Building in wood

In human history wood was the first building material and was used in all ancient civilizations.

Andrea Fiorentini Architect

In recent centuries it has been supplanted by modern and industrial construction techniques, such as brick, cement and iron that have become the most widespread building materials. However, in recent years wood construction has made a significant progress, both in terms of quantity and quality, during a period of severe crisis in the construction sector, wood construction has in fact marked a positive trend, they have also been developed new technical solutions that greatly improved its supporting and economic capabilities.

In general, the advantages are many, starting from the reduction of construction time, in fact, being the wood composed of prefabricated and light elements greatly simplify the procedures of laying in operation. The "dry" assembly, that is, without the use of water, eliminates waiting times and keeps the construction site cleaner by simplifying the work of the workers and reducing the impact on the context.

The lightness and elasticity of the casing, the main feature of the wooden structures, is highly valued for seismic safety as it absorbs better seismic stresses and guarantees better resistance. The excellent thermal and acoustic insulation intrinsic in the material, ensures internal comfort and containment of energy consumption.

the wooden structures also offer good advantages in terms of fire resistance as the solid or laminated wood burns but maintains its carrying capacity for a long time before collapsing, leaving more time for the evacuation of the property by its Occupants.

On an ecological and environmental level, wood in Europe comes from cultivated and regenerated forests, and is entirely recyclable, during production and laying in operation consumes very little energy and does not release harmful emissions during use.

Recently it is very used in school buildings and has been used a lot for the reconstruction of earthquake-stricken municipalities in Abruzzo. The latest construction techniques also allow to build multi-story buildings, in Via Cenni in Milan three residential towers of 10 floors have been built, solutions that suggest an increasing role in the construction of the coming years.