UPM-Biofore-Magazine-2-2017-ENG

Everybody loves wood

Wood is a living and beloved material. It smells good, feels good to touch, and it even has positive effects on our health. A alto University is doing a comprehensive scientific study measuring all the positive aspects of using wood products. “The fact that wood can play a positive role in reducing the effects of climate change is one of the biggest drivers increasing the use of wood in living interiors, exterior cladding and as a constructionmaterial,” states Mark Hughes , Professor of Wood Technology at Aalto University. Hughes notes that there are several megatrends driving demand for newwooden buildings. “Constructions are long-living structures, so they store carbon for a quite long period of time,” he adds.

Hughes is leading Aalto University’s participation in the EIT Climate-KIC initiative. It focuses on innovations with positive climate change impacts and potential commercialization value. “Some of the work that we have been doing is looking at the carbon footprint of different structures and construction materials. “Wood is a lightweight material in relation to its structural performance, so less material is needed for the foundations of buildings, which in turn decreases transportation costs,” Hughes says.

Mark Hughes

Balancing act In addition to its carbon-mitigating impacts, wood is a “living” material in that it interacts with its surroundings and environment. Wood is good for moisture buffering when there are major fluctuations and variations in relative humidity inside buildings. The properties of wood can help to control the environment passively, possibly even reducing the need for mechanical ventilation. “Wood reacts by taking moisture from the air when it is humid and releasing it when it gets dry, so wood products help to control humidity and create a better environment for living. Generally speaking, these aspects have a positive impact on peoples’ health, but they may also reduce energy requirements,” says Hughes. At room temperature, wood often feels warmer to the touch than many other commonly usedmaterials. But what does this mean in reality? Howmuch warmer should a “cooler” surface be to make it feel equally comfortable? “We have compared different surfaces of equal physical temperatures. In order to give an equal sense of warmth, the temperature of a wooden floor can be a couple of degrees lower than some other materials. This canmake a difference in energy consumption,” he explains.

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