Wooden Houses Research Articles

Corrugated veneer panel thermophysical properties

The article substantiates the need to develop new mechanisms for the hardwood use in modern conditions of Republic of Karelia timber industry. One of the potential uses of birch wood in wooden house construction is building materials production from veneer and slab materials based on it. A large amount of associated waste from processing birch wood into veneer stands out as one of the key problems. A new slab joinery and construction material made of corrugated birch veneer is considered. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the thermophysical properties of a corrugated board made of birch wood. To achieve this goal, the tasks and methods of research are defined. An experimental device has been developed to conduct an experiment to determine the values of thermophysical characteristics. DS18B20 temperature sensors were used to measure the surface temperature, as well as to monitor device operation and the room air temperature. The sensors are connected to the Arduino microcontroller platform, which was used to record and transmit sensor readings. Additionally, the course of the experiment was monitored using a thermal imager Testo 875-1i. During the experiment, more than 1000 measurements were carried out. As a result of data processing, a diagram of the dependence of the density of the heat flux passing through the sample on time, as well as diagrams of the dependence of thermal conductivity and thermal resistance on the temperature difference on the sample surfaces, was obtained. The diagrams show the regression dependences of changes in heat flux density, thermal conductivity and thermal resistance during measurements. The values of the heat flux density, thermal conductivity coefficient and thermal resistance calculated on the basis of regression equations and the values obtained experimentally are determined. The directions of further research of the material under consideration are determined.

An interlinked dynamic model of timber and carbon stocks in Japan's wooden houses and plantation forests

Carbon absorption in growing trees is an important element of a carbon-neutral society, and the long-term storage of carbon stocks is a crucial sustainability challenge. Previous studies have focused on either live-biomass carbon stocks in plantation forests or anthropogenic carbon stocks in man-made objects. For a comprehensive nature-based climate solution, an analytical framework, dataset, and scenario setup for modeling the interrelationship between timber supply and demand are required. This study developed an interlinked material flow analysis model in which the timber demand for wooden houses is connected with timber supply from managed plantation forestry. We demonstrate the model by quantifying both live-biomass and anthropogenic carbon stocks and their potentials in Japan. We compared multiple scenario-runs of the model for wooden house demands estimated by population change with varying combinations of house types, structures, and lifespans. Our results show that carbon stocks will reach a maximum amount of 1.1 billion t-C by 2050 in a scenario of high demand for wooden detached houses with lifespan extensions. On the other hand, we also found that the aging of plantation forests and their reduced carbon-stocking capacities appear inevitable in any scenario owing to the limited demand for timber. Notably, despite the widely different settings of the various scenarios, our results exhibited narrow variances in future potential carbon storage in Japan. This can be explained by the unique population characteristics and building demographics of Japan. These counterintuitive findings highlight the need for interrelated modeling of the forestry and construction sectors. Our model and its scope are versatile and applicable to other case study areas, estimation periods, and target materials.

Comparative analysis of Environmental Impact of Each Building Material using Life Cycle assessment(LCA)_Focusing on Types of Construction Wood and Concrete

Objectives:The construction sector is a very important sector in achieving carbon neutrality. In modern society, construction has grown rapidly, and basic materials such as cement and concrete have contributed greatly to the development of construction. These materials emit a large amount of global warming substances during the raw material extraction and production process, causing serious environmental pollution. In order to establish a carbon reduction strategy to slow down global warming, we compared the environmental impacts of each building material and showed the current situation.Methods:The LCI DB for the construction materials used in the two-story wooden house (Building area 128.67m2, total floor area 235.73m2) located in the National Institute of Forest Science was extracted. Then, the data for LCA was processed and performed through the life cycle assessment methodology for the resources consumed from raw material collection, material production, and transportation stages. Then, based on the environmental performance labeling impact assessment method, a study was conducted on the environmental impact categories of the actual construction materials used and comparisons with other construction materials.Results and Discussion:When analyzing the environmental impact of concrete [25-21-120] and construction wood used in wooden house, the environmental impact was found to be 98.79% higher on average in the pre-manufacturing stage than in the manufacturing stage, and construction wood was confirmed to have a reduction effect of 62.21 kg CO2-eq per 1 m3 compared to concrete. Through the scenario, there was a carbon reduction effect of up to 36% when the entire area was replaced with wood. In addition, the environmental impact by major construction material was quantitatively quantified.Conclusion:When building a wooden house, reducing the amount of concrete equivalent to the amount of wood is expected to have a greenhouse gas reduction effect, so it is time to activate construction wood from the production process to the post-production stage to replace concrete. In addition, follow-up research on the development of construction technology with low environmental impact during construction should be continued. This study is expected to be used as a useful indicator for R&D and policies in the construction field in the future, as it quantitatively quantified the amount of CO2 reduction per m3 when replacing concrete with construction wood and numerically compared and analyzed six major environmental impact categories by major construction materials.

Small Architectural Forms in Tomsk Wooden Buildings in 19–20th Centuries

The paper considers small architectural forms in the wooden manor buildings of Tomsk late in the 19th and early 20th centuries and their impact on the historical image of the city. The paper also studies preservation of historical cities and loss of historical and architectural wooden heritage.Purpose: To identify the types of small architectural forms in the wooden houses of Tomsk and determine their role in the city image.Methodology: Historical photographs, drawings, and field survey of wooden buildings, archival documents and photographs by local historians P. N. Kokhanenko and R. Perushin, allowing to determine lost small architectural forms and systematize them.Research findings: Determination of small architectural forms in preserving individual history and culture of the historical city.Practical implications: The obtained results can be used to study wooden buildings of Siberian cities and develop projects for their reconstruction in Tomsk.

The Potential of Wood Construction Waste Circularity

Wood construction waste circularity presents enormous potential to significantly de-crease total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the European Union (EU). Latvia could become a frontrunner due to its historic relationship with forestry, wood construction practises and unused potential of the innovative application of wood. This research examines what the potential of “circular wood” in Latvia is, how ready the Latvian wood house construction sector is to engage in a circular economy and wood waste circularity and whether the legal framework is ready to support wood waste management in the country. This study presents a combined approach for systematic wood construction product circularity assessment that includes a review of existing EU and Latvian frameworks for construction and demolition waste (CDW) management and wood construction, a general analysis of wood waste recycling systems and technologies, a quantitative data analysis of construction waste management in Latvia and qualitative data analysis of the Latvian wood house construction sector, and interviews with a focus group of Latvian wood industry representatives. The Latvian scope has allowed us to clarify the pattern methodology and impact points to be replicated, tested and measured further on a broader scale, in other countries, or throughout the whole EU. The main findings reveal a potential life cycle assessment (LCA) verifying the circularity of wood and limitations of wood construction waste circularity in Latvia in terms of wood house construction industry readiness and a legal framework as well as overall social prejudices for circular construction. Findings indicate an overall awareness and level of willingness to participate and engage in the circular construction models among Latvians; however, proactiveness and support (legal and financial) is expected from the government and municipalities. The recommendations point towards improvements in wood waste data management, the wood construction sector and the overall impact on sustainable development goals.

Thermal performance assessment of traditional Japanese wooden houses with short-term measurements: Machine learning approaches

Traditional Japanese wooden houses are sustainable and vernacular in nature; however, energy consumption owing to poor insulation is inevitable in the winter. These wooden houses in Japan are an integral part of historical landscapes and are protected from the potential risks of retrofitting. To continue using these houses without bearing additional energy burdens, it is necessary to better understand their actual thermal performance. Therefore, this study proposes a combined approach to assess the thermal performance of traditional Japanese-style rooms using in-situ thermal measurements and machine learning predictive methods. The in-situ thermal measurements evaluated the actual thermal environment of traditional Japanese-style rooms with and without air conditioners (AC) during winter. Similarly, two machine learning models, support vector regression (SVR) and random forest regression (RFR) were developed to predict the indoor temperature based on the external factors and their adjacent rooms temperature. The result revealed strong thermal interaction between adjacent rooms, likely driven by heat transfer dynamic. To further investigate these interactions, thermal images of each room were analyzed after the AC was in use. The result revealed the presence of hot and cold spot within the gap of sliding fusuma (thick paper made door) and ranma (transom or indoor ventilation), indicating significant heat transfer between the AC and non-AC rooms. Consequently, the prediction model for the AC room temperature was notably influenced by the thermal conditions of adjacent non-AC room. Thus, this study proposes a simple yet reliable approach that enables resident to prioritize thermal improvements for efficient and cost-effective renovations.

Assessing the Condition and Damage of a Stilt Wooden Home in an Area Prone to Floods

This study was intended to assess condition and damages of a stilt wooden house located in in Keningau, Sabah, in order to develop a proper home repair and restoration plan that can be scaled up to other houses of similar design in areas that are susceptible to flood and other environmental factors which can affect the structural integrity. The findings revealed that the chosen stilt wooden house has decayed severely that many parts of the house mainly the roof, the floors, the railing and stairs were in decrepit condition which could pose danger to the occupants. The results also implied that there were various factors that led to the condition of the house namely termite infestation and moist and weakened wood which could be due to the damaged zinc roof that caused rainwater to leak into the house, direct contact with floodwater and possibly leaky plumbing. A repair and restoration work was done by focusing on the parts of the house that needed immediate fix in order to ensure comfort and safety of the household. This study may shed more light on how to repair and restore as well as redesign wooden homes in order to be more resilient towards damaged caused by environmental variables.

ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЕ ПОЖАРНОЙ БЕЗОПАСНОСТИ МНОГОЭТАЖНЫХ ЗДАНИЙ ИЗ ДЕРЕВЯННЫХ КОНСТРУКЦИЙ

Проведен обзор современного деревянного домостроения в России и за рубежом. Проанализированы результаты испытаний строительных материалов из древесины на пожарную опасность, а также деревянных строительных конструкций различных типов на огнестойкость и пожарную опасность как без огнезащиты, так и с огнезащитой различных видов. Разработаны предложения в нормативные документы. Намечены направления дополнительных исследований пожарной опасности зданий из деревянных конструкций. The paper considers the issues of ensuring fire safety of multi-storey buildings made of timber frame construction. At present, wooden houses in Russia are built mainly in the individual housing sector and account for 22% of the total construction volume, while industrial wooden houses account for no more than 3% of the wooden houses built annually. Abroad, wood is also widely used in the construction of buildings of various functional purposes: hotels, sports facilities, public and administrative buildings, low-rise and multi-storey buildings. The achievements of science, technology and engineering in the field of timber construction make it possible to design and build buildings of any type and purpose. Modern technology makes it possible to build high-rise timber houses. For example, high-strength composite materials based on wood are used for the construction of multi-storey buildings, in particular LVL beams and CLT panels. Numerous tests carried out at VNIIPO on load-bearing elements made of solid wood (frames, beams) and load-bearing structures made of CLT panels (walls, ceilings) have shown that they provide a significant limit of fire resistance in terms of load-bearing capacity. It is well known that wood is a highly flammable material (G4). This circumstance significantly complicates the use of various building structures in construction from the point of view of ensuring fire safety requirements, including in multi-storey buildings. A set of necessary engineering, technical and organisational measures to ensure fire safety has been developed for buildings with wooden structures up to 4 storeys. Based on the results of these tests, there have been developed proposals to include fire technical parameters in the regulatory requirements for buildings of classes I–III of fire resistance and structural fire hazard class C3. Further research is necessary to develop proposals for inclusion in the regulatory documents for fire safety of multi-storey residential and public buildings made of timber structures up to 28 metres in height.

„W lesie, w drewnianym domku": o cnocie radości i szczęścia w najnowszym tomie Michaela Krügera

Michael Krüger is one of the most important poets of contemporary Europe, combining in his works many traditions of the old continent’s literature, from ancient Greece to twentieth-century Poland. In addition, strong American influences surface in his verse. While Krüger’s early work was a search for his own mode of expression through more or less faithful imitations of very different Polish and American poets, in his mature poems from the 2021 volume In the Forrest, in the Wooden House the Munich poet finds a highly original solution to the seemingly insoluble dilemma faced by all prominent artists since the beginning of the twentieth century: whether to depict the world realistically or, on the contrary, by means of aporia and abstraction? Krüger skillfully combines the “scenic mode” rhetoric typical of post-symbolic literature and the “poetics of indeterminacy” characteristic of postmodernism to create the autonomous poem. It is a realist work that resists interpretation because it contains elements that cannot be read in the realist plane. This peculiar Krüger’s late style is combined with his ostentatious predilection for Epicureanism, references to the poetry of Hesiod and his resort to a broad phrase, reminiscent of hexameter.

Historical Wooden Ceilings in Waidhofen an der Ybbs, Austria

Abstract Wooden ceilings were among the earliest wooden constructions in wooden houses, and stone and brick buildings. In Austria, a special type of wooden ceiling is known as the Riemenbalkendecke. In Waidhofen, in the Ybbs region, these constructions are decorated with chip carvings, year numbers, and letters. There has been no systematic study on this type of ceiling in Austria. In this study, all houses in Waidhofen an der Ybbs built before 1900 were surveyed, and their ceiling constructions described. Riemenbalkendecken decorated with chip carvings and moldings appeared in 1465 CE and lasted for almost 300 years. The number of carved years was verified using dendrochronological dating. Different chip carving patterns were identified. The letters on ten ceilings can be attributed to the initials of the house owners at the time the ceiling was installed. None of the chip carvings can be attributed to ornaments that were common at the time. The art of the chip carvings on the wooden ceilings represents a special language of form.

Wood Construction Practices of the Dong Ethnic Group (Guangxi Province, China)

This exploratory multiple-case study aims to analyse the ecological design of wooden houses in Dong villages (Guangxi province, China). Residential and public Dong houses were investigated from ecological and cultural perspectives. The results show that topography (i.e., building near the river in a mountainous area) is the main factor influencing the Dong building construction process. It also affects the building layout decisions. The life cycle assessment was applied to collect general information about the exterior and interior design of the Dong settlements. For this, a range of pictures and historical facts (e.g., demand for fire ponds and balconies, ornament usage, etc.) was analysed. The study suggests fir timber as a basic ecological resource for wooden house buildings. Yet, it is highly flammable and increases the fire risk. A brief discussion on the cultural heritage of the Dong people and its influence on their building system was presented. The present findings can be used in future eco-design projects as a brief guideline for creating a traditional-style ethnic wooden house.

A Single Wooden House Standing in Stalingrad: Alexander Werth’s ‘Russian Commentary’ on the BBC during the Second World War

This article studies the reporting of Alexander Werth from the Soviet Union for the BBC during World War II. Werth’s despatches, broadcast mostly under the title ‘Russian Commentary’, sought to bring to life the struggles of an ideologically opposed nation that had become an ally against Nazi Germany. The article analyses Werth’s technique as a correspondent, situating it within the wider political and propaganda climate within which he was working. It assesses his work’s significance for the study of ideas of journalistic objectivity in wartime. It looks too at the optimism his reporting expressed as the tide of war began to turn in the allies’ favour—a change that Werth saw as a sign that the Soviet Union’s wartime alliance would endure beyond the end of the conflict—a hope that was crushed by the onset of the Cold War, and renewed enmity between Moscow and the West.

Utilization of typha-boards for preserving the historic wooden houses typical of the region in the Thai city of Chiang Mai (Thailand)

ABSTRACT The quality of life in the historic wooden houses typical of the city of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is significantly reduced by climate changes and the intense air pollution during the Haze Season (time of slash-and-burn). The traditional indirect cooling system through strong natural infiltration ventilation in traditional houses is severely limited in its function due to changes in the local urban microclimate. The low comfort level leads to increased use of electric air conditioning, resulting in substantial energy consumption and the formation of urban heat islands and more and more often to the loss of historic Thai wooden houses by demolition.

A comparative assessment of the capabilities and success of the wood construction industry in Slovakia and Ukraine based on life cycle assessment certification standards

This study assessed the possibility of using wood as a building material for the construction of houses. A comprehensive method was used, which consisted of analysing environmental management regulations, applying the life cycle assessment method to minimise the carbon footprint; using software to calculate the carbon footprint of a wooden house at different stages of the life cycle. The object of study is the carbon footprint of a house built of wood. The Life Cycle Assessment method was used as a methodology for assessing the life cycle. Using the One Click Life Cycle Assessment and Life Cycle Cost software, the carbon footprint of a log house was calculated for the product life cycle stage mentioned above (A1-A3). When calculating the carbon footprint of wood-based building materials, carbon emissions were taken into account not only from the finished products, but also from all other products obtained as a result of logging. When calculating the carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions from all activities are estimated. We have obtained data on the life cycle cost of a wooden house in terms of electricity use. Accordingly, we obtained a value of global warming potential (A1-A3) of 0.51 kg CO2 e/kWh. We also obtained data on the life cycle cost of a wooden house in terms of diesel consumption. According to the results of the LCA, the value of the global warming potential due to meeting the water supply/sewage needs is (A1-A3) 0.69 kg CO2 e/m3. The value of the global warming potential due to meeting the heat supply needs of production needs is (A1- A3) 0.13 kg CO2 e/kWh. Based on the information obtained, we can conclude that it is advisable to use a wooden log house as a building material, as the carbon footprint is smaller than that of a brick building. The final section presents the results of calculating the life cycle cost of a wooden house by discount factor and inflation, the results of the life cycle cost of a wooden house by percentage of energy costs, and the results of assessing the life cycle cost of a wooden house (displaying parameters according to the European energy certification scale). Based on the carbon footprint assessment (using the Life Cycle Assessment methodology), economic comparison (Life Cycle Cost and total construction costs), and expert assessment (based on technical and ergonomic parameters) of the two construction technologies, the feasibility and possibility of using wood as a building material was established. The study proves the feasibility of applying the LCA method in the construction industry.

Earthquake damage detection and level classification method for wooden houses based on convolutional neural networks and onsite photos

AbstractThe results of earthquake damage certification (EDC) surveys are the basis of support measures for improving the lives of disaster victims. To address issues such as a limited workforce to perform EDC surveys and difficulties in judging the level of damage, a damage detection and level classification method for wooden houses using multiple convolutional neural network models is proposed. The proposed method, including detection, filtering, and classification models, was trained and validated based on photographs collected from EDC surveys in Uki City, Kumamoto Prefecture. Then, a software system, which deployed these models, was developed for the onsite EDC surveyors to detect damages shown in the photographs of the surveyed house and classify damage levels. The test results based on 32 target buildings indicate that the detection model achieved high recall in detecting damage. Moreover, the redundant detected regions can be precisely filtered by the filtering model. Finally, the classification model achieved relatively high overall accuracy in classifying the damage level.

A digital twin prototype to visualize heterogeneous seismic damage simulation results on web-GIS

ABSTRACT Access to a wide range of information tailored to specific purposes, including extensive damage projections and statistics for target areas and the potential for individual building and dwelling damage predicted through simulations, enhances cities’ resilience against large-scale earthquakes. Recognizing the significance of this, we have developed a prototype of a digital twin capable of comprehensively visualizing various simulations on a web-based geographic information system (GIS) platform. This prototype employs three seismic damage simulators: the Integrated Earthquake Simulation for area damage, the wallstat for wooden houses, and the E-Simulator for a reinforced concrete building. A trial of earthquake damage simulations was conducted to assess this prototype’s efficacy, focusing on the damage incurred in Mashiki Town during the 2016 Kumamoto earthquake. The trial successfully verified the capability of the system to visualize and integrate various types of simulation data alongside records obtained from actual earthquake disasters. This paper provides an overview of the digital twin prototype. It reports on the trial’s results, focusing on the visualization and integration achieved through this trial.

Machine learning for predicting Chagas disease infection in rural areas of Brazil.

Chagas disease is a severe parasitic illness that is prevalent in Latin America and often goes unaddressed. Early detection and treatment are critical in preventing the progression of the illness and its associated life-threatening complications. In recent years, machine learning algorithms have emerged as powerful tools for disease prediction and diagnosis. In this study, we developed machine learning algorithms to predict the risk of Chagas disease based on five general factors: age, gender, history of living in a mud or wooden house, history of being bitten by a triatomine bug, and family history of Chagas disease. We analyzed data from the Retrovirus Epidemiology Donor Study (REDS) to train five popular machine learning algorithms. The sample comprised 2,006 patients, divided into 75% for training and 25% for testing algorithm performance. We evaluated the model performance using precision, recall, and AUC-ROC metrics. The Adaboost algorithm yielded an AUC-ROC of 0.772, a precision of 0.199, and a recall of 0.612. We simulated the decision boundary using various thresholds and observed that in this dataset a threshold of 0.45 resulted in a 100% recall. This finding suggests that employing such a threshold could potentially save 22.5% of the cost associated with mass testing of Chagas disease. Our findings highlight the potential of applying machine learning to improve the sensitivity and effectiveness of Chagas disease diagnosis and prevention. Furthermore, we emphasize the importance of integrating socio-demographic and environmental factors into neglected disease prediction models to enhance their performance.

Briquetage in early Hellenistic Etruscan Spina (Ferrara, Italy)

Excavations in the urban area of the Etruscan port city of Spina near Ferrara (Italy) have shown that the city had a roughly trapezoidal ground plan and covered an area of about 6 ha. In the east it was situated on the ancient course of the river Po (Padus Vetus) and in the west and south-west probably on a lagoon and another smaller river. The study project of the University of Zurich (2008–2017) had the goal of providing a clear stratigraphical sequence of the settlement phases as well as a geophysical investigation of the entire city area and indications of the natural environment. The excavation revealed several phases with wooden houses from the late sixth to the end of the fourth century BCE bordered by orthogonal water canals of different scales. After the violent destruction of the house, built between 375 and 350 B.C., in the third quarter of the fourth century the site changed its character. Not only was the level artificially raised, but the canals were abandoned and the area acquired a new function around 300 BCE. A series of very small, flat, round or oval impressions were found in the floor, in the vicinity of which lay a large quantity of thick, reddish terracotta fragments, coarsely tempered with organic material, very brittle, with cord impressions and finger marks. Fewer in number are accessory supports, round, or oval in section. Given their special technique, their large number, their distribution and the type of accumulation on the site, these fragments can be interpreted as briquetage deliberately smashed after use in order to remove the salt yielded by boiling. The fragments probably belonged to smaller, rectangular basins which stood on the round supports. The deeper channels from earlier phases had become in the last phase shallow gullies which served to supply fresh water.

Studying the sales market for products of the timber industry complex of the region under external sanctions pressure

Subject. The article addresses conditions and factors of the domestic sales market development of the timber industry in the region. Objectives. The aim is to assess the capacity of the domestic market for timber industry products in the target segment of wooden housing construction. Methods. The study employs statistical data on results of the forestry complex development of the Khabarovsk Krai, interviews with specialists from the Ministry of Forestry and Timber Processing, the Ministry of Construction of the Khabarovsk Krai, heads of forestry enterprises. Results. We revealed trends in the structure of production and exports of enterprises operating in the Khabarovsk Krai timber industry, the dynamics of production and consumption of forest products in the domestic market of the region. As a result of unfavorable conditions in the main (foreign) sales market, the activities of the timber industry complex enterprises became unprofitable. Implementation of government programs and flagship projects opens up opportunities to develop domestic demand. The capacity of the region’s wooden housing construction market is calculated based on three scenarios. Conclusions. Sustainable development of the timber industry complex of the region is possible, if government programs and flagship projects are implemented, aimed at the growth of the domestic market of wooden house construction.

Blueprinting extendable nanomaterials with standardized protein blocks

A wooden house frame consists of many different lumber pieces, but because of the regularity of these building blocks, the structure can be designed using straightforward geometrical principles. The design of multicomponent protein assemblies, in comparison, has been much more complex, largely owing to the irregular shapes of protein structures1. Here we describe extendable linear, curved and angled protein building blocks, as well as inter-block interactions, that conform to specified geometric standards; assemblies designed using these blocks inherit their extendability and regular interaction surfaces, enabling them to be expanded or contracted by varying the number of modules, and reinforced with secondary struts. Using X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy, we validate nanomaterial designs ranging from simple polygonal and circular oligomers that can be concentrically nested, up to large polyhedral nanocages and unbounded straight ‘train track’ assemblies with reconfigurable sizes and geometries that can be readily blueprinted. Because of the complexity of protein structures and sequence–structure relationships, it has not previously been possible to build up large protein assemblies by deliberate placement of protein backbones onto a blank three-dimensional canvas; the simplicity and geometric regularity of our design platform now enables construction of protein nanomaterials according to ‘back of an envelope’ architectural blueprints.