Building Record: Skyscraper Structure
Revamped and Rewritten:
- Stackable Wooden Homes
- Benefits and Downsides
- Blaze and Mildew
- Global Trends
Multi-story wooden residences have started popping up across Russia, with pilot projects having taken flight in 2022 over Novosibirsk and Vologda. Russian authorities are considering these structures as a promising avenue, and are working on legislative modifications to approve buildings up to 12 stories tall.
Building Process
The creation of wooden homes incorporates a variety of technologies — from traditional log homes to systems using SIP (structural insulated panels) and CLT panels (cross-laminated timber). A four-story, 32-apartment dwelling in the Sokol city, Vologda region, was built by Segezha Group, who specialize in CLT panel construction, as Rossiyskaya Gazeta reports. CLT, or cross-laminated timber, consists of wood panels created by bonding layers of solid wood together.
Meanwhile, Talion Trading, the company responsible for a multi-apartment building in the Novosibirsk region, developed their own material, Ultralam, in 2009, which was used to construct a 16-apartment dwelling in the village of Lojok (according to the CIAN real estate search service). Ultralam is a type of LVL beam, made by bonding several layers of peeled veneer from coniferous species.
Perks and Pitfalls
Although it's best to consider the benefits and drawbacks for each technology separately, Andrei Bannov, head of the DOM TECHNONICOL project believes:
"With the right insulation, ventilation, and energy-efficient systems, an Alaska home, despite its frigid climate similar to some Russian regions, has endured for over 300 years." Such residences are three times more energy-efficient than traditionally built homes according to Russian regulations.
Vladimir Kertsensky, head of the "House Building" department at Talion Trading, highlights several main advantages of using "wooden" technologies:
- Speedy construction
- Strength and durability of the load-bearing structure
- Cost-effectiveness per square meter (especially in large-scale projects)
- Sustainability
- Stability in temperatures and humidity
- Flexibility for internal layout modifications
However, wooden construction does have its weaknesses. "Improper installation can lead to issues with insulation and durability, so it's crucial to have experienced personnel on-site," noted Kerchensky.
Bannov identifies the cost and fire safety norms as the main limiting factors for multi-story wooden buildings.
Fire and Mildew
Contrary to common belief, wood is not the most flammable material — tests conducted across the globe have shown that wooden buildings can resist fire for at least 45 minutes after ignition, allowing the structure to maintain its strength and prevent collapse. During this timeframe, metal beams melt in just four minutes, and reinforced concrete structures crumble within 15 minutes.
The fire-resistant properties of wood can be augmented via various techniques. For instance, in Sweden, interior walls are lined with gypsum boards, and in Canada, the external layers of wood are sometimes burned to prevent oxygen from passing through and combating deeper layers of the material from burning.
"Wooden structures function as excellent heat insulators, potentially slowing down fire propagation to adjacent spaces," said Oleg Dedkov, managing partner of "Zhivoy kompleks LES".
"CLT panels outperform concrete structures in terms of fire resistance, bearing twice the load during a blaze," stated Alexei Gorulev, general director of Puzzle PropTech.
As for mold, while it can develop on wood, this is primarily dependent on proper maintenance. Gorulev added that molds are more common on concrete structures as they absorb and retain moisture, which can freeze in cold climates, leading to mold.
Worldwide Ventures
London's Stadthaus, the first modern multi-story wooden building, stood tall in 2009 and was almost entirely made of CLT panels. The nine-story, 30-meter tall structure boasted load-bearing walls, floors, stairs, and elevator shafts, according to CNN. Fort Living, a house in Melbourne, Australia, was constructed by the same company in 2012.
In 2017, Brock Commons, a student residence, materialized on the University of British Columbia campus in Vancouver, with a height of 53 meters (as reported by the university's website). The hybrid construction involved a concrete foundation, basement, elevator shafts, and staircases, while vertical supports were crafted from glued laminated timber, walls from CLT, and the roof from reinforced steel.
A 13-story wooden building, Mjøstårnet, emerged in Brumunddal, Norway, in 2019, the tallest wooden structure on the globe at the time, with the Ascent tower in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, at 86.6 meters taking the spot in 2021. A 70-meter skyscraper, Sumitomo Forestry, is under construction in Tokyo and the Berlin-based WoHo tower, set to reach 98 meters, also marks a new record.
- The four-story dwelling in Sokol city, Vologda region, was built using CLT panels, a technology that involves bonding layers of solid wood together, as reported by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
- Vladimir Kertsensky, head of the "House Building" department at Talion Trading, mentioned that one advantage of using wooden technologies is their stability in temperatures and humidity.
- Andrei Bannov, head of the DOM TECHNONICOL project, highlighted that with the right insulation, ventilation, and energy-efficient systems, wooden residences can be three times more energy-efficient than traditionally built homes according to Russian regulations.
- Alexei Gorulev, general director of Puzzle PropTech, stated that CLT panels outperform concrete structures in terms of fire resistance, bearing twice the load during a blaze.
