The highrise of timber: feasibility of timber structures

Abstract

As a threatening reality to the planet’s stability, climate change has forced the building industry to develop sustainable techniques and materials to fulfil the constant demand for infrastructure. Timber, as a biobased material, appears like a promising option for constructing highrise structures, a typology that, before the creation of engineered wood products (EWP), was impossible due to technical limitations. Today, buildings with timber as macrostructure are being built worldwide, redrawing the skylines of many cities and revolutionizing the way the building is due to its low CO2 embodied carbon and reducing construction time. However, these new buildings still need to improve regarding circularity principles. Today, the timber industry is experiencing a flourishing, even tho timber highrises implement inefficient design constraints that limit adaptability and durability and decrease their advantage of having a lower embodied energy than traditional construction materials. This investigation delves into the feasibility of timber highrise structures and examines various factors that must be considered when evaluating them. The study utilizes a parametric model to determine the crucial role of the core and the influence of structural components in the global stiffness of highrise structures and in potential strategies to maximize mechanical behaviour following circular principles; with the results of structural analysis, a draft study case is proposed in the area of the spatial framework of M4H of Rotterdam. The project proposes a timber Highrise designed with design principles for disassembly, adaptability, modularity, and durability. The building is designed to address the challenge of construction waste generated by infrastructure obsolescence, set a standard for highrise design that is environmentally responsible, and create a symbiotic relationship between the building and its environment.