Abstract
Although the majority of high-rise buildings are constructed from concrete and steel, there is a growing interest in the new generation of multi-storey timber buildings around the world and several ecologically sustainable structural systems have already been proposed. This research aims to review and compare the highest contemporary timber buildings in terms of economic and environmental efficiency. For this purpose, the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method is used. Five high-rise timber buildings are assessed according to the developed system of economic and environmental criteria. According to the multiple criteria assessment results, Mjøsa Tower, currently the tallest timber building in the world, located in Brumunddal, Norway, is ranked in the first place. This study also reveals that high-rise timber buildings are environmental friendly and high economic efficiency can be achieved by using lightweight modern engineered timber products, moreover, prefabrication of elements reduces duration and cost of the project.
Highlights
Contemporary technological advancements make it possible to design and construct complex buildings
At the end of the 19th century, cities were subject to frequent fires, which led to the introduction of fire protection measures, including legal measures prohibiting the use of timber structures for the construction of high-rise buildings
One of the oldest and most widely used methods is the Simple Additive Weighting (SAW) method (MacCrimmon, 1968); it was selected by the authors for the purpose of the present research
Summary
Contemporary technological advancements make it possible to design and construct complex buildings. Reinforced concrete, metal and glass have been commonly used in the construction of high-rise buildings for many reasons. At the end of the 19th century, cities were subject to frequent fires, which led to the introduction of fire protection measures, including legal measures prohibiting the use of timber structures for the construction of high-rise buildings. As a result, reinforced concrete buildings took the largest share of the newly built multi-storey buildings’ market (Mahapatra, Gustavsson, & Hemström, 2012). In late 1980, the European Commission confirmed that timber, concrete and steel structures that meet the functional requirements described in national building regulations may be used for the construction of high-rise buildings. Architects, designers and developers were still increasingly choosing steel and reinforced concrete structures, and timber use in multi-storey buildings was still rare
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