceDirect Topics’, 2012,
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/carbon-sequestration.
Smith, P, Architecture in a Climate of Change.
Jain, Ravi Urban, Lloyd Balbach, Harold Webb, Handbook of Environmental Engineering Assessment.
Lee Hannah, Climate Change Biology, Climate Change Biology, 2014, doi:10.1016/B978-0-12- 420218-4.01001-5.
Bruce G. Miller, Clean Coal Engineering Technology, Clean Coal Engineering Technology, 2011, doi:10.1016/C2009-0-20236-4.
Wood, ‘Wood Is a Sustainable Construction Material’.
Johan Fröbel, Del 1 Limträhandbok Fakta Om Limträ (Stockholm: Svenskt trä, 2016), www.traguiden.se,.
Jörgen Olsson, Low Frequency Impact Sound in Timber Buildings – Simulations and Measurements, 2016.
Boverket, ‘Byggkostnadsforum, Bostäder Och Nya Ljudkrav’, 2017.
Träguiden, ‘Ljud Och Brand För Kassettbjälklag Av Massivträ’, 2003,
https://www.traguiden.se/konstruktion/konstruktiv-utformning/stomme/kl-tra/ljud-och-brand-- kassettbjalklag/.
(Björn, Johan) Traditional construction, today. 2019 Svenskt trä, ‘Stadsbyggnad i Trä’, Tidningen TRÄ, 2016.
‘Statistik Om Skog Och Industri - Skogsindustrierna’.
SkogsSverige, ‘Svenska Träd’, 2019.
Skogs Industrierna, ‘Sågade Trävaror För Broar, Flerfamiljshus Och Inredning’, 2019, https://www.skogsindustrierna.se/om-skogsindustrin/produkter/produkter-fran-svensk- sagverksindustri/.
‘Statistik Om Skog Och Industri - Skogsindustrierna’.
UN, Global Status Report 2017, 2017.
Chirstian Holmström, ‘Växthusgaser per Sektor’, Ekonomifakta, 2019.
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