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Timber Buildings - Design for the Future
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Timber Buildings - Design for the Future

A special issue of Buildings (ISSN 2075-5309). This special issue belongs to the section "Architectural Design, Urban Science, and Real Estate".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2024) | Viewed by 12676

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Vesna Žegarac Leskovar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Interests: sustainable architecture; energy-efficiency of buildings; architectural construction; regenerative building design; environmental assessment of buildings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Miroslav Premrov

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Interests: timber buildings; structural analysis; energy-efficiency of buildings; hybrid timber buildings
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In light of climate change, the world is facing increasing challenges in adapting building design to the current and future situation. Among the possible solutions, timber buildings have proven to be one of the best ways to respond to the existing challenges. As a result, it can be noted that in many countries of the world, where wood is treated as a sustainable material, a trend towards the construction of timber buildings has been observed in recent decades. However, the latter is possible thanks to advances in engineering sciences and timber construction technologies. Despite the growth and numerous advantages of timber construction, there is still much potential for the future in the development of timber buildings—both new and those that need to be renovated in line with modern trends and requirements. In order to achieve a high level of quality, many interdisciplinary areas such as architectural design, structural design, energy efficiency, environmental impact assessment, and also the social aspect of a sustainable timber building design approach need to be discussed and researched in more detail.

Within this framework, this Special Issue proposes a series of research papers from the above research areas that deal with the design of timber buildings for the future.

We welcome the submission of original research papers focusing on this field.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Vesna Žegarac Leskovar
Prof. Dr. Miroslav Premrov
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Buildings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • timber buildings
  • design for the future
  • architectural design
  • structural design
  • energy efficiency
  • environmental impact assessment
  • social aspect of sustainable design

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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22 pages, 3874 KiB  
Article
Low-Carbon Emissions and Cost of Frame Structures for Wooden and Concrete Apartment Buildings: Case Study from Finland
by Miika Laitinen, Hüseyin Emre Ilgın, Markku Karjalainen and Arto Saari
Buildings 2024, 14(5), 1194; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14051194 - 23 Apr 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1193
Abstract
To date, the existing literature lacks any studies that compare timber and concrete apartment buildings in the Finnish context regarding their carbon footprint, handprint, and the cost of frame structures. This study rigorously analyzes and calculates the carbon footprint, carbon handprint, and costs [...] Read more.
To date, the existing literature lacks any studies that compare timber and concrete apartment buildings in the Finnish context regarding their carbon footprint, handprint, and the cost of frame structures. This study rigorously analyzes and calculates the carbon footprint, carbon handprint, and costs associated with various structural solutions in a proposed multi-story building located in Laajasalo, Helsinki, Finland. While the primary focus is on wooden frame construction, exploring both its challenges and opportunities, this study also includes a comparative assessment with concrete frame construction. In Finland, regulations require a sprinkler fire extinguishing system to be installed inside. Also, weather protection is typically added to the top of building in connection with the construction of wooden apartment buildings. When the costs of a sprinkler system and weather protection are taken into account, the cost of achieving positive climate effects through a concrete frame is 290% higher than that of a solid wood frame. Our findings will provide a robust basis for assessing the sustainability and feasibility of construction methods, offering valuable insights into environmental and economic considerations for decision-makers in Finland and beyond as regulations evolve and awareness of climate impacts grows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Timber Buildings - Design for the Future)
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17 pages, 3889 KiB  
Article
Design Analysis of Mass Timber and Volumetric Modular Strategies as Counterproposals for an Existing Reinforced Concrete Hotel
by Marie-Laure Filion, Sylvain Ménard, Carlo Carbone and Mohamad Bader Eddin
Buildings 2024, 14(4), 1151; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings14041151 - 19 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1142
Abstract
Construction professionals work in silos and use traditional design and construction methods. The growing demand for rapidly built and high-quality construction is making off-site manufacturing mainstream. Studies have shown that collaboration among all stakeholders is a necessary component for success in the construction [...] Read more.
Construction professionals work in silos and use traditional design and construction methods. The growing demand for rapidly built and high-quality construction is making off-site manufacturing mainstream. Studies have shown that collaboration among all stakeholders is a necessary component for success in the construction of such buildings. This multidisciplinary study of an existing concrete hotel aims to explore an alternative structural design in mass timber or volumetric modular construction. To this end, the reinforced concrete floor plan of Club Med de Charlevoix in Quebec, Canada, was used as a benchmark for two different structural systems. The first strategy investigated CLT (cross-laminated timber) and glulam columns to replicate the reinforced concrete system (column–slab), while the second involved maximum prefabrication (volumetric modular construction). Both mass timber and volumetric modular strategies can lead to a smaller carbon footprint. The main conclusion is that the plan should be designed from the outset to be either traditional or prefabricated since major changes are required if the choice is made to switch from one system to the other. Moreover, when structural systems maximize off-site construction, such as volumetric modular construction, the various professions need to be included during early planning. This is necessary to avoid task duplication and prevent the neglect of considerations such as manufacturable dimensions and partition organization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Timber Buildings - Design for the Future)
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28 pages, 22380 KiB  
Article
Application of Graphic Statics and Strut-and-Tie Models Optimization Algorithm in Innovative Timber Structure Design
by Yuanben Gao, Yiliang Shao and Masoud Akbarzadeh
Buildings 2023, 13(12), 2946; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13122946 - 25 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2172
Abstract
Timber has long been extensively employed within the construction industry as a famous, environmentally friendly, and low-carbon material. Considering that construction constitutes one of the most significant contributors to carbon emissions throughout the entire life-cycle of a building, there is an urgent desire [...] Read more.
Timber has long been extensively employed within the construction industry as a famous, environmentally friendly, and low-carbon material. Considering that construction constitutes one of the most significant contributors to carbon emissions throughout the entire life-cycle of a building, there is an urgent desire to incorporate timber into this domain. Nevertheless, the use of timber faces inherent challenges stemming from its anisotropic nature, a result of the natural growth of timber fibers, which makes it challenging for it to function as a primary load-bearing material in coping with the various complex stresses inherent in architectural applications. Numerous designers have attempted to address this limitation through over-sized members and reinforcement at joints; however, none have satisfactorily resolved this issue in an economical manner. In this article, we introduce the Strut-and-Tie models (STM) from Graphic Statics (GS) and a topological optimization algorithm. This algorithm has the capability to generate a ‘load-minimizing path’ STM based on external load support conditions and the maximum structural path span. Regardless of the complexity of the initial external loads, each load transfer path in the optimized STM bears loads in only one direction, representing an optimal solution with minimal internal loads that align seamlessly with the characteristics of timber. Consequently, we endeavor to adopt this optimization algorithm to propose a structural design methodology, with the aspiration of designing structural systems that harness the unique attributes of timber perfectly and applying them to various architectural scenarios. Ultimately, we conclude that structural systems designed based on optimized STM are adaptable to diverse architectural contexts, and when applied to small-scale buildings, this method can save approximately 20% of material consumption compared to conventional timber frame structures, while in the case of mid-rise to high-rise buildings, it can lead to a material savings of approximately 5%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Timber Buildings - Design for the Future)
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19 pages, 7246 KiB  
Article
Identification and Trend Analysis of Multistorey Timber Buildings in the SUDOE Region
by Luis-Alfonso Basterra, Vanesa Baño, Gamaliel López, Gonzalo Cabrera and Patricia Vallelado-Cordobés
Buildings 2023, 13(6), 1501; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13061501 - 10 Jun 2023
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2122
Abstract
The construction sector has one of the most polluting economic activities. In this context, several policies are being launched by the European Union to promote the transition to a sustainable economy, and timber construction is a safe way to contribute to it. Due [...] Read more.
The construction sector has one of the most polluting economic activities. In this context, several policies are being launched by the European Union to promote the transition to a sustainable economy, and timber construction is a safe way to contribute to it. Due to the recent development of multistorey timber buildings, the architectural and structural typologies have not been widely studied yet and with not many studies from Southern Europe. In this context, the main objective of this research is to identify and analyse the trends in the use of wood as a structural material in multistorey timber buildings (≥4 floors) in the SUDOE region, i.e., Spain, Portugal, and Southwest France. The methodology involved identifying 28 timber buildings in the SUDOE region and 101 worldwide, most of them in Europe, and sending online information request forms to different actors involved in their design and construction, collecting plans and BIM models, and performing technical study visits to the identified reference buildings. The collected information was included in open-access technical datasheets, and different indicators in terms of building uses, structural system, wood species, and wood volume, among others, were defined. The results showed that there is a tendency to construct taller timber buildings in the SUDOE region with a predominant use of local softwood species, with ratios of wood volume per built area varying between 0.3 and 0.4 m3/m2. The mass timber typology using cross-laminated timber (CLT) is mainly used for residential buildings, while post and beam are used for educational and offices buildings. In addition, a potential embodied CO2 equivalent depending on the building typology and use was also analysed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Timber Buildings - Design for the Future)
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Review

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24 pages, 1333 KiB  
Review
Innovative Structural Systems for Timber Buildings: A Comprehensive Review of Contemporary Solutions
by Miroslav Premrov and Vesna Žegarac Leskovar
Buildings 2023, 13(7), 1820; https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings13071820 - 18 Jul 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 5151
Abstract
The remarkable development of timber construction technologies in recent decades has led to an increase in the number of timber buildings worldwide, including multi-storey buildings. The design of timber buildings, especially those of greater height, is relatively demanding and, even in the context [...] Read more.
The remarkable development of timber construction technologies in recent decades has led to an increase in the number of timber buildings worldwide, including multi-storey buildings. The design of timber buildings, especially those of greater height, is relatively demanding and, even in the context of architectural expression, has certain constraints due to the specific structural and physical properties of this material. Thus, it is important for designers to have an overview of existing timber structural systems and their specificities to be able to make the right design decisions during the design process. Unfortunately, there is a lack of scientific literature that systematically addresses the essential features of contemporary timber structural systems. Within the aims of this paper to provide the systematic review of contemporary structural systems, both the scientific and professional literature are comprehensively reviewed. This paper presents a systematic classification and description of the following structural systems of timber buildings: all-timber and hybrid timber structural systems with an additional description of constituent structural elements, while examples of completed multi-storey timber buildings are also given for each structural system. The findings provide a broader view of the knowledge of contemporary solutions of timber structural systems and their application, thus representing a novelty in the field of timber construction review. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Timber Buildings - Design for the Future)
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