session 7 ic2011 toppinen

www.helsinki.fi/yliopisto

The use of wood in the green building concept:a study of expert perspectives from the UK

Lei WangAnne ToppinenHeikki Juslin

15.6.2011 1


OUTLINE

15.6.2011 2

Background

Data and methods

Results

Purpose

Theories

Conclusions


BACKGROUND

15.6.2011 3

• Change from “the business of business is business” to more ethical,more responsible and more sustainable business

• Criticism concerning impacts of UK construction sector• Using 400 million tonnes of materials and 6,500 hectares of land annually• Producing 90 million tonnes of construction, demolition and excavation

(CD&E) waste (19% of total UK waste)• Accounting for approximately 50% of the UK CO2 emissions• Responsible for a third of all industry-related pollution incidents• Accounting 40% of the total UK energy consumption

• Emerging of the GB concepts (green construction, sustainable buildingor sustainable construction


PREVIOUS LITERATURE

15.6.2011 4i

• There is growing number of technical and case studies focusing on theenvironmental performance of using wood in construction (for example,Gustavsson et al., (2010) conducted a life cycle assessment on primaryenergy and climatic impacts of an eight-storey wood-framed apartmentbuilding).

• According to Holton et al. (2008) in the UK construction productsindustry, strategy context, purpose, process and content are uniquebetween brick, steel and forest products, and developing generic sectorsustainability is not feasible.

• Only few business oriented studies regarding wood construction andGB (Gold and Rubik, 2009 studied consumer attitudes towards theimage of timber as a construction material, and of timber frame houses)in Germany

• There is lack of marketing and behavioural studies in order to determinehow and on what grounds are wooden construction products andservices perceived by different stakeholders.


PURPOSE

15.6.2011 5

• Examine the perceptions and foresights of construction experts in theUK with regards to the use of wood in the contribution to GB:

• What is the current situation of the sustainable construction in the UK?• What is the current situation of the use of wooden products in the

construction industry in the UK?• What are the key drivers and main challenges affecting the use of wood

in the construction sector in the UK?


DATA AND RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

15.6.2011 6Oikeustieteellinen tiedekunta / Henkilön nimi / Esityksen nimi

• Primary data:• 23 respondents from 18 different organizations in UK,• in-depth interviews (semi structured interviewing)

• Secondary data:• Statistics, UK government program papers,• European Union LMI for sustainable construction

• Qualitative research method, recursive abstraction

-> Basis for a follow-up study & application


THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL BACKGROUND— Green Building

15.6.2011 7

• The narrow GB concepts often limit toenvironmental issues and constructionpractices such as material, technology,process etc.

• natural building• sustainable design and green

architecture• Modern Methods of Construction• high performance building


BACKGROUND: BREEAM AS A PART OF GB IN THE UK

15.6.2011 8

• BREEAM is the world’s first and most widely used environmental assessmentmethod and GB rating system (200,000 buildings certified, and over a millionbuildings registered for assessment)

• Measuring the environmental impacts of any building in the following aspects:• Management, operational energy, transport, health and well-being, water, materials,

land use, site ecological value, pollution

GB rating systems Origin Year

BREEAM UK 1990

BEPAC Canada 1993

LEED US 2000

GHEM China 2001

DGNB Certification System Germany 2009


BACKGROUND— Share of TF construction in total housing in the UK:

15.6.2011 9

Share of TF construction1998 8 %2006 17 %2011 25 %2016 ?

In single family housing Scotland 75% currently


BACKGROUND— Measuring environmental soundness of wood

15.6.2011 10

• Reducing energy use duringthe building service life

• Minimizing external pollutionand environmental damage

• Reducing embodied energyand resource depletion

• Minimizing internal pollutionand damage to health

• Use of existing LCA tools


Broader concept of sustainability?

15.6.2011 11

• The broader GB concept governs three pillars ofSD: environmental, social and economicresponsibilities (from Zainul Abidin, 2010)


RESULTS—Development of GB in the UK (1)


• People have become more concerned, and the concern of SC will increase: eco friendlyhouses, growing environmental consciousness, and use of environmentally friendly materials:less concrete & steel, more gluelam and I-beams

• The concept of SC is a cost sensitive issue, and it has to be bonded together with theconcept of affordable housing in order to improve the competitiveness

• Lack of WTP for eco friendly houses

• Developers: do not want to invest in some areas (which are on government agenda)because there are enough customers for their current products and business

• Cost is an important issue, eco-housing has to be price competitive—affordable

http://www.woodawards.com/gallery/?nggpage=2


RESULTS—Development of GB (2)


• Sustainability has important place in UK government's agenda and thegovernment is pushing the development of GB through policy development suchas accomplish of standards, legislations, guiding lines, and assessment systems

• The government tries to boost sustainable housing through legislation, andstandardization will happen in this sector

• Implementing SC is the main task of the construction sector, and it will keepgrowing in the future

• Affordable/environmental housing will increase in the following areas:sustainability, eco friendly, recyclability, transportation efficiency, energyconsumption, offsite manufacturing

http://www.woodawards.com/gallery/?nggpage=2


RESULTS (3)— A progressive time for using timber in construction


TF Other wood products

“Timber frame housing has increased around five years, acceleration has started especially in England”

“Engineered wood products in floor zones is the only improvement in 5 years”

“Use of timber has increased and it will increase, especially in timber frame housing”

“There are more value added and engineeredtimber products in the market, e.g.floor joists,I-Beams, open frame joists, gluelam beams”

“It has been a positive time for using timber in construction, and can see a clear growth of timber frame housing”

“Clear growth of engineered wood products”

“There is a fast / major improvement in wood construction”

“Increase in the timber frame systems, such as roof, frame, and floors etc.”


RESULTS (4)— use of wood in GB

15.6.2011 15

• Wood is a favourable material for achieve GB• Wood is like default in affordable and environmental housing. Wood could satisfy

the demand of sustainability

• Environmental housing will increase and wood will be part of it, it includesrecycling, life cycle etc. Big house builder are beginning to apply affordable andenvironmental methods and that will boost the use of wood as well

• The drivers which support the use of wood as the optimal solution for GB in theUK construction are:

1. Legislation2. Environmental issues3. Attitudes and traditions4. Markets and competition5. Promotion and communication6. Technology and knowhow


Some perceptions on key drivers:

15.6.2011 16

Legislation “Legislation will drive the wood usage in construction”

“Emphasis and attention on timber (government) has made more difficult for buyers, users, specifiers and designers to specify/procure the timber which meet the policy and they attempt to use substitutes”

Environmental issues “ Environmental message on low carbon impact and flexibility of timber use make it a good material in sustainable housing.”

“Timber industry does not need to compare its products to substitutes. It needs to address/highlight its own credentials like sustainability, which is really the major driver / character. Having message “We are good because" rather than "We are better than others“.

Attitudes and traditions “Timber has flexibility and can be easily adapted to different lifestyle. Future lifestyle movements in cities and towns changed the tradition and there is desire for more high class houses (except Scotland) of wood. ““Timber has not been traditional building material in UK (until recent times).Reputation of timber as building material was ruined in late 70s and 80early 80s, by bad design and TV programs telling about that”

Markets and competition

“Olympics will be huge job and chance for timber industry. Timber industry should engage the whole value chain to show what you can do with the timber”

“It is not enough to have good product, you have to invest for the production and marketing as well. Bigger companies have the money and they can make profit”

Promotion and communication

“Generic marketing like wood for good have affected the market and public behaviour”

“However, timber is not easy material because it has so many characteristics and designers may be a little bit scared of it . You need to have much more knowledge in designing with timber when compared to substitutes. Industry should show how you can build with wood .”

Technology and knowhow

“MMC is like made for timber products. The potentiality is huge.”

“Availability of education on wood construction is still low”


CONCLUSIONS

The development of SC in UK refers to affordable, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible housing


CONCLUSIONS


• Significant growth of GB in the UK construction sector, where wood hasbeen a functionally suitable and competitive material.

• TF is the major area of growth, and current trend in wood construction ischanging from low value and low tech wood products to high tech andhigh value added products.

• Legislation, environmental issues, attitudes and traditions, market andcompetition, promotion and communication, and technology andknowhow drivers have pushed the increase of wood construction andthe concept of GB in the UK.

session 7 ic2011 toppinen

Business