Wood

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__Video__ How does wood help to mitigate climate change?

Climate change has emerged as the dominant global enviromental issue, one that is going to have a major impact on our planet. Using more wood is a natural and easy way to make a difference. Climate changes largely do to increasing levels of green gases in the atmosphere, especially the carbon dioxide release when fossile fuels are burned. A way to decrease climate change is reduce green house gas emisions and store more carbon. A healthy sustainable forest can do both. On average, a tree absorbs 1 ton of carbon dioxide and releases 3/4 of a ton of oxygen for every 32ft2. When the tree matures it grows slower and less carbon is absorbed. In an unmanaged forest, the carbon remain stored in the ruts and branches until the tree decomposes or burnes. At that time, much of the carbon is released mainly as carbon dioxide. Deforestation, primarily in developing countries, emits 18% of carbon globally. But in a sustainably managed forest this cycle of carbon absorption and storage represents an available solution to climate change, because wood products continue to store the carbon absorbed by the trees and the new forest once again begins absorbing carbon dioxide. For example, in North America a typical wood frame home stores 30 times of carbon, this represents the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by running the family car for 5 years. Building, construction and renovation have a significant impact on the environment, but wood products come with a unique advantage. A growing tree removes more carbon from the atmosphere than the amount emitted during the entire process of making a wood product and shipping it to the construction side. A s a result, wood products are not just carbon neutral, they are carbon negative, and that represents a carbon credit, which helps the carbon imposed by other building materials. "A home made with as much wood as possible can be carbon neutral, if the wood is eventually reclaimed for reuse or to generate clean bio-energy". Using wood from well managed forests can achieve significant results, it encourages responsable forest management so forests remain healthy and productive and continue to absorb and strore carbon. It provides low carbon building materials and it delivers a renewable source of carbon neutral energy.

__<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">Wood notes __ <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">-Advantages: easy to acquire, transport, and work. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">All parts of a building can be constructed of wood except foundations. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">-Disadvantages: susceptibility to fire, mold, and termites. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">Characteristics: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">-Strength of wood in tension and c <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">ompression arises from its organic nature, which gives it an internal structure oflongitudinal and radial fibres that is not impaired by cutting or long exposure. But like all organisms it contains moisture and is not uniformly strong, so it must be carefully selected and seasoned to prevent warping, splitting, and failure under loads. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">-Wood is used in building solid and skeletal structures. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;"> -Log construction (solid system): is employed when <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">only primitive cutting tools are available. The stability of the log building depends entirely on the mutual support of the walls. It is suitable only for simple structures of limited size. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;"> -Skeletal system requires precise cutting and shaping of lumber. It provides a rigid framework of jointed or nailed members independent of the walls, which are attached to the exterior and interior surfaces after completion. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">-Other uses: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">heavy framing systems with compound beams and girders, interior and exterior facing with plywood and other composite panels, and arch and truss systems with laminated members that can be designed to meet particular structural demands. <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">Physical Properties of wood: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px; line-height: 22px;">- Anisotropy <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">- Moisture <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">- Dimensional stability <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">- Density <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">- Resistance to weathering <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">- Durability <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">- Action of other organisms <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">- Electrical properties <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">-Thermal properties <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">Mechanical properties: <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">-Elastic properties <span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 15px;">-Strength properties