Energy efficiency and zero consumption goal
Energy efficient houses – ZEB zero energy building Zero-consumption houses are no longer an unattainable goal, but simply an established construction practice and a goal enshrined by European Community member states in Directive 20 20 20 http://ec.europa.eu/energy/en/topics/energy-efficiency Until recently it seemed impossible to build truly well-insulated houses. in the 1990s a few centimeters of thermal insulation was enough to be up to code, then it went to 10 cm, then 15 cm, and now we envision 20 / 25 cm of insulation a true super-insulation http://www.exligno.it/isolamento/ The recipe is very simple: we use a lot of insulation and use materials that ensure both summer and winter thermal efficiency. In this way, the house becomes really easy to heat to the point that household appliances alone together with the thermal emission of the inhabitants’ human body are enough to bring the temperature up to comfort levels. In this way, we avoid tapping into nonrenewable energy sources such as gas and diesel fuel and use the sun as the primary source for self-generation of electricity and heat through photovoltaics and solar thermal ensuring thermal efficiency and zero consumption. The materials we use to ensure thermal insulation and thus energy efficiency and ‘zero consumption goal are not derived from petroleum but are from mineral sources such as rock wool or plant sources such as wood fiber. This allows for better summer insulation as well as ensuring that our properties are more environmentally friendly.
A disaster that must give us pause
The disaster that has struck the forests of northeastern Italy in recent days has filled all nature and wood lovers’ hearts with dismay however, it is a disaster that should give us pause. This is a disaster that gives pause for thought to all operators and users of the wood product in our region and thus to us as well. We do not yet know how many trees were felled due to the flood rains and wind, but they certainly correspond to the wood industry’s needs for structures for many years to come. This tragedy could be an opportunity for our region to equip itself with a stronger and more competitive wood industry. Mother Nature has carried out on a grand scale the zero-cutting that is prohibited by regulations in Italy. Now all those large areas of zero-cut forest are an immense reservoir of raw material for construction. We can either choose to equip ourselves with high-capacity sawmills and extraction tools such as harvesters and equip ourselves locally for the production of wooden structures by expanding our market by becoming an example of eco-sustainable builders or let that raw material be taken away by better organized foreign producers. Then there will also remain the burden of re-planting the felled trees, and this is another interesting industry in itself and one that allows the creation of jobs and absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere. On this occasion, we remind you that the use of construction wood stimulates the sustainable wood industry. Every plant that is cut is replanted and this allows more carbon to be taken out of the atmosphere. The presence of carbon in the atmosphere is responsible for the disasters resulting from global warming that has resulted in flooding in our region but also created fires with other forest loss in many parts of Europe from Sweden to Greece during the summer, and conscious building such as wood construction can help curb these disasters.
Earthquake prevention day
October 20, 2019 has been declared to be Earthquake Prevention Day. It will be a Sunday when technical professionals will take to the streets to talk about prevention. https://www.giornataprevenzionesismica.it/ For our part as wood designers possimao say that we are very interested in seismic prevention and that building with wood is the best seismic prevention that can be achieved. Our wooden houses are a very good prevention against seismic risk, however with wood we can also provide the solution for existing buildings by putting in dry seismic upgrades that can bring huge benefits in terms of safety. With wood we are also able to create dry seismic coats by working from the outside without interfering with the lives of residents and simultaneously ensuring both seismic and energy improvement of buildings. We are therefore able to offer an intervention that simultaneously offers both energy and seismic bonus. The Italian government has made available the Seismic Bonus, which allows up to 85 percent of improvement expenses to be deducted in the short period of five years. https://www.agenziaentrate.gov.it/portale/Aree+tematiche/Casa/Agevolazioni/Sisma+bonus/ This is a truly unmissable opportunity, which, however, unfortunately, was not as successful as it should have been. Table Sisma BonusIn order to obtain the Sisma Bonus, the project must provide for the simic improvement of structures by two level grades going for example from G to E. However with wood we are able to improve the classification easily reaching the highest levels. Unfortunately, when we talk about earthquake we always think that it is a phenomenon foreign to the geographical area in which we reside. When we see the image of an earthquake we think that these events always happen far away from where we live and that is why in Italy sadly at each seismic event we count the damage. In reality, 44% of Italy’s territory is seismically active and 550,000 homes are at risk. Earthquake engineering has been developed since 1960 and is still evolving. Each seismic event teaches what mistakes were made and also teaches aspects that were underestimated in the past. Today, for example, we know thattraditional masonry is far too fragile and that it breaks down, disintegrating ruinously due to ground acceleration. It has been realized that we need to pack them up to make them safe by preventing them from crumbling in the event of a seismic event as we have seen happen. The way to pack masonry is to cover it with stronger materials such as reinforced concrete but also wood and especiallyX Lam. Compared to concrete, wood is lighter and stronger and therefore less subject to seismic force and better able to withstand the pressures without breaking. It is also quicker in installation, more environmentally friendly, and makes it easier for us to retrofit buildings in terms of energy improvement because it dissipates less heat and makes it easier to put on thermal insulation. We should not forget that our geographical area of Veneto-although it does not have the sad records of Messina 1908, Marsica 1915, Belice 1968, Friuli 1976 and the more recent ones of L’Aquila 2009, Emilia 2012, Accumuli, Amatrice, Norcia 2016 and many others-has also been hit in less recent times by earthquakes of some significance. Recall, for example, the 1695 earthquake in Asolo with 400 deaths, the 1836 earthquake on Mount Grappa with 10 deaths, the 1873 earthquake in Treviso, and more anciently the January 3, 1117 earthquake that caused 30,000 deaths in northern Italy and also struck violently in the Veneto region. Because geological events span longer periods of human history, an earthquake can occur several generations apart and yet still create damage that can drag on for a long time even if it is forgotten after a few generations. This is why it is difficult to talk about prevention in Italy even though we then regularly find ourselves moved by the damage done. Not everything is comnimately negative, we can say that – for example – the works carried out in Norcia following the 1979 earthquake proved fundamental and avoided the victims that the 2016 earthquake claimed in other towns in the same area. We also learned from that event how prevention can save lives. Today we are putting wood in the field. Not for the first time. Wood already in Bourbon Italy and even in the high seismicity areas of Turkey had proven to be a valuable ally. Were it not for an erroneous cultural heritage present in some parts of Italy, wood in construction could be the tool for intelligent reconstruction of the building heritage lost in the recent earthquakes and also a tool to give a quick prospect of a peaceful future for those affected by these immense disasters. Today it is being studied and applied in the most seismically and technologically advanced areas of the planet to make buildings that simply will not break down in seismic events.
The delamination test, an important information on the strength and durability of wood structure
In each supply of X Lam panels, the delamination test is performed to check the strength of the glue joining the cross planks forming the panels. The durability of the wood is virtually unlimited with the delamination test the strength of the glue that joins the components is checked in order to assisure that the glue is not the weak point but is stronger than the wood it joins. Before testing, the glued wooden block is subjected to a cycle of water absorption and subsequent dehydration, an extreme situation corresponding to 30 years of the structure’s life. To do this, the wood cube is immersed in an autoclave that brings the water pressure to 5 atmospheres (equivalent to 50 depth). Once the sample is extracted, it is dried in a dedicated oven. After drying, the cube is returned to room temperature and broken by splitting it by applying a shearing stress. Acceptance is predicts that the failure occurs on the part that is not glued i.e., that the glue is still stronger than the wood. This is a very important datum to ensure the strength of wooden structures in fact the glue must maintain the seal even in extreme coditions that do not occur in the life of the structure. X Lam panels are made by gluing cross-laminated spruce boards; gluing is done with glues produced by companies operating in the international market. The glue companies have their own quality control system with random sampling to check the quality of the product. Our supplier of X Lam panels, Artuso Legnami of Treviso, in this case, in turn checks the quality of the product before supplying the panels to our worksites.
In France, 50% of the structure of public buildings will have to be made of wood
President Macron has announced ato a very advanced sustainability law that will ensure that all new public buildings are constructed with at least 50 percent wood or other natural materials. An interesting lesson for all The measure will be implemented by 2022 and will affect all public buildings financed by the French state, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP). “It will be imposed on all public entities that depend on me and pertain to development or land policy to construct buildings with materials that are at least 50 percent wood or bio-based materials,” said Minister for Cities and Housing Julien Denormandie as reported by the French news agency. Bio-based materials are made from materials derived from living organisms, with examples including wood, hemp and straw. This measure was made to promote wood as a building material. In fact, wood has a significantly lower inherent carbon footprint than other building materials such as concrete and steel. Thus, wood is considered a building material that is useful to employ to defeat issues pertaining to climate change. CO2 emission reduction Wood construction not only stores carbon through the growth of the tree from which it comes, but also allows building with less energy than concrete and steel, and thus with reduced fuel and energy consumption. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/macron-use-more-wood-in-our-buildings-wmlrf2f3g
X Lam and construction wood can actively contribute to the fight against global warming
The carbon cycle and forest management As everyone knows, the Earth’s atmosphere contains an unsustainable amount of carbon that produces the greenhouse effect with the devastating consequences we know: melting of the poles, desertification of large areas of the planet, and the succession of extreme weather events. All these are the consequences of excessive CO2 input into the atmosphere resulting from human activity. Through their growth, plants absorb carbon in the atmosphere, helping to restore the balance in the carbon cycle now altered by human activity. Plants have done this in the past as well. In ancient geological eras they made our planet habitable by absorbing the carbon emitted by volcanoes that made the earth an inhospitable planet. Now plants and trees in particular have the essential task of absorbing the excess carbon put in by humans through the burning of fossil fuels. In ancient times, fossil fuels were also plants. Oil consists of the liquefaction of plant matter stored in the bowels of the earth as a result of movements of the earth’s crust. From a certain point of view, it would be better for oil to remain buried in the bowels of the earth. However, at present it is too convenient to use it for mobility, industrial production and residential heating even though everyone-or many-are trying to put a limit on this excessive use. Undoubtedly, the effort to plant trees is crucial to absorb carbon in the atmosphere and restore the balance. Some countries are making great efforts. For example, Scotland has planned to plant 22.5 million trees each year. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QqEYS23TsQE Ireland is also very active in this regard having embraced an ambitious plan to plant 440 million trees by 2030 https://www.lifegate.com/people/news/ireland-440-million-trees These efforts are commendable and should be combined with the effort to reduce carbon inputs to the atmosphere by changing technologies and habits. The goal is to rebalance the carbon cycle between what is input and what is absorbed by the system. The role of wooden constructions Building wooden houses, making X Lam panels, and using wooden beams for floors are all ways of sequestering carbon from the atmosphere and fixing it in the structures of our homes at least for the lifetime of our houses and buildings. Construction wood is derived from the cutting of a mature plant. Following the cutting of a mature plant is followed by the planting of 2 or 3 new plants resulting in the renewal of the forest stand. As it is explained in this recent BBC article young plants are much more active than mature plants in capturing carbon in the atmosphere therefore the cutting and planting cycle is a very useful cycle in combating excess carbon in the air. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190717-climate-change-wooden-architecture-concrete-global-warming The X Lam and unused forests L’X Lam was invented in Austria with the aim of promoting the use of wood in construction but also to utilize a stock of unused forests initially planted for paper and chipboard production. Cutting down these forests and rejuvenating them benefits the environment. Mature forests stop absorbing carbon. Young trees are the main players in absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Tree cutting and planting is essential for carbon absorption Planting two trees for every one cut The principle of sustainability is to plant two or three trees for every tree cut. Improperly managed mature spruce forests cease to optimize their environmental utility, as it is the young trees that have the greatest capacity to absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Due to their intense and vigorous development, young trees are a real boon to the Earth’s atmosphere. The maturity of a spruce forest occurs after 80 years. After that time, tree replacement ensures that new young, carbon voracious plants implement the air cleaning we desire. So where to put the mature wood? Paper consumption has been greatly reduced with the advent of information technology, so many of Europe’s forests remain unused and require renewal. Aging forests also make them acidic and unfruitful. Excessive pine needles and dry branches turn to carbon with their maceration and worsen the positive balance of carbon absorbed and re-injected. The most ecological and functional solution is to use lumber to build wooden houses The wooden house captures carbon that would otherwise be dumped into the atmosphere. Even left to rot, wood contributes to the rise of CO2 in the atmosphere. In the very long term, wood will turn into oil or coal as it did in past eras. Now, however, with the overuse of fossil fuel, the carbon cycle has broken down and the balance between input and absorption must be restored with everyone’s help. Cutting, replanting use wood in construction In every developed country from Italy to England to the United States and now in France and other nations, wood is replacing concrete. Even now, enough concrete is poured each year to cover a nation like Great Britain.Concrete contributes 4 percent of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Wood constructions due to their weight (about 20 percent of traditional constructions) require much less concrete even in foundations thus allow them to be built with reduced carbon emission during concrete production and store carbon in the structure. Wood in Japan Sixty years ago in Japan, the Americans planted with the Marshall Plan so many fir trees. Those plants that are now about sixty years old are ripe to be rejuvenated and used for wood construction. In fact, even in Japan the use of wood and particularly X Lam in construction is becoming more and more widespread. Japan in fact like Italy is also a country subject to seismic risk and in wood the Japanese have identified a tool to combat this risk common to us. It is very famous in fact a video on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=T08KRyVhyeo produced by an Italian-Japanese company that exemplifies the resistance of a five-story building subjected to the accelerations equal to those of the Kobe earthquake https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terremoto_di_Kobe_del_1995 which destroyed 500,000 homes. Conclusion An advertisement from the 1970s said ‘use plastic to save trees’ today
The foundation of a wooden house
The foundation of a wooden house is a very important element that must be studied well from the beginning. in a wooden dwelling house, foundations must be made and they must be made well by paying attention to some important details Foundations, an important issue to deal with Foundations, although not an attractive topic, should actually be studied thoroughly because, in addition to supporting the wooden house, they also ensure that it is well separated from soil moisture. For example: analyze the level, almost never is a terrain really level even if it is flat and inches count, so better to do a good laser survey and check the starting elevations well. the foundation slab will need to be deep enough so that it can be guaranteed to find settled and consolidated soil. This is why the slab option is often preferred. the upper level of the foundation, i.e., the plane of the panel ledge, should ensure that the wood is well out of the water and fairly raised from the surrounding ground. knowing the soil bearing capacity, it is also essential to have the advice of a geologist who analyzes the degree of compression tolerated by the soil. In fact, since water is the enemy of wood, the incorrect location of this level of the foundation of a wooden house is often the cause of the building’s ruin. Ventilation under the floor Better to provide a ventilation space under the entire property-often mandatory-especially in wet areas to prevent the spread of radon. Drains and other services Already at this stage, when pouring the foundations of a wooden house, drains with the right slope and other necessary services for the house should be provided. It is always a good idea to provide separate conduits for telecom, ENEL, etc. lines. It is not mail wrong to leave an extra empty conduit for future unforeseen needs such as outdoor lighting, electric car charging, or other services not yet foreseeable at an early stage of the project.
XLam: the new reinforced concrete
XLam is often considered the new green version of reinforced concrete perfect for civil, residential and other buildings. It is a wood panel made from extremely versatile cross-fiber rough planking that replaces traditional brick masonry. Similar to traditional masonry, XLam simultaneously provides protection from the outside and load-bearing capacity. XLam like all masonry has a linear development so compared to framed structures it naturally provides strong stiffness along its central axis. An XLam masonry is a splendid bracing blade that, with great stiffness, supports the horizontal thrusts produced by wind and earthquake. It allows us to build houses in any type of architecture, both traditional and contemporary, guaranteeing a very high reserve of resistance even in case of very violent seismic events and extreme weather conditions. Well known on all continents-in English CLT cross laminated timber due to its strength reserve-of the characteristics that make it more performant even than concrete. In many parts of the world it is used to make the strong central core in multi-story buildings by ensuring bracing action-that is, resistance to horizontal thrusts-even in very tall buildings such as small skyscrapers. The ease of fabrication and assembly, combined with the absolute performance guarantee make it still a real workhorse in our projects for us. Without therefore taking anything away from other construction systems of wooden houses such as the Platform frame or the Balloon frame, XLam remains a very versatile panel that allows us to create buildings with a level of safety double or triple what the constructive standard applicable in Italy and also in other European countries may require. It is therefore a of a very safe system that has been tried and tested for more than two decades now and made of our Veneto region by companies that are also highly competitive internationally. As engineers we do not have a tie to a particular manufacturer or manufacturer or a particular construction technology and therefore feel free to choose very often however the choice comes back to XLam which combined with glulam, i.e. glulam beam, remains a very efficient and experienced construction system for us.
A modern wooden house: design and energy saving
A wooden house does not have to have a rustic look! A log house in the collective imagination is the log house of the Nordic tradition. Even today for rustic lovers we can make the log-house and sometimes we are even asked for it, however in reality today the log house is a very different thing. However, the trendy log house is not only fashionable, many of the minimalist solutions that we also adopt on the wave of a widespread fashion are actually solutions that also have motivations based on practical and functional reasons. These are generally contemporary houses inspired by a contemporary look enlivened by distinctive elements such as: Formal cleanliness; simplicity; Rationality of forms; essentiality; clarity of composition; features. The elegance of glulam structures There are at least two classic ways of interpreting the contemporary wooden house design. One type often used is the flat-roofed type with a large sliding sash window on the main elevation. This is the typology we jokingly refer to as the scarce box. It is a way of designing houses inspired by the minimalist ‘the less is more’ precept. The glazing is set back from the outer frame, forming a pleasant little porch that provides protection from direct sunlight in the summertime as well as a protected place to sit and converse Rectangular elevation Typically this type lends itself to the creation of an open space with a large living room and a dining area with a kitchen island. Another widely used alternative is the house with a two-pitch elevation in what we would call a pentagonal shape. This solution also finds many application examples. Just scroll through the images that copiously land on Pinterest to see numerous variations of this classic solution: This type also lends itself to providing a more or less extensive sliding nate window, a large open space, and a front porch. One of the advantages of this solution is to provide a more easily manageable roof in terms of eliminating water. Pitches are obviously the most logical solution to prevent water infiltration from the roof! Natural materials for interiors as well Wooden houses are actually true thermally insulated containers. However, the wooden structure requires that ample thicknesses of insulation be provided to protect against cold in winter and heat in summer. Our preference is for using natural materials that belong to the biosphere, that is, not derived from petroleum. Use materials such as mineral linens or wood fibers The contemporary house has no pitch overhangs, and this prevents the roof from leaking heat from the pitches that are joined and sealed to the insulation layer of the wall. The insulating layers of the roof and walls thus join seamlessly, ensuring the absence of thermal bridges. Trendy wooden houses are raised off the ground. The floor remains raised above ground level and the walls do not touch the ground. Visually, a shadow gap appears under the walls, which also turns out to be a recurring stylistic note in these projects. This also has its own raison d’être not only aesthetically. As can be seen in our elementary sketch, the foundation of a wooden house always has a concrete wall that raises it above ground level. This is an essential perimeter curb to ensure with in ordinary or extraordinary situations, such as a flood, in any case the wooden structures and insulating starates do not come in contact with water and remain dry ensuring functionality and protection.